The Tell Tale Car

Driving down the expressway in our old beater one dominant feature was controlling my speed; not only how fast, but how consistent. That was the noise coming out of the muffler. It brought to mind this article I had read in the past about cars with emotions and the growing interest in ambient light fixtures.
How much energy is wasted with inefficient driving? How much stress or frustration is added to our daily lives getting angry at poor or aggressive driving? Computer software combined with GPS technology could use all the above features to create safer and more pleasant roadways. A color based speedometer conveying rate of travel without the need to divert ones eyes from the road. Ambient lighting and noise along with emotional expression can assess ones driving for all to see and hear, especially the driver, easing ones urge to inflict ones own form of judgment and adding to the problem. Drunk drivers could be known to all and discourage similar hazardous driving.
All too Big Brother? (not to confuse authors) "You say that I am mad?" Driving is a privilege, not a right. More important than fuel consumption lives can be saved.

What about Milwaukee?

The KRM (Kenosha Racine Milwaukee) rail transit line was touted June 30th on the Diane Chamnes ‘feel good session’ Show on WISN Radio. The guests were Peter Beitzel vice president of Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Mike Ruzicka of the Milwaukee Association of Realtors, and executive director of ‘Transit Now’ Rosemary Potter. They proclaimed their intention to file late an application for federal funding. The only economic development clearly outlined were the jobs actually needed to make it happen and new construction that would go on around the stations. My live e-mail question as to the dollar per rider cost or if consultants were held to any level of accountability for their projections went unanswered. Diane Chamnes on July 4th confirmed (by e-mail) the e-mail was received and said she had passed it on to ‘Transit Now’. Can I stop waiting now?

I may well have been in favor of rail transit if Wisconsin wasn’t the tax hell it is. It could promote responsible development, save on future road building and be beneficial to the environment. Unfortunately we already have ample roadways. There is still plenty of room for development between Racine and Kenosha along highway 31, six lanes, and the area is not overly congested. The area around the new Sturtevant Amtrak station is still open for development. The KRM is not needed to spur development. The cost of a rail system would not contribute at all to an increase in commerce and is redundant. The bus service and local amenities are meeting the needs of those without cars living in the target areas or they wouldn’t be living there.

Their comparison of Milwaukee to such cities as Chicago or New York is specious. The commuting pressures and absolute necessity for rail transit in those cities is self-evident and it will be decades if ever we reach such density. Chicago rail carries millions a week. Their comparison to Minneapolis is disingenuous. While Minneapolis ‘light rail’ annual ridership exceeds 10 million, going well beyond projections, the initial projection was over 6 million not the 1.7 million for the KRM. The Minneapolis ‘light rail’ line connects its downtown, a major University, an international airport and the Mall of America, destinations resembling more Amtrak’s existing service to Chicago less the neighborhood stops.

If we had any true visionaries in government willing to pay the personal price to make it happen they would have proposed a rail system long ago to where Wisconsin companies have been forming and expanding, the west. Little need now with all our new road construction and development patterns. Commuter rail running through smaller towns in Wisconsin could have tempted corporations with small dedicated communities along with Wisconsin’s best resources, its natural environment and ease of connection to the cultural and sporting events of Milwaukee along with its work force. Rather than vision we have the path of least resistance to achieve personal and political gain.

Why might the KRM succeed? Because it is not about serving Milwaukee it is about serving the northern suburbs of Chicago. The tax burden the line would put on already overburdened Wisconsin will only destroy any potential for corporate investment if any still exists. Good luck on collecting the payroll tax from Illinois companies for universal health care, which while guaranteeing the KRM lines success dooms Wisconsin to the depressed mediocrity of a true socialist state. Plenty of service and retail jobs will be created to cater to those working in Illinois and voting in Wisconsin. All free to enjoy fine food, festivals, sports and theater in Milwaukee, hunt our public lands, fish and boat on our lakes and rivers, use our trails and did I mention health care. New jobs and businesses no doubt and we certainly have an overdeveloped theater and sports market, but shouldn’t Milwaukee be so much more? When new national and international corporate headquarters set up in towns such as Waukegan, Zion, Winthrop Harbor and North ‘Chicago’ rather than Milwaukee then what will our politicians say?

