Across the Country a record number of people used mass transit in the third quarter of this year:

Americans rode subways, buses and commuter railroads in record numbers in the third quarter of this year, even as gas prices dropped and unemployment rose. The 6.5 percent jump in transit ridership over the same period last year marks the largest quarterly increase in public transportation ridership in 25 years, according to a survey to be released today by the American Public Transportation Association.

Instead, ridership has gone up across the board nationwide. More than 2.8 billion trips were taken from July through September, rising 8.5 percent on light rail (streetcars), 7.2 percent on buses, 6.3 percent on commuter rail and 5.2 percent on subways. - Washington Post

A 6.5% increase in ridership across the board is absolutely huge. To me it’s unsurprising that the largest increase - 8.5% - came from light rail. When given the option between a cheap, efficient and convenient mode of transportation and the option of stressful, expensive and tediousness of driving it’s an easy call for millions of people in this Country.

So the next time you hear right wing radio hosts or their sycophants on the third floor of the County Courthouse screaming that “NO ONE WILL RIDE RAIL!#!@” in Milwaukee at the top of their lungs, remember that the facts prove otherwise time and time again.

Splitting Racine County in half was hard to stomach for the Milwaukee County Boards Transportation Committee as they rejected the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority’s recommendations. today by a 6-1 vote.

The other big issue that Board members brought up, which I agree with both in this instance and that regarding the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee, is the disproportionate representation the City and County of Milwaukee have on these committees as well as the large burden of the financial burden we bear for them.

On the heels of Milwaukee County residents supporting a 1% sales tax that would be used in part to fund transit in Milwaukee County, more good news for mass transit today from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority (RTA).

This morning the RTA voted 6 to 1 to approve a report that recommends seeking a sales tax increase of 0.5% in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties to provide a dedicated and sound funding source for mass transit in Southeastern Wisconsin, including the “KRM” line that would link Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha to Chicago’s high speed Metra commuter rail system.

While these recommendations will need to go to the state legislature for approval, it’s an encouraging sign that we’ve finally broken through the stalemate that has been keeping the Milwaukee metro area from joining the rest of the Country in implementing and enjoying the benefits of a modern mass transit system.

The one “No” vote? Naturally it was Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s appointee to the RTA.

The County Executive has been a major roadblock to the progress of Milwaukee’s mass transit infrastructure over the past six years. While you’d think that the County Executive of a major metropolitan area would be in favor of creating jobs, building it’s infrastructure, and expanding economic opportunity for the residents of his County, that hasn’t been the case with Scott Walker.

Thankfully, his ability to remain a roadblock on the road to progress in Southeastern Wisconsin has been limited with the events of the last week.

With 99% of the votes in, here are the results for the Milwaukee County sales tax referendum:

Yes 183,897 51%
No 176,785 49%

This referendum, and more importantly what it’s trying to accomplish, is something I’ve been a supporter of for over a year. While I’ve been writing about the subject on my weblog during that time, it was the action we put forth on the ground that got this referendum over 50%.

It’s been my great pleasure to help push it over the line as part of the Quality of Life Alliance, and now the real work of getting the will of the people put in to action begins. I’m looking forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of making Milwaukee County a great place to live, work and play for generations to come.

In this morning’s Journal Sentinel, there are two competing editorials about the sales tax referendum.

In one corner, you have conservative Patrick McIlheran writing a predictable opposition piece. Predictable, because like all his columns, his “opinion” is nothing more than standard talking points clumsily wrapped around quotes from someone who agrees with him. In this case, Sup. Joe Rice.

It may be that we need a $60 million tax increase. Referendum backers say we need new buses and that the parks are lousy with deferred maintenance. Why advocates are not backing the county executive’s ideas about better parks staffing or funding transit with airport profits isn’t clear, but whatever. Say they’re right, that we must double our spending on parks and transit. link

In the other corner, writing in support of the sales tax referendum is respected Milwaukee historian John Gurda. In his editorial in support, he lays out in his usual well written style that connects with readers about the importance of keeping our quality of life high and why a 1% sales tax increase makes sense:

Even with a one-penny increase to 6.6%, Milwaukee’s sales tax would be significantly lower than Chicago’s 10.25% or the 7.4% that Minneapolis residents pay. It would, however, be a tax increase, and why not? We seem to have talked ourselves into the belief that the world as we know it will end if we pay even a penny more for services that have long been considered critical components of our civil society.

We accept, however unwillingly, higher energy and food prices, and we’re disappointed if our own paychecks don’t grow from year to year. Yet we persist in the notion that there’s always room to cut the costs of government. The fact is that we’ve already sliced from fat through muscle to bone.

Do I relish the thought of paying higher taxes of any kind? Of course not, but I still cherish the idea that government is all of us, that this community’s parks and buses and libraries and highways belong to everyone, equally and alike, and that we have an obligation, equally and alike, to support them. I don’t like higher taxes, but I’d rather pay my fair share to preserve the quality of life my parents took for granted and I want my grandchildren to enjoy. And so I plan to mark a very bold “yes” on the referendum question on Tuesday. link

I came across this video today about the history and current state of mass transit in Milwaukee. If you have a few minutes, it’s well worth your time.

On his AM talk radio show this morning, Jay Weber spent a good deal of time talking about the proposed sales tax referendum, he even had County Executive Scott Walker on his show for a bit of time to talk about the referendum.

Unfortunately much of the time spent talking about the topic was filled with nothing but misinformation and downright scare tactics from the County Executive and Jay Weber.

Several claims made on his show this morning that have been thoroughly debunked by myself and others several times:

• There’s no way that this will lower property taxes.

