Evers offsets state cuts with $25M for Milwaukee, Madison transit
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday he is giving an additional $25 million in federal funding to the state’s two largest transit systems after Republican lawmakers this summer sought to limit how much their budgets would grow.
Evers is providing Milwaukee County with $19.7 million and Madison with $5.2 million. Evers is using federal funds provided under the American Rescue Plan that Congress passed this year.
Separate from Evers’ action, Congress has already given large increases to transit systems across the country to help them deal with the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of that effort, Milwaukee County is receiving more than $215 million and Madison about $70 million.
In response to those increases, Republicans
who control the Legislature this summer cut state funding for Milwaukee County and Madison by about $40 million over two years.
The state and federal action resulted in the two transit systems receiving big increases in their budgets, but not ones as large as they would have been if state lawmakers had kept state funding at past levels.
Monday’s announcement means they’ll get $25 million on top of the other increases.
While Republican lawmakers reduced state funding for Milwaukee County and Madison, they did not make cuts to other transit systems, like those in Green Bay and Appleton.
“For our most urban centers to be targeted by Republican cuts during the last budget was a slap in the face to the disproportionate number of Wisconsinites in those communities who depend on public transit to get to school, work, doctor’s appointments – you name it,” Evers said in a statement.