Increasing transportation options available to Wisconsin workers should be about common sense approaches to smart growth, not political ideologies. However, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker, seeking to bolster his reputation as a fiscal conservative, has vowed that if elected he will halt the construction of a high-speed rail link between Madison and Milwaukee. Walker declared that he was “drawing a line in the sand” when it came to the train, and that promise has become a central theme of his campaign with a separate website of its own (www.notrain.com) and a minute-long TV spot.
The train is Walker’s whipping boy, a stand-in for all types of wasteful and excessive government spending. He claims that Wisconsin cannot afford to subsidize the train. Never mind that construction will largely be paid for by an $810 million federal stimulus grant specifically for rail development and that the state’s annual operating costs will be less than 0.4 percent of the transportation budget.
Walker has suggested that if the project were to be halted, he would use the stimulus money for road repair or other projects. But because of the terms of the grant, it can only be used for trains. So if Walker has his way, we would have to return that $810 million to the federal government so it could go toward improvements in other states. Politics aside, it seems like poor policy to pass up an opportunity to create jobs in what is now the fourth most impoverished city in the country.
This isn’t a time for small government ideology to stand in the way of smart development and practical solutions to Wisconsin’s transportation needs. A high speed rail corridor between Milwaukee and Madison would allow commuters the choice of train or car. It is estimated that just under half a million people would ride the train each year. That’s half a million fewer drivers on the road, decreased strain on a congested highway corridor and easier commuting for those who chose to drive.
Beyond those short term benefits, expanding transportation options will be important for Wisconsin’s long-term growth. It is impossible to predict with any certainty what the energy economy will be like 40 to 50 years down the road, but it is unlikely that driving will be as cheap and easy as it is today. Wisconsin can best prepare itself for an uncertain future by investing now in a flexible and dynamic multi-modal transportation network that will expand the choices available to commuters. The high speed Milwaukee to Madison rail line, along with its proposed extensions to Chicago and Minneapolis, could serve as the backbone of such a network.
Expanding commuter choices is also a crucial step to improving the health of Wisconsinites. Studies have found that people living in car-dependant communities tend to have poorer health than those with more transportation options. The longer a person has to drive every day, the higher the risk of obesity and associated conditions such as diabetes and heart disease – ailments which cost Wisconsin over $12 billion annually. Of course building a train won’t solve our state’s health problems. But it is an important step in developing the kind of infrastructure that will give commuters the freedom to incorporate healthier forms of transportation into their daily routines.
In opposing the rail line, Walker is letting his political philosophy stand in the way of what is best for this state and its residents. He would give up almost a billion dollars that could be used for immediate job creation. He would prevent the state from developing the modern transportation infrastructure that is needed to reduce demands on roadways. And by reducing options available to Wisconsin workers he would limit our ability to adjust to uncertain energy prices in both the short and long term or adopt more health conscious commuting routines. If Walker wins in November, he cannot allow short-sighted adherence to small government ideology to hamstring the development of Wisconsin’s infrastructure.
Geoff Jara-Almonte ([email protected]) is a fourth year medical student.
