"Let's get people to those jobs:" Proposal aims to create bus route between Milwaukee and Mount Pleasant Foxconn plant

NOW: “Let’s get people to those jobs:“ Proposal aims to create bus route between Milwaukee and Mount Pleasant Foxconn plant
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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee County has a lot of transportation questions to answer in the coming years, including how to get local workers to Racine County and the new Foxconn plant.

Board members addressed those issues on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, there's been little said about what Milwaukee would do to connect those jobs," said Supv. Theodore Lipscomb, Chairman, Milwaukee County Board.

On Wednesday, Lipscomb presented a proposal for a new bus route. It would take Milwaukee residents to and from work at the Mount Pleasant Foxconn plant. The preliminary presentation was an attempt to lay the groundwork for a plan that Racine and Milwaukee counties could work on together.

The proposed route fits right in with Vision 2050 - a plan by the southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to modernize local and public transit, utilizing things like a new rapid transit system, possibly even commuter trains.

"We're still analyzing the larger impacts for the rest of the region, we haven't officially amended 2050 to include Foxconn."

Another potential big change to the transit system, electric busses for MCTS.

"Over the 12 year life of the bus, there's an opportunity to save $450,000 in diesel fuel," said Lauren Cochran with Proterra.

 Before the new bus route can become a reality, the idea needs support from both Milwaukee and Racine County as well as the state.

The next step is securing more funding to make it happen.

The electric bus manufacturer is working up a cost analysis  to send over to Milwaukee for consideration by MCTS and the board. 

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