Governor says agreement reached on expanding mass transit

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Gov. Jim Doyle says he and local leaders have reached an agreement on expanding mass transit in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties.

Doyle announced a plan Tuesday to create a single transit authority for all three counties plus separate temporary taxing bodies for each county.

It’s similar to the plan Doyle vetoed from the state budget in June but unlike that plan, he says the new one is more flexible and more acceptable to legislators. Milwaukee County would get the authority to raise its sales tax by a 0.5 percent for local buses and a proposed commuter rail line for all three counties.

Racine and Kenosha counties have hesitated to get on board in the past but Doyle says each county could get state funds by matching their local dollars.

And there’s a chance the commuter rail line could also get federal funds.

Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, says he’s glad the governor is making regional transit a priority but he says Racine County will look at other ways to pay for it, since a sales tax is not an acceptable option there.

Tags: mass transit, wisconsin, governor, agreement