BLS53 Trying to figure out why the well heeled Lake Forest residents need to go to Milwaukee. Perhaps they use the airport as an O'Hare alternative. Doesn't Amtrak have a station there?
Trying to figure out why the well heeled Lake Forest residents need to go to Milwaukee. Perhaps they use the airport as an O'Hare alternative. Doesn't Amtrak have a station there?
In 2017, Mitchell traffic was down 14.1% to 5,806,369. The airport stop saw ridership in 2017 of 164,054 passengers.
Kevin C. SmithI take the Hiawatha a could of times a year, and the airport stop is always busy. I can almost see the day it eclipses Milwaukee Union in passenger counts. I think it would have been much busier, still, if the Madison extension hadn't been torpedoed. I think the ease of access would have made Mitchell Field a strong alternative to O'Hare for many people. I saw the streetcar tracks when I passed through in early December! Yet another project that has been obtructed politically, though fortunately not killed. The phenomenon of the modern urban renaissance has finally come to Milwuakee, and the streetcar (even in its truncated form for now) will fit in well with that. Extending the system can't come too soon!
I grew up in Milwaukee and suburbs. Have taken the Airport stop on a number of occasisons and have been the ONLY rider on the bus shuttle to the Airport, most of the rest are park and ride folks from the local area. In my view it is really not used as an Airport stop. MN DOT undertook a study of Amtrak and Milwaukee ridership in general and found that 1/3 of Milwaukee ridership is at the downtown station, another 1/3 would be from the South Side (airport station) and most of all Amtrak would realize an addition 1/3 boost if it opened a station West of Milwaukee in the suburb of Pewaukee (next to WCTC where Highway 16 crosses the Milwaukee Road tracks......was the location they looked at). It's urban sprawl and what people consider a convienent location for a station (note how Amtrak handles the stations around Detroit area.....Western suburbs and Northern Suburbs included).
Anyways on the trolley or light rail.......blame Henry Meier for blocking most of this as well as blocking and reacting cynically to the Milwaukee Road attempting to preserve commutte service to the Western Suburbs of Milwaukee around Amtrak formation time. Meier was a real jerk when it came to transportation. All he wanted was the Interstate and an express bus system (with park and ride lots), everything else was a waste of money. He wrote numerous Op-Ed pieces in the Milwaukee Journal campaigning against the rail option as too expensive for Milwaukee and an idea pushed by wealthy "elites".
It wasn't until Mayor Norquist that Meier's ideas were thrown in the trash. Mayor Norquist pushed hard for additional Amtrak Chicago-Milwaukee frequencies (got them), pushed Amtrak management hard for not assigning junk equipment on the Chicago to Milwaukee run (won that argument with Amtrak as well) and Norquist championed for light rail and thats really when the idea started to take hold of a trolley. Milwaukee's current Mayor is also a champion for Amtrak and the trolley system.
CMStPnPAmtrak has a station at the Milwaukee Airport and now it is heavily utilized by South Side residents of Milwaukee but I am pretty sure the Lake Forest folks are either traveling to Milwaukee or Chicago vs the Airport for a final destination. Very few of the riders that detrain at the Airport station are even riding the shuttle to the airport, maybe 1-3 per train. The rest are using the stop because it is more convienent to their home.......which hasn't escaped the notice of Minnesota which wants a West Milwaukee stop in Pewaukee or Brookfield somewhere if they start up a second Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul train. If you haven't been to Milwaukee within the last few years, suggest a visit. A lot has changed within walking distance of the Amtrak Depot with a lot more development to come that is on the books. I was just there a few days ago and they finally have laid the new trolley tracks in front of the Amtrak Depot for the soon to be trolley system being developed for downtown access.
If you haven't been to Milwaukee within the last few years, suggest a visit. A lot has changed within walking distance of the Amtrak Depot with a lot more development to come that is on the books. I was just there a few days ago and they finally have laid the new trolley tracks in front of the Amtrak Depot for the soon to be trolley system being developed for downtown access.
I take the Hiawatha a could of times a year, and the airport stop is always busy. I can almost see the day it eclipses Milwaukee Union in passenger counts. I think it would have been much busier, still, if the Madison extension hadn't been torpedoed. I think the ease of access would have made Mitchell Field a strong alternative to O'Hare for many people.I saw the streetcar tracks when I passed through in early December! Yet another project that has been obtructed politically, though fortunately not killed. The phenomenon of the modern urban renaissance has finally come to Milwuakee, and the streetcar (even in its truncated form for now) will fit in well with that. Extending the system can't come too soon!
BLS53Trying to figure out why the well heeled Lake Forest residents need to go to Milwaukee. Perhaps they use the airport as an O'Hare alternative. Doesn't Amtrak have a station there?
Amtrak has a station at the Milwaukee Airport and now it is heavily utilized by South Side residents of Milwaukee but I am pretty sure the Lake Forest folks are either traveling to Milwaukee or Chicago vs the Airport for a final destination. Very few of the riders that detrain at the Airport station are even riding the shuttle to the airport, maybe 1-3 per train. The rest are using the stop because it is more convienent to their home.......which hasn't escaped the notice of Minnesota which wants a West Milwaukee stop in Pewaukee or Brookfield somewhere if they start up a second Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul train.
CSSHEGEWISCH I can't see Amtrak getting too excited about a stop at Lake Forest since it isn't that far from the existing Glenview stop. It also appears that the insistence on that passing track may kill the proposal.
I can't see Amtrak getting too excited about a stop at Lake Forest since it isn't that far from the existing Glenview stop. It also appears that the insistence on that passing track may kill the proposal.
They project 44,000 additional yearly riders but I don't think another stop is such a wise idea, I think they should work on improving speed and reducing delays.
Can't find the link anymore in the Trains News Wire stories but interesting article. So Lake Forest wants Amtrak trains to stop at their depot and both IL-DOT and WI-DOT want $150 million for the stop which includes a new 2 to 2.5 mile long third track.......I would guess for CP Freight Trains. I wonder how far this will go, the author of the article saw the price tag and guessed Lake Forest would back away due to the cost. In addition to the third track, Amtrak is insisting on a tunnel under the tracks so that the track platforms can be accessed while trains are in the station and or transiting through the station area.
I don't know though. $150 million for Lake Forest is probably pocket change.
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