Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz spent the week in Washington, D.C. lobbying for federal funding which would be used to finance affordable housing, train whistles and a streetcar system in the near future.
George Twigg, spokesperson for Cieslewicz, said the main point of the mayor’s trip was to “get out there” and “make a case” for issues the city is particularly concerned about.
“It’s a long process — it’s a matter of persistence,” Twigg said. “Things happen slowly with the federal government.”
According to Twigg, the mayor makes several trips to Washington a year to meet with congressional delegates not only from Wisconsin but from all over the United States.
The mayor’s agenda in Washington included the protection of Madison’s Community Development Block Grant, CDBG, which supports affordable housing, job creation and the redevelopment of communities.
President George W. Bush has proposed major cuts for this program, which would affect the Madison community and ultimately the nation as a whole, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
“Officials and leaders from coast to coast are scared to death to lose this,” Verveer said. “It would really be a tragedy if we lost the millions of dollars given to the city.”
Cieslewicz also lobbied for the use of “quiet zones” in the train whistle law while in Washington.
According to Twigg, this law allows cities to create “quiet zones,” thus preventing trains from using whistles while passing through community areas.
Cieslewicz worked to secure a grace period of five years to implement proper safety precautions needed in each of the seven quiet zones chosen for the city, which cover 19 railroad crossings.
“The mayor was out there to advocate rules that will help maintain the quiet zones,”
Christy Bachmann of City of Madison Engineering said.
The threat and annoyance of these whistles has not been a reality for Madison residents for some time, she added.
Signals and gates have the opportunity to replace the loud noise of train whistles at crossings, according to Steven Sonntag of the City of Madison Engineering Department. Quiet zones must be at least one-half of a mile long, he added.
In regards to railway systems, Cieslewicz sought funding for a streetcar system in the city — an issue that has been contested for several years.
“The streetcar system is the mayor’s pet project,” Verveer said. “He knows full well we need substantial federal funding.”
Cieslewicz has visited various cities where streetcar systems have been successful such as Portland, Ore., where he took a group of city officials last year. He also visited Kenosha, Wis., which implemented the system in 2000 when a two-mile-long line was built connecting with the Metra Commuter rail system running to Chicago.
Cieslewicz aims to create a similar system and will bring the issue to Washington twice this year.
-Aubre Andrus contributed to this article.