On Monday morning the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority (RTA) voted for a stable, sufficient and dedicated local funding source for local transit including the KRM Commuter Rail. By a vote of 6 to 1, the RTA approved a report that includes seeking a half percent increase in the sales tax in the three county region (Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha). Naturally, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s appointee to the RTA was the lone vote against progress. Even the appointee of his Republican counterpart in Racine voted in favor of the plan. After today’s supermajority vote it will now go to the Governor and the legislature. Now is the time for people to encourage their public officials to fully support this important investment in our infrastructure.

A new poll shows that there is strong support among the general population in the three-county region for raising the local sales tax to fund and expand public transit and to remove it from the property tax. This poll comes on the heels of Milwaukee County voters passing a referendum to modestly raise sales tax to remove transit, parks and others important services from the property tax. The same poll revealed that a full 82 percent say that it is important for the greater Milwaukee region to have a modern efficient transportation system. They further agreed that such a system would be essential to the economic growth of the region.

Unfortunately our transit system has been in steady decline for a number of years. We have seen this worsening problem at home while other cities have made serious investments in mass transit and they have already begun to reap big rewards. As a direct result of their efforts they have realized sustainable development, urban revitalization, an improved tax base, increased ridership, reduced congestion and much more. While these areas are seeing huge returns on their wise investments, some of our leaders have managed to make the subject into a partisan issue rather than one of common sense.

A recent report by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee spelled out many of the issues involved showing that between 2001 and 2007 in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, nearly 20% of total bus miles were reduced and at least 40,500 jobs became inaccessible by transit due to service cuts. The study also estimates that if current budgetary trends continue, at least 101,000 jobs now accessible by transit will become inaccessible - which is a disastrous outcome for the regional economy.

It seems increasingly clear that the public “gets it” on transit. It would be great if our politicians would finally follow their example. The 6-1 vote by the RTA on Monday was a very good start in that direction.