On eve of critical Common Council vote, supporters, opponents of proposed streetcar speak out

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Ahead of a critical Milwaukee Common Council vote Wednesday, January 21st on the proposed downtown streetcar, the talk in Milwaukee Tuesday centered around that project.

The discussion began during a gathering of Common Council members and a County Board supervisor, who are already exploring expanding the streetcar's service.

"There`s a system that can be developed. We`re saying we want this as a high priority -- to get something to the southside after if a line is built downtown," Alderman Terry Witkowski said.

CLICK HERE to view the streetcar expansion map

This group hopes Wednesday's Common Council vote will be rescheduled to give them more time to collect the necessary signatures -- but Mayor Barrett has a message for them:

"This debate`s been going on for four years. Let`s vote! We anticipate that some of the opponents will delay the vote using parliamentary tactics to just delay it.  My hope is they will just take the vote," Mayor Barrett said.

On Tuesday evening, Alderman Russell Stamper scheduled a community informational meeting at the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board on N. 27th Street. Mayor Barrett was on hand to provide an overview of the project -- and members of the public had an opportunity to speak out.

It was a meeting that, at times, went off the tracks. As folks gathered for a presentation about the proposed downtown streetcar project, there were questions answered -- but many more raised.

"There`s no concern for the inner city here at this meeting.  I`m tired of it," a resident said.

If approved by the Common Council, and if the opposition fails to get the issue to a referendum, the streetcar could be up and running by 2018.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the streetcar project.

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