Did you ever notice how communist nations declare themselves true democracies? Even putting ‘democratic’ right in their name. In fact the structure of a communist government much more resembles the system of government of the ancient Greeks where only families of substance actually had voting rights. The surrounding peoples and lands being in varying levels of servitude to the city-state. Congratulations! Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin are officially suburbs of Chicago and its personal playground.

Resembling communist nations in structure with its increasing government care, or control, one might expect a nation such as Red China would be anxious to set up United States headquarters for their burgeoning corporations in Milwaukee or Wisconsin but they wont even let Yi play basketball here. Maybe there is hope for the Chinese after all.

As our major cities continue to build new skyscrapers and attract new companies and corporations one must ask “What about Milwaukee?” Of course our politicians could always offer immense tax breaks to any corporation they might want to attract, putting an even heavier burden on the public and keeping a short leash on the new money. And maybe that is what Wisconsin is all about. Control. Fear of a changing power structure that comes with the big money corporations bring into a community and the political process.

The Power of Diversity

As the pitfalls of the widespread use of ethanol and the limited, if any, contribution it makes to the environment becomes more apparent to all, a more responsible alternative for its use needs to be developed. IndyCars are going to pure ethanol as a fuel, rather than forcing this technology on all drivers compartmentalization may be the answer to the ethanol and biofuel dilemma as we see the consequences of using food for fuel ripple across the continent and the world. Clearly ethanol will not work as a mass distributed fuel and our lawmakers need to quickly realize this and change tactics.

For example, government requirements to create pure ethanol fueled farming machinery would be much more productive than forcing all automobile drivers to use some form of ethanol in their vehicles. Though the production of carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, not produced by petroleum fuels, create their own problems, it is widely considered an environmentally friendly fuel. It would isolate our food production from the influence of possible future oil shortages caused by lack of supply or war with China. Farmers could even make their own fuel. Since we are already heavily invested in ethanol distilleries, excuse me refineries, it is a responsible alternative.

Biodiesels based on soy or some other plant source could be produced to supply critical rail lines rather than fuel for the general public. This would limit its production, creating a smaller demand on our food supplies. And not diluting the power of the market to force innovation in the personal vehicle by artificially delaying market pressures with a subsidized fuel that has no future as the world population grows.

On the other hand, laws requiring or giving advantage to taxi fleets and buses for using one specific alternative limits the potential for developing other technologies. Fleets of any kind, that report to a central location for fueling, are ideal for testing and developing any new fuel technology, not requiring a mass distribution system. The real battle being innovations in the personal vehicle. It is this arena that the government should keep its hands off and allow the free market to work. Public transportation makes an appropriate testing ground for the new technologies.

Economies in the past have supported a global system of petroleum often ignoring regional characteristics. Iceland has worked to buck this system since the energy crisis of the 1970’s envisioning a ‘Hydrogen Society.’ Iceland has many advantages in this regard. The distribution system need only cover the island, they have a plentiful environmentally friendly energy supply in natural steam, thermoelectric and hydroelectric power, and of course plenty of water from which to produce hydrogen. Iceland’s exportation of hydrogen and/or hydrogen fuel cells could supply other limited markets with almost no adverse effects on our environment.

The electricity required to produce hydrogen could also be supplied by nuclear power creating a world hydrogen network and also making electric vehicles more viable in cost and environmental impact. There is wisdom in not depending on a single source of energy for transportation. Just as utilities diversify in the production of electricity as sound economic policy, the same principle applies with the personal or utilitarian vehicle. The mass development of alternative fuel vehicles will also guarantee the future of pure gasoline vehicles, electric hybrid or otherwise. As gasoline demand drops the utilization of the fuels unique characteristics can continue to contribute to society.

