For many years, the downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station has been plagued by a wide variety of security and maintenance issues. Last week’s incident, in which a person was sexually assaulted and then security personnel fired a gunshot to ward off the attacker, is the latest in a long line of proof that the current management and security operations are wholly inadequate.
As such, I am demanding that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) step in immediately and take over direct management of the Intermodal Station, including the use of State Patrol officers as security.
The station is owned by the state but operated and maintained by third-party contractors, including those providing security services. It has become painfully obvious that the current status quo is not working.
This is a state asset, a gateway to Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, and the recipient of significant public investment. Safety and quality maintenance are paramount.
Residents and visitors to our city deserve better, and WisDOT should want to do better for them.
