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Thursday, April 27, 2006 Earnestine Moss of Fitchburg wondered Wednesday night how a Madison commuter rail system would benefit low-income people. "Who's going to pay for this?" she asked officials at a Monona Terrace public hearing. "If we can't afford to ride the bus, how can we afford to ride the train? It seems to me we're going to be catering to the haves, not the have-nots." Moss was among area residents reacting to the kickoff of the second phase of a Transport 2020 study for a more than $200 million commuter rail line between Middleton and East Towne Mall. The study will culminate in a draft environmental impact statement and a federal grant application. A separate study backed by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is looking at the feasibility of streetcars that could be used Downtown and for shorter trips. Ted Voth Jr. of Madison said he wondered how the city could afford a rail system when it has difficulty paying for Madison Metro bus service. "We can't finance an adequate Metro (service) as it is," he said. "These Metro cuts are hurting nobody but people who really need buses." Madison Ald. Ken Golden, co-chairman of the Transport 2020 Implementation Task Force, said fuel costs and other factors cause changes in Madison Metro routes. "Under no circumstances do we expect that the addition of a rail system will reduce service on Madison Metro," he said. "It will change routes." Suburban officials urged officials not to ignore them when it comes to rail service. "I think it's real important that the study doesn't just look east and west, but we also look south," said Fitchburg Mayor Tom Clauder, adding that a viable rail line runs through his city to Janesville. Mark Opitz, Middleton city planner and a Dane County supervisor, said Middleton has long had an interest in passenger rail service and built a spur to connect future service to Greenway Station, which would be the western end of the starter route under the current plan. Some speakers expressed support for streetcars while others raised concerns. Bob Holloway of Madison said sharing a lane for bicycles and streetcar tracks would be very dangerous for bicyclists. Gari Berliot of Madison said Madison's winter snow and ice might not be hospitable to a streetcar system.
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