Number
061596
Version
SUBSTITUTE 2
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. BAUMAN
Title
Substitute resolution expressing the City of Milwaukee’s support for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios.
Analysis
This resolution expresses the City of Milwaukee’s support for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios, particularly the introduction and the portfolios for the Milwaukee (Downtown) and South Side stations. The resolution also endorses the land-use concept plans set forth in these documents for development near the proposed Milwaukee Kenosha commuter rail stations, and states that the City will take appropriate steps toward implementation of the recommended plans if commuter rail is chosen for implementation in the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee corridor. Finally, with this resolution, the City urges the Federal Transit Administration to accept and endorse the entire the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios.
The endorsements in this resolution are conditional upon all of the following occurring:
a. The portfolio for the Milwaukee South Side station is revised and expanded to include a station-area development plan for a station along the proposed commuter rail line at East Greenfield Avenue, in addition to the plan for a station to be located near South Bay Street and East Lincoln Avenue that is already contained in this portfolio.
b. The portfolio for the Milwaukee Downtown station is revised to explicitly endorse the construction and operation of a Downtown Milwaukee fixed-guideway circulator system that uses streetcar or light-rail technology.
c. The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios document is amended to state that the financing plan for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Link project shall include a dedicated funding source for the local share of capital and operating costs of both the KRM commuter rail service and local transit service in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.
Body
Whereas, The counties and cities of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, have agreed to sponsor an Alternatives Analysis and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for enhanced public transit service generally east of Interstate 94 in the counties of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha (the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (“KRM”) Commuter Link project); and
Whereas, The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, through an intergovernmental agreement, has agreed to serve as project manager for preparation of the Alternatives Analysis and Draft Environmental Impact Statement; and
Whereas, The purpose of the KRM project is to provide high-quality transit service connecting Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties with one another and with Northeastern Illinois, thereby improving access to employment opportunities, encouraging high-density mixed-use and more-efficient land development around stations, and increasing transit ridership, potentially reducing highway traffic volumes and congestion and attendant air pollutant emissions; and
Whereas, The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission seeks to meet the requirements of the Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” program in order for the KRM project to be eligible for discretionary federal transit capital funding; and
Whereas, Among other criteria, the Federal Transit Administration places importance on transit-supportive land-use planning and development in the vicinity of transit stations as a means of building ridership to support proposed projects; and
Whereas, Preliminary station-area development plans for the Downtown Milwaukee KRM station area and the Milwaukee South Side KRM station area have been developed and included as part of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee has reviewed the portions of the preliminary transit-supportive land-use plans and policies that are applicable to the City, particularly the following documents, which are attached to and made a part of this file:
Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement and Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios (dated February, 2007; table of contents and introduction)
Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement and Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolio Milwaukee, Wisconsin (dated January, 2007)
Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement and Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolio South Side Station - Milwaukee, Wisconsin (dated January, 2007)
; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee will benefit from the proposed transit service connecting Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties with one another and with Northeastern Illinois and from transit-oriented development around the 2 commuter rail stations proposed to be located in Milwaukee; and
Whereas, The station-area plans developed as part of the KRM Commuter Link study for the proposed stations in the City of Milwaukee, as set forth in the portfolios that are attached to this file, are consistent with the goals and objectives of the City of Milwaukee’s existing land-use and comprehensive plans or will be the basis for commuter rail-oriented development scenarios in future comprehensive plans; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the City of Milwaukee supports the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios, particularly the introduction and the portfolios for the Milwaukee (Downtown) and South Side stations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City of Milwaukee endorses the land-use concept plans set forth in these documents for development near the proposed Milwaukee KRM commuter rail stations and will take appropriate steps toward implementation of the recommended plans if commuter rail is chosen for implementation in the KRM corridor; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City of Milwaukee urges the Federal Transit Administration to accept and endorse the entire the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City of Milwaukee’s support for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios, endorsement of the land-use concept plans set forth in these documents, and support for FTA acceptance and approval of the entire Portfolios document is contingent upon all of the following:
a. The portfolio for the Milwaukee South Side station is revised and expanded to include a station-area development plan for a station along the proposed commuter rail line at East Greenfield Avenue, in addition to the plan for a station to be located near South Bay Street and East Lincoln Avenue that is already contained in this portfolio. The development of a station at East Greenfield Avenue was endorsed by the Milwaukee Common Council in Common Council File Number 070242, adopted May 30, 2007.
b. The portfolio for the Milwaukee Downtown station is revised to explicitly endorse the construction and operation of a Downtown Milwaukee fixed-guideway circulator system that uses streetcar or light-rail technology.
c. The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Alternatives Analysis (Environmental Impact Statement & Project Development Phase) Transit-Oriented Development Portfolios document is amended to state that the financing plan for the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Link project shall include a dedicated funding source for the local share of capital and operating costs of both the KRM commuter rail service and local transit service in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. This would be consistent with the position taken by the City in Common Council File Number 061248, which was adopted by the Common Council on February 6, 2007.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB07293-2
JDO
06/28/2007