Remarking that it is a “hell of a way to fund transit,” Milwaukee County Board member Patricia Jursik joined in the unanimous vote accepting state money to pay for busing through the Zoo Interchange lawsuit settlement.
The settlement announced earlier this week will dedicate $11.5 million to new bus routes during the Zoo Interchange’s reconstruction. Those routes, envisioned to extend into Menomonee Falls, New Berlin and Germantown, are to connect Milwaukee workers with jobs in those suburbs.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation agreed to the spending to settle a lawsuit challenging the Zoo Interchange reconstruction plan. Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope and the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin filed the lawsuit.
“Providing a transportation infrastructure should be a primary concern of state and local government,” Jursik said. “With the county’s hands tied, we are now letting community partners fight for equity in the courts. Funding sources for all of our transportation needs must be addressed lest Wisconsin fall even further behind.”
The Wisconsin DOT also will provide $2 million over four years to market bus services and pay for other improvements, such as real-time transit route information.
Milwaukee County will receive $2.875 million this year through the settlement to send buses to Milwaukee’s northwest side and the Menomonee Falls industrial park. The County Board on Thursday approved an agreement to establish that route.