Paul Soglin: Waxing America

How Walker Bill Will Impact Public Transit in Madison, and Wisconsin

Last week Madison's WISC Channel 3 and Channel 3000  (February 19, 2011) warned their viewers,

Madison Metro Could See Big Changes:

Madison's Metro bus system could see big changes under Gov. Scott Walker's union bill. The city's transit system would have two options if the governor's bill passes -- either the system must be completely restructured, or lose $45 million in federal funding.

The situation came about because federal law requires collective bargaining rights on wages, pensions and working conditions for that aid. City officials say this detail is something that was overlooked by many."Well, we'd have to look at dramatic cutbacks in service. It's too early to say exactly what that means, but people love their bus services here in the city of Madison. They wouldn't vote for this. And again, it's something that I'm sure wasn't thought about when this bill was so hastily put together," said Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. (emphasis added)

The readers of Waxing America know there is a third option and the situation might not be so dire if the mayor directed the city attorney to get to work.  From last Sunday's post, February 13, 2011 Governor Walker: There Are Better Options for Wisconsin:

...Second, we need to examine Walker’s proposal where it may run afoul of federal law. Madison bus drivers are covered by a federal 13(C) Agreement. This is a requirement that applies to transit systems that receive federal aid.  13(C) “requires the continuation of collective bargaining rights, and protection of transit employees' wages, working conditions, pension benefits, seniority, vacation, sick and personal leave, travel passes, and other conditions of employment.” In other words it is likely that no matter what the legislature does in adopting Walker’s proposals, it will not apply to the Madison bus drivers or the drivers of any union-organized transit system in Wisconsin that receives federal funds...

Forty years ago the city of Madison signed the 13(C) agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportaion. As a condition of receiving federal transit aids, Madison guaranteed the collective bargaining rights of the transit workers. A very strong case can be made that the federal law and the contract will prevail over any state statute.

 

 

 

Madison's Arteries Need An Asprin, Not Surgery

There is clutter and trash masquerading as signage in Madison. You see it on Odana Road and East Washington, Park Street and Sherman Avenue.

The Wisconsin State Journal to informs us that City's arteries need surgery, leaders say.

The thrust of the story is that we must spend millions of public dollars to improve the main entrance ways to Madison:

Public expenditures and plans for new development are in the works to put the areas in a good position to prosper when the current recession lifts, said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

For now though, despite some improvements, hundreds of thousands of motorists coming into Madison each day see patchworks of shabby older buildings and typical highway fare — fast-food stores, billboards and auto service stations.

The article focuses on the need for millions of dollars of public investment in the main corridor entrances to Madison, South Park Street, University Avenue, and East Washington.

Lauded as the finest entrance way to Madison is John Nolen Drive.  The John Nolen Drive entranceway was mostly the work of one city employee, planner John Urich. Urich worked tirelessly on the design and the ordinances to protect this spectacular approach to our city.

John's legacy is broad and deep.

Another significant contribution of Mr. Urich was the Madison sign ordinance. John is rolling over in his grave.

This city is a disgrace. The violations are overwhelming in volume and substance. It is debatable as to which venue, starting with State Street is the most offensive. The callous signage is on both public and private property. The situation, of course, was made worse, when the city allowed these portable advertisements on the sidewalks and terraces in an effort to offend pedestrians, those confined to wheel chairs, and anyone who would not like the community to look like a honkytonk.

Ironically, the strongest statement in the Wisconsin State Journal article on the issue is the caption below this photograph that reads, in part, "Billboards, fast food, gas stations and car part stores all part of the visual clutter of South Park Street."

Sorry, State Journal, and city officials.  Billboards, fast food, gas stations, and car part stores are all a very small part of the visual clutter. As I said, just go see the segments of Odana Road where there are offices and retailers who are not fast food or car parts stores, and you will see the real visual clutter.

The problem with visual clutter is that it also has economic consequences. Occupants of offices and retailers who do not want to be part of the clownish atmosphere, abandon such areas.Then rents and property values decline, and they are subsequently replaces with more garish uses.

