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>Milwaukee could see expanded service to Chicago after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) received $72.8 million in federal funding that will be funneled toward boosting freight rail capacity. > >The funding will go to the Muskego Yard bypass project, which will upgrade and reconfigure routes to create less traffic between commuter and freight trains. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) announced the funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation this week. > >When completed, WisDOT said it will give the railway the ability to increase service to eight daily round trips between Milwaukee and Chicago. Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service currently runs seven daily trips between the cities. > >"Along with the completion of the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station project in 2026, WisDOT will be able to implement eight daily round trips between Milwaukee and Chicago, allowing more customers to use this high-demand corridor," WisDOT said in a statement provided to the Milwaukee Business Journal. > >Upgrading the railway and creating a two-track mainline would allow freight trains to bypass the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. This would minimize passenger delays and free up track capacity, a news release says. > >Additionally, funding would go toward replacing or rehabilitating approximately five bridges along the Milwaukee-to-Chicago route. > >“In many ways, the future of rail in Wisconsin hinges on a successful Muskego Yard bypass project,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said in the release. “We’re thrilled to receive this pivotal funding that will significantly reshape our rail infrastructure plans in the coming years.” > >Funding will come from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, which invests in railway projects around the country.

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>We know who Brett Favre and Buzz Aldrin will vote for on November 5. We know who Liz Cheney and Cardi B will vote for on November 5. But who will Milwaukee’s homegrown power-walking and oft-shirtless superhero, the Milverine, vote for on November 5? > >According to his Instagram account, Milverine is voting for Kamala Harris. > >“Princess and me both endorse this message,” reads the caption to a Thursday night post of a pro-Harris sidewalk stencil. (Princess is Milverine’s dog.)

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>As part of the America Amplified project, WPR is among dozens of public radio stations reaching out directly to voters and answering their questions. > >Some voters had questions about how elections are run in Wisconsin and what measures are in place to ensure election security. > >The following answers are compiled from sources including the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin laws and interviews with current and former Wisconsin clerks.

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>For a year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has operated without a leader at the helm, and some former agency heads say Gov. Tony Evers may be waiting to see whether the election changes prospects for state Senate confirmation of his next appointee. > >It’s the longest the agency has been without a DNR secretary in more than two decades, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. Former DNR Secretary George Meyer said he can’t recall any significant gap in the office in more than 50 years. > >“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Meyer said. > >Meyer was the last secretary appointed by the Natural Resources Board before former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and the Legislature stripped the board of that power in 1995. Meyer served as DNR secretary from 1993 until 2002, and Thompson reappointed him to the position in 1998. > >Meyer said the year-long vacancy is at the heart of a political battle between the Democratic governor and the Republican-controlled Senate, which has rejected 21 Evers’ appointees. They include eight appointees fired last fall, as well as Evers’ appointee to the Public Service Commission in January. > >“Hopefully, something will break after the election if the governor feels he needs a different legislature to work with,” Meyer said.

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>It will be easy to roll up to your polling place in Milwaukee on election day. > >Dockless electric scooter provider Lime and bike-sharing nonprofit Bublr Bikes will both provide free rides on Nov. 5. > >It’s part of a longstanding practice from both entities. Lime reports having provided more than 90,000 free or “low-cost” rides on election days in more than 12 countries. Bublr has made free rides available for several years on election day. > >Lime riders will be able to get up to two free rides to or from a polling police by using the code “VOTE2024” in the Lime smartphone application. The offer is already in effect to promote early voting. > >Because Bublr operates a dock-based system, its free rides are a bit more wide open. The first 30 minutes of any ride are free on election day. Individuals can take advantage of the offer by downloading the BCycle app, creating a Bublr Bikes account and checking out a bike. Those with questions can call 414-931-1121. The free rides are sponsored by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. > >“As a community-supported bikeshare, we believe it’s our responsibility to offer free rides to the polls for residents of greater Milwaukee. Having access to a vehicle should not be a factor in casting your ballot; we hope Bublr Bikes can alleviate that burden,” said Bublr Bikes Executive Director Laura Bolger.

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>Early in his construction career, Ryan Olson was on a site near Minneapolis. An old farmhouse stood in the path of the crew’s project. He took the controls of a 40-ton excavator. A couple swings of the bucket later, it was game over for the farmhouse, and game on for Olson’s new career path. > >“It kind of piqued my curiosity and my interest in wrecking things,” he says. “I got my first opportunity to destroy something with a medium-sized piece of equipment, and I was hooked.” > >Fast forward 26 years and Olson has the impressive title of senior director of demolition, operations and business development for Veit, a 96-year-old Minnesota company. In recent years Veit has expanded operations to Wisconsin and become the go-to as Milwaukee’s appetite for destruction has grown. > >These are no humdrum buildings but places that formed core memories for legions of Milwaukeeans: the Bradley Center, former home of the Bucks; McCormick Hall, the beer-can shaped dormitory at Marquette; two towers that formed part of Northwestern Mutual’s Downtown campus; and many others.  > >Next on its hit list: the rotting carcass of Northridge Mall. Veit in June won a contract to raze the sprawling complex for $10.7 million. It comes as the city took ownership of the property after decades of legal wrangling following the mall’s closure in 2003. Since then, it’s sat empty and unused, a magnet for graffiti artists, drugged-out temporary residents and critters.  > >The Northridge project shows the company’s work isn’t always flashy. The main task will come with months and months of preparation, including clearing out asbestos and other nasty leftovers.

