Following Up With Helpful Information re: Protesting Barrett's Folly (The Streetcar)

Friends, I feel that I, your dependable Peasant would be remiss
if I didn't provide just a wee bit more information re: protesting
the Milwaukee streetcar, a/k/a (Mayor) Barrett's Folly, a/k/a/
The "Trommey" (Tom Barrett, trolley combined), a/k/a The
Trolley to Nowhere. There are some other nicknames for the
trolley, but for the sake of decorum your faithful Peasant won't
publish them here.

For my fabulous readers who live in or near Milwaukee and
commute into the city at all, here are some phone numbers of
key individuals who will have a say as to whether or not
Milwaukee will receive a BUILD grant (formerly known as
TIGER grants) for a cool $9 million to run the streetcar on
its limited route through downtown. Please do call these folks
to let them know your opposition to the funding of this colossal
waste of money, for you just might sway them to refuse its
funding!

When you call, be sure to raise these points to emphasize your
opposition to this misbegotten project:

1) Milwaukee is not a rural community; in Wisconsin, priority
is given to rural projects, so as to avoid any possible taint of bias
favoring the cities.

2) Safety concerns; the design of the layout for the tracks which
the trolley will roll along was poorly drawn up. It would be sharing
traffic lanes with cars, causing confusion and traffic snarls, not to
mention accidents.

3) It's not at all innovative, like Mayor Barrett and his fellow local
elitists proclaim. As a matter of fact it is very similar to the trolley
system Milwaukee had for much of the twentieth century, going up
to the 1960s before it was taken down, having outlived its usefulness.

4) Also contrary to what Barrett and his pals trumpet, Milwaukee's
quality of life will not be improved one iota by the streetcar.
If anything, it may well cause its deterioration, what with the
aforementioned traffic problems that would manifest. And what
about the noise level? How loud would it be when operating?
How would that affect city residents?

5) The local bus system, run by MCTS (the Milwaukee County
Transit System) could make better use of any grant money
provided by the taxpayers in that it would be able to restore
routes which were either pared back or eliminated due to budget
constraints. The city and Milwaukee County could partner to
find ways to enhance the bus system and make it more convenient
to ride for people (including your intrepid Peasant).

6) Moreover, Mayor Barrett made deep cuts in the budgets for the
city police and fire departments to fund his rail-traveling pet
project. The residents of the increasingly crime-ridden urban
neighborhoods here have been begging the clueless mayor for
more police to patrol their deteriorating communities but have
been given a deaf ear and the middle finger from Hizzoner.
This is the chief reason why your favorite Peasant moved to
the suburbs, as my former neighborhood, Washington Heights,
has become a haven for thieves who steal, and steal from cars.
There is also an increase in drug-related activity there as well.

7) And Barrett wonders why more and more people are fleeing
Milwaukee for safer environs! Restore funding to the police and
firefighters, beef up the bus system, forget about the Trommey
and you'll attract people to Milwaukee again!

Now for the contacts:

1) DOT (Department of Transportation) Region 5 Chicago office
P: (312) 353-1653
Note: Jason Ciavarella is the person to ask for here. He is 
Planning Director at this office. If he is not available, ask for
Bill Wheeler (title unknown).

2) Tonya Iverson, WISDOT (Wisconsin Department of Transportation)
P: (608) 266-2574
Note: Tonya is in charge of approving CMAQ grants (Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality). She has a lot of say re: these grants!

   
One last point: when you call, be polite, be pleasant, and be soft-
spoken. However, be businesslike. Have the aforementioned points
written on a pad to have handy when you are discussing your
opposition to the streetcar, so the people you are talking to will
know that you know what you're talking about. This way, they
will take you seriously and treat you as such!

Good luck everyone! And yes, your action-taking Peasant has
already called these folks, and was received most respectfully,
utilizing the tips I've given here.


MEM