Funny thing is there is a solution to this which does not cost millions of dollars. In fact it would cost less than one half of a full time salary.

Enforce the sign ordinance.

I am not saying that capital improvements are not needed in some areas. But I would not spend a penny on any capital improvements or even conduct a study of "recommended new features" until I knew what these areas looked like with enforcement of the sign ordinance.

Put it another way: How could you justify spending millions of public money or expect the private sector to spend tens of millions of their dollars if the street or avenue was to be plastered with illegal signs?

For those who want to know, we already have the well documented answer as to the reason the sign ordinance is not enforced:  "There is not enough money."

I Will Serve Steven Slater's Prison Sentence. Righteous Dude.

Steven Slater, the angry Jet Blue flight attendant knows that it is often the circumstances that make the hero.

As President Calvin Coolidge said, "Heroism is not only the man, but in the occasion," or perhaps better put by Gerald W. Johnson, "Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials."

In any case, I volunteer to serve a one tenth share of any prison sentence he receives for doing the right thing. I am sure there are enough of us to fill all of the prisons in this nation for the next decade.

Slater spoke volumes when he said he did it for all of us poor, abused travelers who follow the rules.

In these trying times we should heed the words of Mahatma Gandhi, though he probably did not have obnoxious airline passengers, or the people who run the airlines in mind, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."

Baldwin Opponent Resorts to Silly Stunt

One of the candidates for the hopeless Republican slot to run against Rep. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin's Second Congressional District, Peter Theron, managed to get his futile candidacy some front page coverage in the Wisconsin State Journal yesterday. How? By a ridiculous stunt, whereby he applied for a city street use permit to stop traffic 26 times during the afternoon rush. Why?  To demonstrate "What impact will passenger rail from Milwaukee and local commuter rail someday have on traffic at the already congested intersection of John Nolen Drive, South Blair Street, East Wilson Street and Williamson Street."

...The application is scheduled for its first hearing Wednesday morning before a panel of city and state staff.

But city officials are skeptical about whether the experiment will do anything more than inconvenience drivers.

“It would be irresponsible to do what he’s proposing with the project lacking details of future service levels and intersection design,” said city transit planner David Trowbridge.

This is a stunt made for local right-wing talk radio, which already seems to have made trains a prime political target. Keep it up, Mr. Theron. This strategy worked so well for Nancy Mistele.

- Barry Orton

DOT Verona Road Meeting Fish Fried at Allied Drive

I was curious about the Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans for a free fish fry in the Allied drive neighborhood where they planned to roll out some plans about the Verona/Beltline interchange. DOT: Free Meal At Public Meeting A Mistake

In an effort to boost participation, the DOT offered a free fish fry and child care to residents using taxpayer money that comes from the gas tax.

The DOT said Thursday that partly because of a WISC-TV report on the free meal and negative feedback, taxpayers will not foot the bill for the free food. The DOT said an anonymous donor will pay for it instead.

All of this brought to mind comments I heard at a neighborhood meeting I attended at Allied  Drive around 2004. I was surprised when some neighborhood residents expressed support for the massive rebuild of the interchange which would significantly impact their area, and not all positively.

When I asked why they expressed support for the project, the responses was unanimous. "The DOT is the only government agency that came in here and asked us what we wanted before they began making plans for our neighborhood."

A lot has happened in Allied Drive since 2004. That statement may be dated. After all,  other government agencies and non-profits were part of some significant changes in the area and did some listening themselves.

Without passing judgment on the changes at Allied drive or the propriety of the DOT paying for a fish fry and babysitting, which is a critical need to get parental participation in an area with lots of small kids, there is a lesson here.

It is good to listen.

Madison High Speed Rail Station - Airport, East Wash or downtown-UW campus?

With all of the discussion about high speed rail between Madison and Milwaukee, I missed the report which identified the best place to locate the local station.

I know there is lot of discussion about the Dane County Regional Airport. I also caught the suggestion that there be an alternative or additional stop at the tracks across East Washington and First Street.

