State's high-speed rail proposal up for comment Aug. 3
Brookfield keeps station talks quiet
Residents will have a chance to weigh in on a regional high-speed rail proposal before the Common Council starts discussing it publicly.
Donna Brown, passenger rail planning manager with the state Department of Transportation, outlined the basics of the plan, which includes a station in Brookfield, for council members Tuesday. The city will need to decide whether it will build a station, and where it should go.
The state received $823 million as part of President Obama's stimulus package to develop a passenger rail line between Madison and Milwaukee and to improve Chicago-Milwaukee rail.
The goal is to connect Madison to Chicago, which is the hub of Midwest regional rail service, Brown said. From Chicago, the line could make connections to locations throughout the country.
"We've been working on this for quite some time," Brown said, noting the state's purchase of the Watertown-Madison line in 2003.
In addition to a station in Brookfield, the state is looking at adding stations in Oconomowoc and Watertown for the Madison-Milwaukee line.
The state is planning track construction later this year and station construction in 2012. Service would start in 2013.
The city's comprehensive plan calls for high-speed rail service, provided a station in Brookfield receives state or federal funding support. Brown did not provide any dollar amounts in her presentation.
After the presentation, the council held a closed-door meeting about the possible location and construction of a station. The proposed station would be in the Village Area along Brookfield Road near River Road, where tracks already run through the city.
The DOT will hold a public information session Aug. 3. It will be an open-house format with a short presentation repeated a few times throughout a three-hour timeframe. DOT representatives will return to City Hall on Aug. 17 to answer any questions council members may have.
Next Steps
WHAT: public informational meeting on high-speed rail proposal
WHEN: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3
WHERE: Brookfield Elementary School, 2530 N. Brookfield Road
WHAT: Common Council begins public deliberation of proposal
WHEN: 7:45 p.m. Aug. 17
WHERE: City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Road
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2 Comments
David Hughes - Jul 28, 2010 11:49 AM
David Hughes - Jul 28, 2010 11:50 AM