Think of the Future

We continue to hear a lot of discussion about a commuter rail connection between Milwaukee and Chicago. From our perspective, it can’t happen fast enough.

There are a lot of reasons why this is a value in spite of the costs. But we’d like to dwell on two. One is local and one is global.

Locally, we’ve written before about the future of the Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison triangle. We can no longer think only of Milwaukee when we plan on economic growth. These three communities are literally and figuratively building toward one another. One very evident sign is the number of Chicago residents who are fueling the 3rd ward revitalization by purchasing condos up here.

If you consider this in terms of companies working together or simply in terms of “let’s go shopping in Milwaukee” or “let’s go the Goodman in Chicago,” we need fast, easy, convenient transportation. We need not simply to provide transportation, we need to encourage travel. Whether it’s Summerfest or the Milwaukee Rep, our city has a lot to offer to the Chicago shopper and vacationer. Commuter rail can make that happen.
It means dollars. It means growth.

Now let’s talk about that second reason, the global one.

It’s become clear that this country’s continued addiction to oil is leading to problems way beyond the price at the pump. If you ever drive to and from Chicago, you know that you can literally spend hours stuck in traffic on the Edens. And it isn’t any better coming in from O’Hare. Driving has become almost prohibitive. It’s a waste of gas and time. It contributes to pollution. Throw in parking and wear and tear on your car and you have a system that actually discourages economic cooperation and growth.

What’s more, it’s become clear that our oil “habit” is propping up governments that need to face reformation. While we send our troops on the one hand, with the other, we inhibit reform with a stream of our dollars.

Whether you consider the issue economically or politically, it’s obvious we cannot continue on our same course. If you’re just thinking green, you know that sooner or later, whether our politicians take the lead or follow the crowd, growth for us is not going to be gas powered.

So here we are. Faced with the question, “how do we better connect the three metropolitan areas to fulfill the promise of a triangle of prosperity and growth?”

We do it first by physically connecting us with mass transit. We do it by making commerce and travel easy and cost-effective. We do it by taking traffic off the road and putting people on the train.

I rode the commuter rail for many years in Chicago. The service was great. Today, people at Blue Horse often have business in Chicago and we use Amtrak when the schedule is suitable. But to really open the floodgates to moving people back and forth, the Metro commuter rail system would be ideal.