Work halted on Madison-to-Milwaukee passenger train line
Wisconsin NewsGov. Jim Doyle said he put the project on “pause” so Gov.-elect Scott Walker could talk to the U.S. Department of Transportation about it. The governor said canceling planned high-speed rail line will cost Wisconsin taxpayers nearly $100 million and more than 400 jobs in the near future.
Work was halted Friday, Nov. 5, on the high-speed train from Milwaukee-to-Madison.
Wisconsin Department of Transporation Secretary Frank Busalacchi initially said that his agency told eight contractors to stop the project for a few days, in light of Tuesday’s election results.
He said the DOT wants to determine all the consequences if Governor-elect Scott Walker gets his way, and the train is stopped permanently.
On Monday, Nov. 8, Gov. Jim Doyle said he put the project on “pause” so Gov.-elect Scott Walker could talk to the U.S. Department of Transportation about it.
"If Governor-elect Walker opposes the project, U.S. DOT has made it clear that the money will go to one of the many other states that intend to move forward with high-speed passenger rail,” Doyle was quoted as saying by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"To me, it doesn't make sense to not move ahead, but we have had an election. There has been a lot of politics played with this issue, but I have to deal in the real world and think about how this affects real jobs and the real lives of people," Doyle said.
The governor said canceling planned high-speed rail line will cost Wisconsin taxpayers nearly $100 million and more than 400 jobs in the near future.
Walker said he was pursuing legal options that would slow down the train if not stop it before he takes office on Jan. 3.
Meanwhile, a construction manager for the project – DAAR Engineering – said it's laying off two people immediately because of the state’s order.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the city will consider filing a lawsuit if the Spanish firm of Talgo does not get the work it was promised.
Talgo was brought in to build trains for the Milwaukee-to-Madison line – and in the meantime, it’s building two trains for Amtrak’s Milwaukee-to-Chicago line and two trains for the state of Oregon.
Talgo Vice Presidnet Nora Friend says no layoffs are planned now – but halting the Madison line would cast doubts on the company’s future in Milwaukee.
For now, the firm says an official request to build those trains is on hold.
Talgo Incorporated says it has enough other work that runs into early 2012. But after that, its future in Wisconsin is uncertain.
Walker has long opposed the Wisconsin train, saying it would cost taxpayers too much to operate, and it’s cheaper and faster to drive. Talgo is from Spain. It was recruited to Wisconsin as part of the high-speed rail project. Milwaukee spent $3 million to convert an old industrial site for the train maker, and Talgo said it would provide up to 125 jobs.
Friend says the plant will have 40 workers by the end of the month, but it’s making no employment predictions beyond that.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee House Democrat Gwen Moore says it’s critical that the train project continue.
She says it’s needed to create jobs and give low-income people a way to travel to find employment.
A Walker spokeswoman says the governor-elect is encouraging Talgo to stay in Milwaukee. But if other states end up getting Wisconsin’s federal funding for the train, Friend says there will be pressure for Talgo to move to those places.
Transferring money to highways unlikely
Walker got some bad news on Tuesday, Nov. 9, from one of his fellow Republicans in Congress.
House Transportation Committee member Tom Petri of Fond du Lac said he doubted that Congress would let Wisconsin use $810 million federal stimulus dollars to improve highways, instead of for the Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed train.
The Republican Walker made that request to Congress. He remains committed to stopping the train, because he fears that the state will get stuck paying the tab to operate it.
Petri says the House would have to change the law to divert the train money to new roads. As long as there are states like New York that want the cash for high-speed rail, he doesn’t see much of a chance of Walker succeeding.
Petri says it’s possible, but not likely. He also noted that his transportation panel never had a chance to vote on the rail funding, because it was part of the stimulus package that was approved by House Appropriations Committee.
Petri voted against the package on the House floor. Yesterday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said other states would get Wisconsin’s money for their trains if the Badger State doesn’t want it. Democratic Governor Jim Doyle has said that all along.
"We'd love to have it," Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig was quoted as saying by the Chicago Sun-Times. "If the new governor of Wisconsin is overwhelmed by $800 million of federal funds, we'd be happy to take that burden off his back."
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