Foxconn bus line would link workers to jobs
There are good reasons to be optimistic that Foxconn will be a catalyst for better coordination between transit systems and help us close service gaps in southeastern Wisconsin. The debate is well underway: The idea of a Regional Transit Authority has resurfaced, as have other ideas including commuter rail, vans, ride-hailing and bus lines.
We can make real progress to connect workers to jobs simply by launching a new bus route that links Milwaukee and Racine to the soon-to-be-built Foxconn complex in Mt. Pleasant. We should start on this project right now.
At my request, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission has completed a preliminary analysis of the concept, and the results show a tremendous opportunity.
Despite consensus that a regional approach to transit would boost local economies, efforts to integrate transportation systems have been gridlocked for decades. But a bus route to Foxconn is viable without any new taxes and could potentially jump-start a new era of cooperation on what has historically been a divisive issue.
The scale and pace of the Foxconn project means we have to find solutions to the “jobs gap” problem — the challenge of connecting workers to jobs, especially those without their own vehicle. With the massive project expected to employ up to 1,000 workers by the end of the year, and possibly 13,000 within five years, we can’t wait.
Fortunately, given the unique nature of the Foxconn project, state and local leaders are acutely aware of the need to adjust how governments work together. Planning is moving swiftly to bridge a jobs gap that is suddenly much wider than before, and to recruit and train future employees.
If history is any guide, funding challenges or an unwillingness to cooperate could delay action. That’s why I’ve proposed that Milwaukee County, Racine County, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation jointly agree to a new bus route from Milwaukee and Racine to Foxconn using newly available resources.
The two counties and the former state Department of Commerce came together in 2003 to jointly support Midwest Airlines. Milwaukee County recently completed the sale of Midwest’s assets, which were used as collateral to secure that financial backing. That leaves a little more than $4.5 million available to us after paying off creditors and expenses.
I invite Racine and the WEDC to be partners with Milwaukee and create a new bus route serving Foxconn, which could be expanded in the future. While we could divvy up the $4.5 million into our own general funds, that would forgo an opportunity to capitalize on this massive investment.
A dedicated bus line that connects hundreds of workers in Milwaukee and Racine to jobs at Foxconn would be a major step forward to address the jobs gap. And our effort could inspire more collaboration as we look for ways to connect workers to jobs and confront southeastern Wisconsin’s transportation challenges.