KRM (Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee) Commuter Rail

So if I'm following this correctly, a new operating authority would be created to oversee this interstate commuter line? Would it be operated as a part of Metra, or as a separate service altogether? And I assume this means a reduction in Amtrak Hiawathas?

Otto Vondrak wrote:So if I'm following this correctly, a new operating authority would be created to oversee this interstate commuter line? Would it be operated as a part of Metra, or as a separate service altogether? And I assume this means a reduction in Amtrak Hiawathas?

It will be seperate operation from Metra, and that it will be operated by the Southeastern Wisconsin RTA which the state created in 2005 to oversee plans for the commuter rail.

It will connect to Metra in either Kenosha, or Waukegan,IL.

This I don't think it won't reduce the number of trips on the Amtrak Hiawatha Service.

As that it will provide commuter rail service to Milwaukee, to eastern Racine, and Kenosha counties, and that it will provide faster service then the current Wisconsin Coach Line bus that currently operates between Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee which takes about 1 1/2 to ride from experience. Also that people who live in these counties can use the proposed line to connect to metra trains for service to other cities in Eastern Lake county, and Chicago.

Plus the commuter rail will use the UP tracks from the south side of Milwaukee, to kenosha, and that it will use CP to reach the intermodal station, as for amtrak it runs all on cp, and metra to Chicago.

Last time I was in Racine I passed their intermodal station, and from what I could tell, they already fixed this thing for commuter rail years ago. IF i recall, even the train platforms was new, all this is left is the improvements to the track. If this project gets rolling, I cant see it taking too long to get going. Kenosha already has a station, as appears racine. the biggest obsitcle would appear to be hiring crew, purchasing equip, and improving the tracks. I presume that more storage would have to be built at kenosha, or waukegan? I recall this service will sometimes go all the way to chicago at peak hours?

The only interurbans or commuter passenger service in Milwaukee that broke even or earned a profit were in the very few years before the advent of affordable automobiles before 1910. Just desiring that the dying New Urbanist movement will inspire others to want another megabuck-losing passenger system simply will not cut it. New Urbanists typically have socialist, entitlement mindsets--desiring others to pay the way for their toys and such.

Northland Greyhound, the second final owner-operator of Milwaukee's interurban lost $1/4 million a year on the Milwaukee-Kenosha and other routes back during 1948. Adjust that figure for today's value of money, and the operating loss will be $ millions.

But again, Wisconsin clearly has a socialist governor, as does Michigan.

Detroit wrote:The only interurbans or commuter passenger service in Milwaukee that broke even or earned a profit were in the very few years before the advent of affordable automobiles before 1910. Just desiring that the dying New Urbanist movement will inspire others to want another megabuck-losing passenger system simply will not cut it. New Urbanists typically have socialist, entitlement mindsets--desiring others to pay the way for their toys and such.

Northland Greyhound, the second final owner-operator of Milwaukee's interurban lost $1/4 million a year on the Milwaukee-Kenosha and other routes back during 1948. Adjust that figure for today's value of money, and the operating loss will be $ millions.

But again, Wisconsin clearly has a socialist governor, as does Michigan.

I assume you don't drive on roads, socialist government-run money-losing operations that they are. (At least in Wisconsin and Michigan, where specific studies have been done proving that they are heavily subsidized by property tax, sales tax, and/or income tax.)

Moderators, is this sort of nonsense reportable for deletion, or should I keep explaining how stupid it is every single time?

Everyone: I'll be chatting with Otto Vondrak about this thread. In the meantime, let's stop debating whether Govs. Doyle and Granholm are or aren't socialist, or the relative socialism factors of transit versus highways, unless you'd like the lock put on all future KRM discussion.

Thanks for being civil, and remember, this is Railroad.net and not Politics.net.

Let's keep it to the KRM project, I dont see what the other tangents have anything to do with the discussion at hand.

-otto-

I received and update on the KRM project:

"KRM Commuter Rail has reached another milestone. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The final step is a round of public hearings. "

Wisconsin still needs to correct the funding issue, but this is a good step forward.

According to a newly-posted federal document, the Evers Administration is trying to help a private company keep alive the idea of commuter rail between Kenosha and Milwaukee.

Last week, The Federal Transit Administration updated its website, to include a profile of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) rail project, as provided this month by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

In the profile, WisDOT talks of up to 33 miles of track being upgraded to allow the commuter trains to go as fast as 79 miles per hour. The Department says it wants to have a locally-approved proposal go into the region's "fiscally constrained" long-range regional transportation plan by January.

https://www.wuwm.com/2022-08-22/newasse ... -milwaukee

BACK ON TRACK
Racine is trying to build a coalition to revive the KRM commuter rail project with the expectation of a big economic payoff. Will politics again wreck the concept?

Around for 25 years already, the concept of a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line is not going to go away.
That’s how Racine Mayor Cory Mason is approaching the city’s push to revive the “KRM” concept that state officials quashed back in 2011. Racine has enough money in hand to prepare a federal grant application in the hope of reviving the controversial concept.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/n ... round.html

So the short version, to me, is this proposal is all the way back to square one.

Contract it out to Metra... They're about to have a car surplus.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

New consultant: JournalTimes.com

Racine partnering with consultant for KRM rail study

RACINE — The City of Racine will move forward with a study for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee rail project with DB E.C.O. North America Inc.

The Common Council approved a resolution Monday allowing the city to enter into a professional services agreement with DB E.C.O. and rescind the Feb. 6 decision to partner with a different consulting company for the project.
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