WISCONSIN - The Milwaukee Common Council issued the following news release:

Now that it is a virtual certainty that intercity passenger train service will be returning to the Milwaukee-Madison corridor thanks to the leadership of Governor Doyle and the Obama Administration's award of $823 million for construction of this line, Milwaukee Alderman Robert J. Bauman said it is time to address the proposed location of the Madison train terminal.

The current plan provides that the Madison terminal for this new service will be at the Dane County Regional Airport -- miles from the Capitol and downtown Madison. Alderman Bauman said the airport location is "a mistake" that must be corrected if the new service is going to succeed.

"It is well established that one of the principal challenges of successful intercity rail passenger service is addressing the problem of the 'last mile,' namely the ability of rail service to provide a connection between the train terminal and a traveler's final destination," Alderman Bauman said.

"Where the last mile can be covered by a short walk, short taxi ride or a short trip on local transit, rail service will be successful. The success of the existing Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago is a perfect example of this principle," he said.

Alderman Bauman said the downtown location of Chicago's Union Station makes Hiawatha service very attractive because a rail traveler can access all of downtown Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods, such as Michigan Avenue ("the Magnificent Mile") and the Museum Campus (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium & Soldier Field) by walking, a short taxi ride or a short transit trip. In fact, the entire Chicago metropolitan area is accessible from Union Station because Chicago's commuter rail and rapid transit lines all converge in downtown.

"It is this connectivity that has enabled Chicago to maintain the most robust intercity passenger rail service outside of the Northeast U.S. corridor and why Chicago will be the hub of the proposed Midwest Regional Rail System," the alderman said.