Blame Governor Tommy Thompson. That’s what I determined after reading the Common Council packet from last week. (Look for yourself, page 9.)
Timeline – 1993 – 2013
1993 – Governor Thompson commits $50 million to build passenger rail between Milwaukee and Madison.
The project is extraordinary proof of why a bad idea should be challenged every step of the way. (Think Brookfield’s extra I-94 interchange.) It’s been 17 years, and this thing is still on the tracks.
Do I think it’s stupid to throw so much taxpayer money on project like this? You bet. There are already options for travel from Goerkes Corner to Madison at about the price proposed here. Will I use the train if it makes it this far? Yep. Several times a year. Our lives are changing around here and travel is an enormous part of that change. It will be incredibly convenient for this household.
Remember these council packets published on the city website. They are an amazing wealth of information. The High Speed Rail initiative is discussed on pages 7 to 11.