I assume that airport station has three advantages:

1. It facilitates the train moving on to the Twin Cities by not diverting it downtown.
2. It gets the rail passengers to their connecting flights out of Madison.
3. The high speed rail passengers can then shift to a local rail system which is already moving passengers from downtown Madison/UW campus to the airport.

That is good if that is the best scenario given the needs of the high speed rail passengers.

I curious as to what the passengers want. Can someone direct me the study which shows the destination for the majority of passengers and surveys of the needs of potential passengers?

How realistic is it that the train will proceed to the Twin Cities in the decade after the Madison-Milwaukee route is completed?

Are the high speed rail passengers going to use the airport?

How realistic is the local rail system to downtown Madison for the airport?

MIlwaukee - Madison Rail: An Ecumenical View

On Friday last, Rail as Religion, Rick Esenberg took issue with the statements of Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association who said, "Currently, people are forced to drive, and that's the most expensive and least productive way to travel..."

Esenberg's point being that interurban travel between downtown Milwaukee and the Dane County Regional Airport made no sense since most passengers are interested in downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin campus as a point of arrival and departure.

Esenberg, famously known for purchasing the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has a valid point.

The efficiency of the system is compromised when passengers need to inefficiently transfer to a taxi or city bus to reach their final destination.

That is why there is an effort to locate a second Madison station closer to downtown and the isthmus, a detail overlooked by Esenberg.

When we look at successful interurban rail systems throughout the world, they have two things in common. First, they move people quickly, efficiently, and reliably between two distant points. Secondly, since most passengers do not have an arrival or departure point within a short distance of the terminal, the rail systems are complemented with an efficient local transit system, intra urban, designed to disperse passengers throughout the urban area.

Since Rick is such a fan of rail, "I have to confess that I kind of like trains..." I welcome him to the constructive dialog as to how we can make this system work in Milwaukee and Madison.

Time for Aerial Ground Transportation

In 1976 we held a team meeting of our city transportation and public works staff to discuss the difficult problem of moving people from downtown around Lake Monona to Madison's east side. The Atwood Avenue bypass was completed and now we were working on a new belt-line.

During the meeting I suggested that we build a tram that would depart from Law Park where we now have the entrance to Monona Terrace and send it across Lake Monona. Jim Mclary, our key transit planner at the time, sent this yesterday:

Is It time for Toronto to finally get cable: Urban planner says cable cars, at street level or up in the air, can solve transportation woes

Cable cars a feature in cities around the globe

Steven Dale lays out the case for cable on a blog called gondolaproject.com. Among the examples of cable-based transit systems outlined there are:

• The recently approved BART Oakland Airport Connector in California, a $500 million (U.S.) people mover that will run on a 5-kilometre elevated right of way. The project has aroused the ire of some taxpayers, who argued in favour of a $105 million rapid bus transit alternative.

• The Metrocable in Medellin, Colombia, incorporates three aerial cable lines into the transit system of that country's second largest city. The cables were designed to serve low-income commuters in the outlying areas.

• Two cable systems in Caracas, Venezuela, are expected to carry 140,000 people daily when they're both complete in 2011.

• A four-kilometre cable car with seven stations in Perugia, Italy, offers wait times of about a minute between vehicles.

• Constantine Telepherique in Algeria is a series of aerial cable cars, some designed for transit and others for tourism.

Could the solution to Toronto's transit woes be hanging by a thread?

It might sound crazy, but one urban planner believes cable cars rather than streetcars are the answer to TTC hassles. And at least one politician believes planner-designer Steven Dale's idea merits further exploration.

The native Torontonian, who divides his time between Cabbagetown and Switzerland, thinks cable would be the better way on some TTC routes, such as the Scarborough RT.

Cable technology, which can be used above street level like a ski lift, or embedded under vehicles as with San Francisco's iconic cable cars, is greener, cheaper and faster than Toronto's streetcars, he argues.

"We've spent so long imagining our transit as what we have right now and there's a whole bunch of other ideas out there," he said. "Light rail, for me, is not the best technology.

"Light rail happens to be stuck between a technology we don't like – buses – and a technology we can't afford – subways."

If Dale is spinning a line, at least one politician is reaching for it.