The New Golf

The new golf? How about the new Sunday Drive, the new weekend bar-b-que, or the new boy’s night out? Saturday June 16th on “Business Solutions with Diane Chamnes” Jack Hirt, the Executive Director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, and Rich Tennesen, Vice President of a local business, covered corporate biking events as “The New Golf”. Not necessarily a replacement for those private conference room type deals made on a round of 18, but clearly as a fund raising and promotional opportunity it appears the trend encompassing a growing spectrum of people.
Bicycling is great for corporate outings, but several other points brought up in the show relate more directly to how we design our cities. Bicycling is gaining popularity continuously and though there are constant pleas for people to commute by bicycle the vast majority of riding is done for recreation. I have been bicycling myself and the paths get more and more crowded each year. Riders not only bike vast distances over road and paved trail but committed mountain bikers devote hours a week to off road trail development and maintenance and Wisconsin has the largest mountain bike racing series in the country. Social rides, taking groups along paths lined with select watering holes, trips to Madison and cycling vacations locally and around the world are gaining in popularity.
The corporate and civil involvement in promoting bicycling can be credited with much of this growth along with clubs and political action groups. Where the commuting agenda has failed the devotion to dedicated bicycle paths and Milwaukee’s parkway system has contributed greatly to recreational riding. There is nothing that discourages bicycling more than having to compete with cars and commitment to dedicated paths will take more people off the roadways and onto bicycles.
Jack Hirt actually commutes to work himself but key is the stated fact that it takes him the same amount of time to get to work by car or bicycle. Unfortunately with our climate and the fact that most people live a good distance from their jobs means only true crusaders will commit to commuting by bicycle on a regular basis. Though companies may be willing to provide space for bicycle storage and perhaps corporate vehicles for business use during the day, outright locker rooms with shower facilities that would be required to accommodate most employees who can’t simply coast to work are a distant vision. The current atmosphere could however revive the never popular and dying practice of carpooling. On our more clement days at least, a group might form that would alternate drivers to bringing in not only their fellow employees but also their bicycles with a change of clothes. Many bicyclists look to ride 100 miles plus a week.
The extension of Hank Aaron State Trail from Miller Park to the western edge of Milwaukee County scheduled to be completed in 2009 will be a boon and show the prominence and potential for recreational biking. The new section of trail will connect the Stadium, Veterans Hill, State Fair Park, the Pettit National Ice Center, the Zoo and an approach to a system of dedicated trails that cover the majority of the distance to Madison. The State of Wisconsin is seriously addressing the recreational potential. Others seem unaware. Currently the Milwaukee County Zoo has a single bike rack on their entire facility for their employees, according to Jennifer Diliberti in charge of media relations, and has no current plans to facilitate more bicycles. Bicycles are not allowed in the Zoo itself. Employee only areas and the expressway separate it from the new trail. Melissa Cook of the DNR has spoken with officials at the Zoo. She told me there is a tunnel under the expressway and the Zoo sees possibilities in creating a public access from the trail when alterations to the facilities are made in the future. She also said the end of 2009 is an earliest possible date for completion of the trail.
State Fair Park is planning to add another entry and move its generous bicycle parking facilities near the trail. You know that old railroad you walk down and under to get to the arcade on the other side. You are walking under the trail right of way.
Miller Park currently has three bike racks one at the left field entrance and one on each end of the ticket window area. Each can accommodate eight bicycles and there are two larger bike racks at Helfaer Field. They have told the DNR that there is plenty of room for bikes to be locked to their ornamental fencing. Many bicycle friendly approaches to the stadium already exist. When and where people are arriving from may limit the possibilities of bicycling to a Brewers game, but it sure would relieve congestion if more people would and the Hank Aaron Trail is adding great potential. Connecting with the new bicycle friendly Canal Street takes one to the Summerfest grounds.
Malls, grocery stores and much of our commercial development have all been placed with vehicular traffic predominant in determining location often resulting in dangerous approaches for those who might like to bike. Here like commuting, time and distance are important factors (How far are you willing to carry a gallon of milk?) but the percentage of local residence who use the amenities is very high.
The number one deterrent has always been theft. The majority of committed bicyclists collect old beaters for errand running or even commuting. Adding fenders, baskets and even upgrades much like young people once worked on a car’s engine. At Japanese train stations the local municipalities on occasion confiscate masses of illegally parked bicycles. Often the owners find it more economical not to take the time and money to claim their bike.
With ever increasing congestion the more people using their bicycles for recreation saves fuel and preserves our air quality several times over as people are stuck in traffic for shorter time periods. Are not our most congested times associated with major recreational events?
More importantly we will have a major alternative traffic route running parallel with the expressway (a requirement for development) and close to large urban neighborhoods creating development potential that has a lower impact on our environment. Requirements to facilitate bicycle use for new development in this corridor such as the proposed Wal-Mart Super Center are in order and could become a model for future development across the country.

