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Transportation: Decreased Funding Endangers Public Transportation System In the early 20th century, Milwaukee prospered and expanded, thanks in part to the city's excellent public transportation system that linked its growing population to jobs and goods. Today, the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) fulfills a necessary role, providing award-winning bus service to the community. However, the Bush administration's proposed budget funds new highway construction before investing in public transportation, threatening the future of Milwaukee's vital transit system. Milwaukee resident Dan Jibson knows the importance of affordable, dependable public transit, both in his own life and in the lives of the people he works with. Dan became blind at age 25, and like many of the people he works with at the Milwaukee County Disabilities Service Division, he relies on public transportation to get around. Many of the people Dan encounters through his work live on fixed incomes, cannot drive, or do not own a car. Instead, they depend upon the prompt and efficient service of Milwaukee's public transportation system to take them to work, school, and even to doctor's appointments and therapy. Dan Jibson photo by Rosemary Wehnes Seven percent of workers in Milwaukee County join Dan in using public transportation to get to work. That keeps 30,000 cars off the road, easing traffic congestion and reducing that amount of asthma-triggering pollution in Milwaukee's air.1 Milwaukee County had a total of 22 code red or code orange ozone action days in the three-year period from 1998-2000.2 In 2002 alone, Milwaukee County had 20 code red or code orange ozone action days.3 Without the benefits of the transit system, Milwaukee residents would suffer many more unhealthy air days each year.4 Maintaining the quality of Milwaukee's public transportation, providing transit choices, and increasing investments to the transit system are critical to the region's economic and environmental future. The Bush administration, however, is placing public transit funding on the budget chopping block, favoring highways over cleaner public transportation. Instead of making transit a cornerstone of community revitalization for places like Milwaukee, the administration wants to make public transit a less-affordable, less-desirable option for municipalities by making it a more expensive choice than highways. The Bush administration proposes to provide 50 percent of the federal funding for public transit while paying for 80 percent of the cost for road projects. Because of the increased costs to Wisconsin and to local governments, the administration's plan would make public transit virtually unavailable to the least affluent communities that depend on it most. It is clear that the Bush administration wants to promote road-building despite the rising demand for modern, more environmentally-friendly transit systems. Already, Dan Jibson has experienced the negative effects of dwindling funding for MCTS. He often rode the bus to his church, but he is no longer able to do so because the evening bus schedule was reduced-a direct result of budget constraints. Dan knows that for many people he works with each day, bus transportation is the only option they can afford because Paratransit, the main alternative available to them, costs nearly twice as much per trip. The Bush administration also wants to eliminate the Bus Capital Program. This successful program has helped ensure that transit systems of all sizes can replace equipment and provide much-needed services to their communities. The Milwaukee County Transit System received Outstanding Achievement Awards from the American Public Transportation Association in both 1987 and 1999. In order to continue to excel, what MCTS needs, according to Dan, is increased funding to provide better services and newer buses, not the cutbacks the Bush administration is proposing. "Replacing the older buses with newer models that are better equipped to handle wheelchairs and provide audio announcements of bus stops will help others with disabilities use the Milwaukee bus system," he explains. However, the Bush administration's proposed elimination of the Bus Capital Program means that it will take even longer for Milwaukee to obtain newer buses. Increasing investments in the bus system and providing funds for expanding transportation choices to include commuter rail is critical to the community's economic and environmental future. Milwaukee residents with disabilities and the thousands of other MCTS riders will not have their needs met by the administration's vision of fewer transportation choices. Caption: Dan Jibson is blind and uses transit services to get to work. Dan is concerned that without strong federal support for public transportation, the 30,000 workers in Milwaukee who rely on public transportation will find it harder to get to their jobs. 1. http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/publications/20031215_ beimborn.htm 2. State of the Air: 2003, American Lung Association 3. Wisconsin DNR 4. Conserving Energy and Preserving the Environment: The Role of Public Transportation," APTA, http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/shapiro.cfm or http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-jtw2000milw.htm For more information about the transportation challenges facing Wisconsin contact: Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter 608-256-0565 rosemary.wehnes@sierraclub.org 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Federal Transit Administration Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club