Now is the moment to support Bus Rapid Transit!
We have known for some time that cars have become more of a transportation problem than a transportation solution. They are diminishing our quality of life by creating noise and air pollution, congestion, and urban sprawl.
In recent years, growth in Wauwatosa has brought these problems more apparent in our community. Now Wauwatosa can become a leader in implementing transportation alternatives.The issue will come before the Common Council’s Transportation Affairs Committee on Tuesday night, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. in Committee Room 1 at Wauwatosa City Hall.
Now is a critical time. In the next few weeks, the Wauwatosa and Milwaukee Common Councils and Milwaukee County Board will all be voting on BRT. It is crucial that BRT supporters like you do two things:
1. No later than Noon on Monday, June 13, write an e-mail to City and County officials expressing your support for the BRT route down Blue Mound Road. Please copy the following e-mail list and
paste it on the “to” line of your e-mail:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
2. Attend the TAC meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14. Public comment will be taken at the meeting, and it is certain that BRT opponents will be there to try to persuade the aldermen to vote against BRT.
For this reason, it is essential to have BRT supporters present to express support for BRT.
It is extremely important that you do either or both of these things. If people don’t express support for BRT, the Milwaukee area will miss its chance to have a modern transportation system for another generation. Without such a system, our region cannot attract young workers and won’t be able to compete with other regions in the 21st century.
Wauwatosa is growing. We know that growth is accompanied by increased automotive traffic. Up until now, the response has been more freeways, and expansion of our roads into multi-lane monstrosities that simply bring more traffic traveling at higher speeds. (See Mayfair road and Bluemound Drive.)
The first proposed BRT line will connect downtown Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Medical Research Complex. Other lines can follow, with the promise of extension beyond Milwaukee County to areas that right now send cars onto our streets. A robust BRT system will also create important employment opportunities for people who can't afford cars.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a way to bring more people to more jobs without burdening our neighborhoods with more, faster car traffic. It is a way to reverse our destructive over-reliance on cars and freeways to move people to jobs, shopping an entertainment.