Airport Efficiency

I just flew to New York and back via Atlanta. You needn't touch a thing in the rest rooms except for a fresh paper towel that disperses at intervals just long enough that you wont wait for a second before making use of your first. A refreshing find was at Narita Airport in Japan several years ago where after placing your hands under the air hand dryer they were blasted with cool air, the water being literally blown off and and caught in a swoop below. I was wondering why that was there.
Always looking for the chance to keep up my health I began walking the concourse, one of six, which if not a half mile long was close. I soon noticed the same design in structure as that of the concourse in Milwaukee. Unfortunately it was not an enjoyable walk though I did get in over five miles continuous. I have been in high school corridors that were wider than the clear passage down the center of the concourse. If a weaker man I may have spent the majority of my time sitting and filling my stomach with the various fare provided by the scattered vendors up and down the concourse boarding my connecting flight several pounds heavier. With over 120 passengers on a 737 that would be a difference of several hundred pounds.
Perhaps the rarity of bubblers (water fountains) and the fact that when found they seldom work is by design to lighten the load of the aircraft. A kind of anti-thesis to the watering up of the cattle after a drive before taking them in to be weighed. Loss of up to a pound is not uncommon when getting in a long vigorous walk along with promoting regularity often disrupted by the anxiety of travel. With its frequent stresses, especially in air travel with long waits for connecting flights, would not facilities to promote exercise if not simply walking be a worthwhile design consideration? In this age of greenhouse gases and quest for fuel economy should not design consider smarter travel rather than people moving efficiency?
Of course I could have walked the tunnels connecting the concourses. Unfortunately I hadn't brought along any walking shoes trying to carry as little as possible and my feet were killing me on my return, not to mention not sleeping the entire trip due to lengthy delays on my way there. Makes you wonder if a high speed train would actually be quicker. I doubt a tunnel would have made an interesting walk but I found a proposal on the internet for an art oriented concourse design. Now if they can only give us more room to move around.

The Beginnings

This day is the beginning of this blog. The following posts are back dated per when they were written. Previously they were on our home page but this format facilitates the sharing of ideas better.

Mayor Barrett's Transit Solution

In the commuter rail debate I would like to thank our Mayor Tom Barrett for the clear presentation of his transit solutions on the City of Milwaukee web site. It will allow for clear and productive debate. Part of that plan is a 3-mile loop for the downtown called the Downtown Circulator. I hope my comments on its shortcomings can create a better alternative.

As someone who has lived and visited some of the most congested cities in the world, including New York and Seoul among others, people are willing to walk farther than one may imagine; a quarter mile or more to a transit station or stop. Many working in downtown Milwaukee, as I have, look forward to the opportunity to walk before and after work as well as at lunchtime. Even if the route would go directly from their parking to their office door, most would choose to walk. Though the distance from one end of the loop to the other would be too far for most people, how many would be in that situation?

The people mover in Detroit, as well as the Kenosha Street Car, have both failed to be sufficiently utilized. The Kenosha Street Car, which costs 25 cents and services a large new condominium development, the Kenosha Marina, the Kenosha Museum, and passes through a historic downtown connecting them to the METRA station, operates only four hours a day, 10:05 a.m. – 2:05 p.m. in the winter and eight hours in the summer. Obviously not being used by commuters to Chicago as intended.

Installing a rail system is costly, permanent and inflexible. The system would be highly subsidized but all transportation is. The building of roads would be considered a subsidy for cars, something drivers pay for through the gasoline tax, but more importantly roads contribute to commerce and the taxes associated with it. Any rail system for Milwaukee would make no such contribution. The number of riders, if any, would have no influence on commerce and may in fact restrict commerce while raising taxes.

