WI: City Council approves joining rail line commission for proposed KRM line
Kenosha County Board supervisors vote 15-7 Tuesday night in support of a study to review the feasibility of a regional passenger rail line planned for Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee.
A proposed passenger line running from Kenosha through Racine to the Milwaukee area is gaining some steam.
Kenosha City Council member unanimously approved a resolution to support the creation of a Milwaukee-Area-Racine-Kenosha Passenger Rail commission during a meeting Monday night.
The commission has been proposed to serve as a multijurisdictional entity focused on long-term planning and access to state and federal programs,
Other responsibilities could include:
Identifying the public benefits of a passenger rail that would connect the MARK Rail corridor to other rail networks in Wisconsin and the Chicago metropolitan area.
Identifying, supporting and facilitating elements to implement the rail, such as public-private partnerships, sponsors, operators, funding opportunities, relationships among governments and stakeholders, feasibility studies, engineering studies and environmental studies.
Identifying and pursuing grant opportunities and other funding sources.
Pursuing opportunities for transit-oriented development.
Cooperating with Wisconsin and Illinois governments, and other related entities, to determine the long-term role of the commission and coordinate public involvement.
Identifying and recommending actions related to zoning, environmental, safety and other regulatory requirements.
Participating in current and future planning and project implementation processes, including Wisconsin Department of Transportation passenger rail projects through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program.
Participation in the commission does not involve any local funding and has no immediate fiscal impact on the cities involved.
The approval is a step in the possible development of the KRM rail line, which is undergoing a study conducted by consultant DB E.C.O North America on behalf of the City of Racine to explore funding opportunities and consider the rail line’s concept and design.
The City of Racine received $5 million in federal funds to advance plans for the railway.
The approval makes the MARK Rail Commission eligible to submit and apply to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification program to secure federal support for planning and project development, and to gather community input and priorities.
The proposed rail line would run on a 33-mile existing, active freight rail corridor from Downtown Kenosha, through Racine to Milwaukee. The line is projected to serve nine stations, three existing and six new, providing a connection to Metra’s Union Pacific-North commuter rail line in Kenosha.
The City of Racine and the City of Milwaukee’s common councils have already approved resolutions related to creating and joining the MARK Rail Commission.
The North Shore Line interubran rail system carried passengers between Chicago and Milwaukee from 1916 until Jan. 21, 1963. Longtime residents of West Racine can recall its trains running along West Boulevard; the North Shore boasted in its advertisements that it provided “38 fast trains daily.”
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