Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday he will seek over $150 million in federal funding for upgrades on the Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago.
""Upgrading the Hiawatha line will save the state money and improve rail service for Wisconsin customers,"" Walker said in a statement. ""The state will save money immediately on capital costs and in the long?term with lower operating costs. Service improvements will also enable the state to recover more from ticket sales.""
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walker's competitor during the 2010 gubernatorial race, said the request ""makes sense"" and that he would speak with the U.S. Department of Transportation to show his support for the proposal.
The announcement went over well with legislators from both sides of the aisle. State Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Glendale, said he supported not only the idea of improving the Hiawatha line, but also Walker's manner of pursuing the funding.
""I believe the way that Governor Walker is going about this request is a logical and responsible way to ensure this corridor has sufficient capacity to move both people and freight,"" Stone said in a statement. ""The fact we can do this for $20 Million less shows excellent leadership.""
Walker previously turned down $810 million in federal funding to build a high-speed rail line from Madison to Milwaukee, often referring to it as a ""boondoggle.""
Democratic lawmakers also supported the idea, but a handful of them, including Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller, D-Madison, and state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, took the announcement as an opportunity to seek funding for a line to Madison.
""Other states around us are competing for these federal funds. Our state capitol is also one of the only capitols in the Midwest that does not have train service,"" the letter from the lawmakers said. ""In order to compete for high wage jobs, we need a high tech transportation system.""
