Contact: Brian Rothgery, 414-278-4230 or brian.rothgery@
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors urged County officials to start discussions on an agreement that could pave the way for a $4.5 million investment in dedicated bus service between Milwaukee, Racine, and the new Foxconn factory today.
Supervisors voted 16-1 to authorize the Abele administration – including the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation and the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) – to initiate discussions with Racine County, the State of Wisconsin, and Foxconn and pursue an agreement to provide the service, which was proposed by Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr.
We need transit options that can connect Milwaukee workers to jobs at Foxconn before the jobs become available, or workers without adequate transportation likely won’t even apply. The County Board has declared that dedicated bus service to Foxconn is a priority of the county, and now it’s up to the County Executive and his administration to carry out the policy,” said Lipscomb.
The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) conducted an analysis of the proposed route at Lipscomb’s request, and found that more than 1,300 workers could take advantage of the bus service each day.
Chairman Lipscomb first invited Racine County and the State of Wisconsin to partner with Milwaukee County on the new service in March.
Lipscomb has recommended that the two counties and the state to agree to pool funds available after the sale of Midwest Airlines assets in late 2017, rather than litigate the distribution of those resources.
The three parties jointly entered into a credit assistance package for Midwest in 2003.
State and local leaders have highlighted need to connect workers in densely populated areas like Milwaukee and Racine to available jobs at Foxconn as a top priority.
Policymakers and transit advocates are studying how to address the transportation challenges, but Lipscomb is the first to propose a large scale solution.
