Milwaukee County Transit System bus drivers planned a so-called “Death March” Wednesday afternoon to show support for transit and to draw attention to proposed transit cuts that could leave 13,553 jobs inaccessible to public transit customers.
In a new report, proposed cuts to transit service in Milwaukee could affect carless residents of the Cream City. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, bus routes selected to be slashed in the Milwaukee County Transit System’s 2012 budget report could leave more than 13,500 jobs inaccessible to public transit. The statistic is part of an analysis assembled by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Center for Economic Development. Some of the cuts would affect bus service to a number of summer festivals and Milwaukee Brewers games.
The state legislator slashed transit money statewide for the 2011-2013 budget at the request of Governor Scott Walker. That equates to a $6.8 million cut for Milwaukee County alone. The transit system is already facing a $15 million budget deficit for next year. In light of the report, a number of lawmakers have voiced concern about more jobs being lost in a state that had 7.9 percent unemployment in August.