False County Executive Walker continues to claim there’s no way property taxes will be lowered with the passage of this referendum despite the overwhelming facts to the contrary. If you have a house valued at $200,000, your property taxes will go down by $200/year. That’s real property tax relief and there’s nothing County Executive Walker has said to dispute this.

• Everyone is going to flock to neighboring counties to buy goods and services in order to avoid the extra 1% sales tax.

Again, False. For the same reason that people don’t leave places like Chicago or Minneapolis to buy a washer or couch in neighboring Counties where the sales tax may be lower, the residents of Milwaukee County won’t spend an extra $10-$15 in gasoline to save $5-$10 in sales taxes.

• This is a regressive tax that will hit the poor harder than anyone.

False. The sales taxes in Milwaukee County don’t apply to groceries, prescription drugs, or gasoline. Two of the biggest expenditures we all pay are food and energy costs. Neither of these will be affected. To the contrary, I’d argue that a 25% increase in bus fares that Scott Walker has advocated hurts low income residents more than anything.

To his credit Jay was more reasonable in explaining this issue than Scott Walker, who argued his position with misleading talking points instead of anything representing facts.

UPDATE Nov 5th: WE WON! Read more about the win on November 4th!

I’m very excited to announce a group dedicated to improving Milwaukee County that I’ve been spending a lot of time and energy working with over the past month.

The Quality of Life Alliance is a grassroots organization made up of elected officials, labor leaders, transit advocates, parks supporters, business men and women, and every day citizens who are deeply concerned about the future of Milwaukee County and all of Southeastern Wisconsin.

We’re going to be very clear and vocal in our efforts to refute the misinformation that County Exec. Scott Walker, his supporters on the County Board of Supervisors, and right wing radio hosts throughout Milwaukee have been spreading about the November 4th referendum for the last several months.

That said, here are some facts about the November 4th sales tax referendum:

• This is very real property tax relief. For every $150,000 of assessed home value, your property tax bill will go down by $170
• The $2.00 fare for a one way trip on a Milwaukee County bus is one of the highest in the nation. County Executive Scott Walker is now proposing to raise the fare for a one way bus ticket to $2.25 - a 12% increase!
• Milwaukee will not become a tax island. If this argument from opponents of the referendum were true, then why are cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Las Vegas and Phoenix all seeing massive growth? The “tax island” argument is nothing more than a scare tactic that has zero basis in economic reality.
• Milwaukee County is the only major metro are left in the Country that still relies on a property tax to fund it’s transit services.

Those are just a few of the facts that we’re going to be spending the next four weeks informing people about. You can find out more information and lend your support at the Quality of Life Alliance website.

UPDATE Oct 27th. I have a number of Obama/Biden yard signs available. Please email me (dems@dancody.org) if you still need one.

Oddly enough, the #1 question I get about the Presidential campaign is where to get an Obama/Biden yard sign.

The national campaign apparently can’t keep up with demand and shipping dates are around four weeks. If you’re interested in picking up an Obama/Biden yard sign, contact the local Democratic Party of Milwaukee County office below.

We just got a big shipment in but they’re running out fast.

You can pick them up at the DPMC office at 170 S. 2nd Street or call 414-223-3050 to reserve one.

When Milwaukee County raises it’s fares and cuts bus routes, it’s no surprise that despite the high price of gasoline and increasing ridership across the Country, Milwaukee County transit continues to lag behind the rest of the Country in terms of ridership.

Rochester New York is actually going the opposite route of Milwaukee: They’re cutting fares on buses which in turn is increasing ridership.

At a time when public transportation systems around the country are struggling with soaring fuel costs and pinched budgets, the bus system in Rochester has done something that few others would contemplate: This month, it lowered its single-ride fare.

The Rochester system, which expects to run a surplus for the third year in a row, has been able to reduce its one-ride fare in part by eliminating some low-trafficked routes, avoiding debt and aggressively raising revenues from other sources. The fare fell to $1 from $1.25 on Sept. 1. NY Times

I’ve been saying for years that the goal of County Executive Scott Walker and his buddies on right-wing talk radio is to kill off the Milwaukee County Transit System and mass transit in general in Southeastern Wisconsin. That’s why despite national trends bus fares were raised and routes were cut.

I have mixed feelings about what’s happening in place like Rochester. On one hand, it’s encouraging that a small city like Rochester is having success by providing good service at low rates to it’s riders. On the other, it’s disappointing my city continues to fall behind the rest of the Country due to a deliberate plan by some of our elected officials to destroy mass transit, and reluctance on the part of others to do anything to stop that plan.

Mass transit ridership across the Country saw a 5% increase in the second quarter of this year alone:

The nation’s public transportation systems logged a 5.2 percent jump in ridership in the second quarter, according to industry figures to be released Tuesday, as record-high gas prices pushed people to take millions more trips on buses and rail systems.

Riders made a total of 2.8 billion trips on the nation’s subways, buses, commuter railroads and light-rail systems from April to June, according to the Washington-based American Public Transportation Association. That’s up from 2.7 billion in the same period last year. - AP

Rob Henken makes a good observation that if and when federal funds for mass transit increase in the years to come, those regions with the best plans on how to use any additional federal dollars will likely be the ones who benefit.

That’s bad news for Southeastern Wisconsin since we haven’t even been able to put nearly $92 million in federal mass transit funds to use due to purely ideological stonewalling from the anti-transit conservatives in Wisconsin. It’ll be hard to justify any addition monies from the federal government if we can’t even figure out how to put to good use the $92 million we’ve already been allotted.

That means Milwaukee and all of Southeastern Wisconsin will only fall further behind the curve in years to come and why it’s critical that the stalemate is broken over how to use that money.