"It can work in almost any urban fabric," says Glen Murray, the former mayor of Winnipeg, who plans to run as a Liberal in Toronto Centre in the next provincial election.

He is also chief executive of the Canadian Urban Institute in Toronto, which has funded some of Dale's research.

Gondolas, he says, can cross water or 400-series highways without the expense of bridges. They can run less frequently over low-density areas and more often in highly populated districts. They can be beautiful, don't take up much more space than a telephone pole or light standard, require limited land and don't conflict with traffic.

"It is really an interesting, emerging idea that I think has the potential to be the next generation of transit solutions for Canada," Murray said.

Toronto transit is already in the midst of its most costly expansion to date: A $2.4 billion extension of the Spadina subway line into York Region starts construction next year, and ground has been broken on the $950 million Sheppard LRT, the first of a 120-kilometre,

seven-line light rail network that is expected to reach deep into the city's suburbs over the next two decades.

Dale says Ryerson University is considering a planning course that would look at how cable technology could be used in the Toronto region.

He blames a couple of common misconceptions for making cable a tough sell in North American cities.

"There's a general perception such systems are slow, which they're not, especially if you compare them with Toronto's streetcar system," Dale said.

"The streetcars we have are built to go 100 km/h but they average 12 km/h on the street," even on dedicated right-of-way routes such as Spadina Ave., he said.

"The other major issues are questions of capacity. People think (cable) can't carry enough. It can carry up to about 6,000 people per hour per direction," Dale said.

"We have no streetcar line in all of Toronto that goes above 2,000, and when they're talking about the Eglinton LRT line, they're only imagining it having about 5,000."

Cable systems don't have engines or motors on the vehicles. Many recharge off batteries when they're in the station, and some modern versions are equipped with solar panelling, Dale said.

"Because they're so lightweight, it takes a lot less energy to move them forward," he said.

TTC officials are skeptical.

"I don't know how fast cable cars go," said transit spokesman Brad Ross. "The TTC, of course, would never run a streetcar at 100 km/h.

"But it's not speed that makes dedicated rights-of-way (be it streetcar or other mode) so much better. It's reliability – they don't operate in mixed traffic and, therefore, are less likely to be delayed due to conditions beyond our control."

The TTC's new streetcars, he points out, will hold twice as many riders, about 260 each.

And Ross said TTC engineers disagree with Dale's assessment of the cost and efficiency of cable. Cable would be less efficient because of friction-related loss in the traction system and a lack of regenerative braking power, he said.

Cable also would be more expensive to build, maintain and operate, he added.

Dale, however, argues an under-car cable system would cost less than half the estimated $1.4 billion to renovate and convert the Scarborough Rapid Transit system to light rail so it matches up with the TTC's new Transit City network.

The SRT's dedicated right-of-way makes it a good starting place because there's no issue with running the cable through mixed traffic.

And Dale takes issue with the TTC's assertion that snow and ice would be a problem in the Toronto winter. In the 1880s, Chicago had a bottom-supported cable car system that ran efficiently year-round, and there was a lot more snow 120 years ago, he said.

"I would love to see a top-supported system (gondolas) run along the Don Valley or Humber Valley," said Dale.

"There's a system in Asia where one of the stations is located in a skyscraper. The technology is incredibly flexible."

With files from Vanessa Lu

Glenn Grothman Comes to Snowball Fight With A Squirt Gun

I love Wisconsin politics.

Glenn Grothman, the Republican Wisconsin State Senator from West Bend just slipped on the ice, stepped into a puddle, and gave Waxing America a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.

Grothman, critical of city of Madison plowing efforts this month, suggested that there were external consequences as a result of the limited snow removal effort December 8th and 9th:

Saying Madison officials are endangering citizens' access to their state government and university, Grothman said Tuesday he's drafting a bill that would strip the city's ability to set policies for salting and plowing its main roads and give that authority to the state Department of Transportation...

The Senator must be reading Waxing America, where for years we continue to hammer home two progressive points:

• There is a larger societal benefit when government spends taxpayers dollars effectively on development and maintenance of public infrastructure and human capacity.
• The evaluation of any program must go beyond the silo that represents its budget. Funding public transit, is a 'loser' but it saves a considerable amount of money by avoiding additional road construction and maintenance.

