Common Ground
A homeowner in Waukesha for 20 years, Steve is president of the Waukesha Dog Parks Organization and enjoys motorcycling, fishing and staying on top of politics.
How Will YOU Use "Fast" Rail?
Governor Doyle thinks that he's pulled enough strings to get federal money printed to pay for the whole fast rail system between Madison and Milwaukee. For the money, we get an already obsolete system that is half as fast as the international standard of 220 miles per hour. It won't go much faster than I94 traffic currently does when no police cruisers are in sight.
It is said that it will cut the time between the two cities by 20 minutes. However, that fails to take into account that there will be stops in Brookfield, Oconomowoc and Watertown. Unless those stops are like most drivers do at stop signs, rolling stops, I think they will take up all of that 20 minute savings and then some. It looks like it will go between the station on Saint Paul Avenue (Milwaukee) and a yet to be built terminal at Dane county airport. I imagine the idea is to take the bus to and from the stations to your destination. Hmm, can we get some money to make a spur to OUR bus station on OUR Saint Paul Avenue? Time to get a little payback for having that Obama sticker on your car Mayor Nelson!
I have to go to a store of ours in Madison from time to time. I suppose I can pick up the train in Brookfield, apologize for stopping the 110 MPH machine, load on my stuff and enjoy the next two stops in Oconomowoc and Watertown, listening to those passengers apologize for slowing down our "Fast" train. Once in Madison at the airport, I may be lucky and find that there is a bus that goes down Hwy 51, Stoughton Road, and stops at Plaum Road. From there I can unload my computer, projector, screen and brief case and walk the half mile to the store. Gee, I can hardly wait to do this all over again to get back home this evening!
How will YOU be using the new FAST rail?
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