Southeastern RTA back in action

By Sean Ryan

The regional transit authority charged with overseeing the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail project will get back on track with a meeting on Monday.

The authority was first created in 2005, but it has been on hiatus since September. The legislation that approved the board in 2005 had a Sept. 1, 2009, sunset date.

But the state biennial budget revived the authority and its ability to levy a fee on car rentals within Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties to pay for planning the KRM project.

The proposed $207.5 million KRM project would create a commuter rail line from Milwaukee to Kenosha.

The authority collected $2.7 million through the rental fee between October, when the fee was first levied, and September. The board during that time has spent $1.2 million surveying area residents about the project, spreading information about KRM planning and lobbying elected officials.

The reformed nine-member RTA board will meet on Monday morning to discuss its budget, future plans for the KRM project and Gov. Jim Doyle‘s proposal to let governments in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties form local RTAs with the ability to levy new taxes to pay for transit projects.