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Resolution supporting exploration of Amtrak service in Wauwatosa
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WHEREAS, the City of Wauwatosa is a transit-oriented community that has long advocated for transportation alternatives for its residents and commuters; and
WHEREAS, the City of Wauwatosa was formerly served by passenger rail service beginning in 1850 and ending in 1971, with several passenger rail depots existing in the city, including the building that is now referred to as the “Little Red Store”; and
WHEREAS, commuters benefited from these offerings, with the Milwaukee Road railway providing transport to both the City of Milwaukee (eastbound) and the City of Waukesha (westbound); and
WHEREAS, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $102 billion in federal funding for rail lines across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak is seeking to expand the existing Chicago-to-Milwaukee Hiawatha Service with planned stops in Pewaukee, Watertown, and Madison; and
WHEREAS, securing Amtrak service in the City of Wauwatosa is a high priority for the betterment of the City of Wauwatosa’s residents, workers, and visitors;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council hereby directs city staff to engage with all relevant and necessary authorities to explore the feasibility of Amtrak, including a stop in the City of Wauwatosa, as part of the imminent expansion of the Hiawatha Line.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Common Council directs city staff to provide periodic updates to the Transportation Affairs Committee and, when appropriate, to the Common Council Committee of the Whole on their ongoing efforts to meet this directive.
By: Transportation Affairs Committee
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Recommendation: Approve 5-0