The major impediment to people visiting downtown is not lack of transit but of convenient parking. Outside of park and rides that utilize the expressways and bring people into the city quickly and conveniently, people with cars do not want to ride local transit into downtown. Taking away parking spaces is far too detrimental to downtown activity. There is an interesting design solution expressed in Barrett’s proposal of curb bump outs serving as transit stops where most of the parking can be preserved. Unfortunately this would also restrict the flow of traffic, making it undesirable for people to drive into the city where the need to search for parking is typical. The costs and associated new taxes will create another financial disaster on top of the present County Pension crisis.

One comment given in the debate was that a fire hose across the tracks would stop the whole operation. Modern rail systems have only one legitimate purpose and that is to relieve congestion by operating independently of vehicular traffic. Not many cities outside of Europe have rail systems that operate in vehicular thoroughfares. Many systems in Europe are continuations of rail that was installed before the predominance of the automobile. In the former communist block they exist in a system that until recently virtually told people where to live and work and lacked the economic vitality to allow most of its citizens to own cars. Historic European City centers were originally designed with no concept personal vehicles for the masses that require ample roads and concessions for storage as well as maintenance.

A second requirement for a rail system to work is population density. This is what allows the rail system to contribute to commerce, allowing people who could otherwise not enter a city because of congestion, to get to their jobs and the cultural attractions that city centers provide. Allowing people to reach their destinations quicker and easier than by driving. Milwaukee is no where near the population density required. Our street system was more than sufficient in the past when the population was greater and more prosperous than now. As the population has dispersed into the suburbs, so have the jobs. This illustrates the real goal of the rail debate in Milwaukee, as many commentators have picked up on, and that is to force people to use mass transit. Good luck Comrades.

A third requirement is destinations and here size does matter. Most major cities in the world have a loop route, more commonly called a circle line, in their subway systems. The loop however is excessively larger than what Mayor Barrett is proposing. It covers an expansive area, connects to all linear lines and many stops are small city centers in themselves, providing immense variety along the route for whatever task the rider might be on.

Mayor Barrett’s loop does connect important downtown features and the Post Office is a more important destination than people give it credit for. Plans suggest that the train station will also grow in prominence. Its far corner touches on dense residential areas. In reality it does not matter what reasoned presentation others or I may make in favor or in opposition. No consultants need to be hired for feasibility studies. This route can be implemented immediately. No rail need be installed to see if this plan will work. Simply run the red trolley buses on the proposed route and do some promotion and advertising. I am sure the Journal Sentinel would volunteer free space being such strong supporters of the plan. I suggest the title be shortened to Downtown Circle to be more descriptive. Run it 24 hours a day if you like and record the rider ship throughout the day. I predict the results will hardly justify a rail car the length of three buses with the probable capacity of four. It may be a legitimate productive use for the red trolleys, no rail required.

What Milwaukee and the region needs to do is design its rail system in advance, whether it be a subway or some kind of elevated rail, that operates independently of our road system. The exact routes and stations need to be located and the work required, moving steam tunnels, sewers etc., needs to be identified and the costs calculated. Milwaukee has no such plan. With this plan all growth can be guided to make the best use of the proposed system that would be built when required and not before. Regarding a circle line, a minimal size would run from UWM to Mitchell Street and west to connect State Fair, the Zoo, Mayfair Mall and other amenities.

Any rail system for the Milwaukee Metropolitan area, circular or linear, requires the potential for rapid and expansive economic growth and a lot of hard work on the part of our elected officials to make it happen, lowering taxes and soliciting major corporations. As our economy booms and new skyscrapers go up in some of the largest most congested cities of our nation why is Milwaukee not attracting any of this growth? The tax climate is so suppressive in Milwaukee and Wisconsin that further tax increases proposed by our Governor and a tax heavy rail system, any rail system, pushed on the public is negligence. Would I be wrong to categorize it as a human rights violation depriving people of their livelihood?