It is our fervent hope that after two decades of Republican control and intimidation of most of Wisconsin government, Grothman and his colleagues learned something.

Next time they wail about taxation and government spending, these legislators should look at not just the costs, but also the benefits of public programs. Senator, this applies to more than snow removal, it applies to:

• public education
• environmental legislation that protects the air, land , and water in Wisconsin
• investment in cultural activities
• water and sewage systems
• sanitation and recycling systems
• and a myriad of other governmental functions

Senator, welcome to the real world and remember, Waxing America is committed to:

A candid examination of right-wing politics and the Democrats who play along and the horrid liberal policies designed to assuage the moderates but end up irritating everyone. And other stuff. 

First, it is true that Madison uses about 150 pounds of salt per lane mile where the rest of the state averages 300 pounds. Keep in mind that for forty years Madison effectively used 200 pounds. There is no reason to return to 300 pounds; there is a happy medium.

Secondly, salt application was only a small part of the problem. The most significant reasons for the failure was the lack of staff and equipment.

Glenn Grothman should have the good manners to follow Ed Garvey's blog, FightingBob.com, "Is this a private fight, or can anyone join?"

Next time Grothman enters the fray uninvited, he should come armed for the battle.

The hypocrisy of Grothman calling for state interference in local government is not worthy of comment.

It Is Not About The Snow, Virginia

When I served on the Madison Common Council, I learned that removing snow was bigger than any one storm. Snow removal represented the best or it could represent the worst in public management.

Efficient snow removal costs money and there are limited resources. These resources need to be measured against the benefits. What is so disturbing about the evolution of the Madison snow removal policy is that it morphed without deliberation or public hearing and comment.

Unlike the macho wags, who proclaim, "suck it in," public management calls for a bit more thought  that requires analysis and planning.

Most disturbing about Madison's present snow removal policies is that there was no conscious, planned analysis of reducing the plowing efforts. There was no examination of the externalities. There was no effort to measure the consequences of different levels of plowing.There was no thinking outside of the 'silo.' The affects of reduced plowing and extending the length of time it would take to clear city streets cannot be measured in the city's 'silo' alone. There are consequences for:

• emergency responders to traffic accidents and homes
• the public transit system
• hundred of thousand of commuters who encounter costly delays and, more accidents, and higher insurance premiums
• businesses that would prefer to remain open
• public institutions such as schools and hospitals that encounter their own challenges in storm
• environmental costs and damages

Every member of the Madison Common Council and the mayor ran on a platform of taking care of 'basic services.' Ask them:

• When did they make the decision to reduce the commitment to snow removal?
• When the city purchased the new garbage trucks did they realize it would reduce resources to remove snow?
• When they cut back on parks and public works positions did they realize it would leave a shortage of trained plow operators?
• When they made these decisions did they think about the consequences to the school district and Madison businesses?
• When they decided to further modify the alternate street parking ordinance did they realize it would raise costs for snow removal from $200 to $2000 a block and that it would prevent fire trucks from navigating Gilman Street?
• When new streets were added to the city, did they review the need for additional equipment?
• What are the problems with the labor agreements that make it difficult to use staff for snow removal that did not exist ten years ago?
• What are the relationships to staffing shortages for other services such as tree trimming, park maintenance, and snow removal?
• What is the impact on Madison Metro's bus operation and its passengers who do not or cannot use an automobile in inclement weather?

I spoke with a few alders about this. Everyone told me the same thing. They never made a decision to lower the city commitment to snow removal. It is not about snow removal. It is about public management and administration.

If we fail to do proper planning for snow removal, imagine what is happening with all of the other city services.

When I served Madison as mayor,  I learned that if I could provide the basic services, then I had a  base of close to 75% of the electorate who, might not fully support, but would at least tolerate projects like the State Street Mall, the Civic Center, public housing, a dynamic publicly subsidized bus system, Monona Terrace, and an innovative and aggressive community services program.