Earlier, in my presentation of a plan for the redevelopment of the arena district on North Fourth, I referred to a rail transport running the length of Fond du Lac Avenue from North Sixth to North 60th, with a transit hub at the former Capitol Court/current Midtown. I indicated, as well, this rail development as a farsighted, more worthwhile variation on the boutique tram planned for North Farwell, connecting the Lower East Side to to the Park East, with lines in addition to the Northwest branch navigating Milwaukee’s Central City (northerly parts, anyway). Now, I offer the other two lines, meant to serve as replacement to automotive traffic into the Downtown office core.
Already, we know the Downtown North transit hub, modelled on the Intermodal at West Saint Paul, will abut a new development for Milwaukee’s university & college soccer teams (which will also be an inducement for greater penetration into this market by MLS, in the guise of Chicago’s Fire), with an opposite station at Midtown, featuring a three level parking deck on the intersection of 60th & Fond du Lac for use by northwest side commuters & others going into Downtown from the Timmerman neighborhood & points beyond. A second, mirroring line will run on West Beloit Road, this one quite a bit further inland, beginning at the controversial traffic circles & park-&-ride lot at the Moorland Road off-ramp for Interstate 43 South. There, between the Quaker Steak & Lube & park-&-ride will be a redeveloped parking lot — again, actually, a deck, likely three stories — & transit station at Beloit, across from the entrance to the Target-anchored shopping development. The train, then, will run east-west, along Beloit, from just east of Moorland to the intersection, in West Milwaukee, of West Beloit & West Greenfield; at Greenfield, it will turn right & run along the latter to South Second. This line, principally, will serve the rapidly growing population of New Berlin, Brookfield, & Muskego, while serving to draw development to the sporadically utilized Southwest corridor. Stops will be at Moorland East, Sunny Slope, 124th Street, 121st/Southwest YMCA, Highway 100, 99th Street, 92nd Street, 84th Street, Mc Carty Park East, 74th Street, 65th Street, 59th Street, & Greenfield, then cotinuing to 42nd Street, 35th Street, 27th Street, & 16th along that east-corridor perpendicular to the lake. At the terminal point, on South 2nd, a second transit hub, Fifth View (a portmanteau of Fifth Ward & Bayview), there will be a transfer to the South 2nd-Water Street connector, running from Greenfield Avenue north to East Knapp & a short walk across the river to the Downtown North hub at Sixth & Mc Kinley.
All told, Milwaukee will, in five-to-ten years time, boast a network of passenger rail covering 25 miles & serving the conduits on which the suburban & exurban flight arrives into the Downtown of their most feared & hated city to make the money that supports their Tea Party lifestyle. That is, if my plan were to go thru, which doubtless it will not. Nor, as well, the eventual extension of the Second-Water connector to the Mitchell Airport terminal via a Second-Howell run terminating at Grange Avenue.
But, one can dream.
& that I do.
National Gallery of Clipart 