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Consideration of Common Council resolution supporting exploration of Amtrak service in Wauwatosa
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Submitted by:
Boris Veleusic, City Engineer
Department
Engineering
A. Issue
Consideration of Common Council resolution supporting the Hiawatha West service expansion project to include a stop in the City of Wauwatosa.
B. Background/Options
The existing Amtrak Hiawatha passenger route services approximately 631,000 passengers on 6 round trips between Milwaukee and Chicago. Hiawatha also connects to 7 midwest routes and 8 long distance routes at the Chicago hub. Amtrak is proposing an extension to the Hiawatha service west from Milwaukee to Madison, connecting through several communities along the route. The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) tracks will be utilized as the route between Milwaukee and Madison. Temporary stations are planned for an estimated period of 3-6 years until final station locations are determined, design is completed, and funding is secured. Preferred temporary stations currently under consideration are Watertown, Pewaukee, and the final destination in Madison. These locations have been selected due to minimal track infrastructure upgrades required and minimal impacts to CPKC and WSOR operations. Permanent station locations could be different than the planned temporary station locations.
The City of Wauwatosa could be an ideal station location due to its ability to serve other suburban communities in western Milwaukee and eastern Waukesha Counties, easy access to the CPKC railroad in downtown Wauwatosa, and the large population of daily commuters traveling daily to Wauwatosa for work with large regional employers, including the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC). City staff met with Amtrak staff to understand the current status of the project and the attached information was shared. The addition of a station in Wauwatosa would align with Wauwatosa’s Strategic Goal of reducing reliance on single occupant vehicles as well as reducing associated congestion and carbon emissions. One possible location for a station would be the City owned parking lot where the Little Red Store is located, however, all feasible locations would be evaluated.
C. Strategic Plan (Area of Focus)
Transportation, multi-modal
D. Fiscal Impact
None at this time. Once underway, the project will be 80% federally funded and 20% state and locally funded for design and construction. Federal and state funding has not yet been secured.
E. Recommendation
Approval of the attached Common Council resolution supporting exploration of Amtrak service in Wauwatosa.