RACINE, Wis. — The city of Racine is continuing efforts to revive the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail project along Union Pacific’s line through those communities, with the Racine Common Council calling for a contract to study infrastructure needs for the project.
According to the construction industry publication the Daily Reporter, the council passed a resolution earlier this month for Racine’s mayor and city clerk to enter a contract with DB E.C.O. North America, a consulting arm of Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, for a study to be completed by spring 2025. The contract, which has yet to be completed, would see DB E.C.O. North America create groups for concept planning, decision making, and pursuit of federal funding. Racine received a $5 million federal grant in 2022 to update earlier plans for the service.
The “KRM” project dates to 1998 and had a regional transit authority created for funding by a Democratic-controlled legislature in 2009, only to have it killed by a Republican-led legislature in 2011. The ealier plans called for seven intermediate stops on the 33-mile route, which would run from the Kenosha station currently served by Metra’s UP North line to the downtown Milwaukee station that is the northern terminal for Amtrak’s Hiawathas. The city of Kenosha passed a resolution in favor of the project in January [see “Kenosha, Wis., council to consider resolution …,” Trains News Wire,” Jan. 16, 2024].
The CNW depot would not have been considered “downtown” since it was far to the East, on Wisc. Ave. where it ended on the lake. The Milw. Rd. depot, on the other hand, was truly downtown, where south 3rd St. ended at the little park fronting the 1880’s vintage depot on Everett St. The NorthShore stub end depot on 6th St. was uphill West from the Milw. past several dive bars. There is currently a new Calatrava design 6th St. viaduct, replacing the NorthShore’s 1920ish one, which was the only way that line could access downtown. As a kid, it was fascinating to watch an Electroliner thread its way thru auto traffic.
To clarify: the TMER&L The Milw. Electric Rwry. & Light’s sprawling network included a line south from downtown along the lake to Racine/Kenosha. The other electric was the Chicago NorthShore & Milw. (Many mistakenly put a comma in after Chicago). The steam was CNW. As a boy I happily rode the NorthShore Electroliner. the CNW, and Milw. Rd.
There was a time when you had a choice of two electric and one steam road on the route.
Curtis, did you mean to say one electric and two steam? Either way, your point stands as valid.
There was a time when there were three depots downtown. Milwaukee Road on the southwest part of downtown, CNS&M (electric) a bit to the east and north, and CNW on the Lakefront. Meaning a depot within an easy walk of all downtown points. Since 1965, one new union depot, not quite as handy as any of the previous three.
We could start by showing that the Sturtevant Amtrak station relocated years ago, but the map shows the original location.
I’ve never known what to make of KRM. Obviously there is some commuting from Kenosha and Racine Counties to downtown Milwaukee. The question is, how much? A whole lot of people take the trains in the other direction, commuting to Chicago by Amtrak (from the remote Sturtevant park-ride station, Racine County) or Metra (from downtown Kenosha, Kenosha County). Both counties have seen a whole lot of growth in population and local employment, but it’s hard to say if that mean more commuters to downtown Milwaukee. Another factor is that driving to Milwaukee isn’t all that difficult but driving to Chicago is an off-the-charts nightmare.
There’s always the question if KRM passenger rail is proposed because a convenient track exists. In contrast, there are no suitable rail lines for easy commuting to the western or northern suburbs of Milwaukee, so no one proposes commuter corridor to those areas.
It appears from the article that Racine City Council is engaging the consultant but only because a federal grant underwrites the expense. If my understanding is correct, it’s pretty easy to spend federal money.
The route expansion is necessary, has been for years…