The advocacy group Community for Change is planning a rally on Sunday, March 29, to support the KRM commuter rail.
Sandy Petrykowski, one of the event's organizers, said the rally is for people who want to show support for modern mass transit, particularly the commuter rail linking Racine, Milwaukee and Kenosha.
The Sunday rally is planned from 1-2 p.m. at the State Street train station, 1409 State St. Participants will gather at the station, ride a trolley through Downtown at about 1:15 p.m. and return to the station for speakers, including Mayor Tom Friedel, who will talk on the mass transit issue and urge folks to take actions in support of KRM and the regional transit authority (needed to pay for KRM).
The group is urging advocacy for commuter rail, which has been blocked in recent years by questions over cost. Opponents at least want local referendums on extending Kenosha's commuter rail trains to Milwaukee.
Community for Change's rally is being held in advance of Monday’s state budget hearing at JI Case High School, 7345 Washington Ave. Members of the Joint Finance Committee will be listening to public opinion as they work on the budget between now and July. The rally will show the swell of public in Racine for Governor Doyle’s RTA proposal with the addition of property tax relief. Racine’s common council recently voted unanimously in support of RTA/KRM and now the public will vote with their presence.
Inside the train station, members of Community for Change will provide a petition of support for citizens to sign and also collect letters to bring to the hearing on Monday, as well as ask people to come out to Case on Monday to testify before the members of the JFC.
For more information on KRM visit: www.transitnow.org
A the few who show up to this will not only show lack of a base but the lack of riders for KRM.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we put this to a vote?
Am I missing something - didn't the City of Racine already sign on to this?
ReplyDeleteCall it what it is - a Doyle backed Taxation Without Representation push. A few people will show up to prove their ingorance and adherence to the party lines.
ReplyDeleteHeadline says Saturday. The article says Sunday. Please straighten that out.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anon 11:06. It's fixed. Event is Sunday, March 29.
ReplyDeletedoesen't the govenor want a high speed train from chicago to milwaukee? no racine ?? how many trains do we need to pay for ??
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the ice rink that we almost bought.
ReplyDeleteKRM to me seems rushed in a panic to create jobs and bring in people..... Where is the smart and forward thinking? This is an expensive project that we will pay for a very long time. We owe it lots of thought and research into what is the most efficient use of our tax dollars. Oh sure, the stimulus money will pay for it. Using the stimulus money for KRM means that money doesn't go somewhere else, or are we just printing more money?
ReplyDeleteMetra is broke the CTA is broke the cost for a bus ride is $2.25. Of course the KRM will do better well by God so said the DRC!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 12:28PM
ReplyDeleteFor being broke, they sure do a great job maintaining their trains and keeping them on time.
A good train line which reaches all the way from Chicago to Milwaukee would be great, but the KRM doesn't seem like the best way to do it. Why not just contract with the Illinois RTA and get the Metra all the way up here?
Just wait a few years, and Ride the Metra or Amtrak every chance you get. And The Metra will be extended to US we will only have to pay for the ride!! For all of you who demand this "free Ride" paid for with others people money. Just let them build it to us.
ReplyDeleteChicago will likely get the 2016 Olympics and thus you will see Billions of dollars spent to expand and improve their whole system.