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>The Universities of Wisconsin system is getting ready to launch its search for a new chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as Mark Mone prepares to step down from his role next year. > >Board of Regents President Amy Bogost said at the board's Sept. 26 meeting that members of a search and screen committee to identify Mone’s successor are expected to be announced in early to mid-October. The Milwaukee Business Journal reached out to the UW System for additional information; no further details regarding the committee were provided. > >The composition of the committee is one of the early steps in the UW System’s search for a chancellor. > >The committee will include at least three regents who are part of a special regent committee in charge of the selection process for a replacement, as well as five non-regent members who must include at least two faculty representatives, one staff representative from the institution, one student and one community and/or alumni member. > >One of the regents will serve as chair of the committee, and one of the faculty members will be selected as the committee vice chair. > >The search and screen committee is responsible for conducting interviews of semifinalists before the special regent committee determines the finalists who will be invited to continue in the selection process. > >Mone plans to step down from his role effective July 1, 2025. He will return to his professorship with the school’s Lubar College of Business at that time. He took over the position in December 2014 following the departure of the late Michael Lovell, who became the president at Marquette University. > >Mone is the ninth chancellor in UWM’s 68-year history.

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>A critical section of the Oak Leaf Trail running along the Root River Line has been temporarily closed. > >The trail runs underneath Highway 100 in Wauwatosa, offering bicyclists and pedestrians a safe crossing underneath the six-lane state trunk highway. > >Milwaukee County Parks closed the trail under Highway 100 to perform maintenance on a bridge, but the closure was recently extended into the “foreseeable future” as engineering crews “inspect and repair structural concerns” along the bridge. > >There’s a metal cover over the bridge, but Parks doesn’t want Oak Leaf Trail users crossing the bridge right now “out of an abundance of caution,” Peter Bratt, director of skilled trades and operations told Urban Milwaukee. > >Parks has suggested a detour on its interactive Oak Leaf Trail map, with trail users crossing Highway 100 along W. Watertown Plank Road. > >The Root River Line, which is now cut off at Highway 100, runs north and south through the southwestern quarter of the county. It offers connections to other sections of the more than 135-mile trail network.

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>Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park has partnered with Two Birds Event Group to operate its new 300-person Prairie Springs on Park event hall, 1420 E. Park Pl., that’s part of the $8.2 million Riverland Project. > >You can read more about the project, including an in-depth look at the history of the cream city brick former industrial building that is being renovated into the hall, in this Urban Spelunking article. > >“We are thrilled to partner with Two Birds to bring the Urban Ecology Center's vision for Prairie Springs on Park to life in the spring of 2025,” says UEC Executive Director Jen Hense. > >“We admire Ramsey (Renno), Tyler (Curran) and their team's approach to creating memorable spaces and events across Milwaukee and look forward to working together." > >Two Birds operates The Ivy House, The Starling and The Society venues as well as a number of events-related businesses. It recently announced another riverside events space called The Rivulet.

From the Article:

>The first indoor pickleball facility in the city of South Milwaukee's could open in October after the Common Council approved the transformation of a former team soccer venue. > >The plan to bring the $2.5 million Premier Pickleball Center to 305 N. Chicago Ave. will come after conditions imposed by the Common Council have been met, according to Patrick Brever, city administrator for South Milwaukee. > >"I think the applicant has expressed agreement and understanding of the conditions imposed by our Plan Commission and Common Council. The applicant has what they need to move forward in order to open," Brever said. > >Franklin businessman Guriqbal Sra owns the property. R.H. Chou & Associates will serve as the architect and designer for the project. > >The facility has been planned to feature 12 pickleball courts inside the 40,000-square-foot space. The building would also include an event space, a 100-seat restaurant opened daily and a 10-piece gym and locker rooms, according to city documents. > >Brever said the city has been told that the facility will open in October to capture high interest in the indoor pickleball season with the aim to open a third-party restaurant with a supper club concept within the facility by Nov. 1.

From the Article:

>Changes could be coming soon to more than one White House. > >Milwaukee’s own White House, located at 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., is on the market. > >The 4,800-square-foot building has been a presence in Bay View for more than 130 years. Now, owner and proprietor Allison Meinhardt is seeking a new leader to take the helm. The property is listed for $1.6 million. > >That price tag includes all commercial restaurant equipment on the premises, including a walk-in cooler, stove, 50 antique chairs, antique sofas, glassware and more, according to the listing. > >The development comes less than a year after Meinhardt announced significant changes to the venue, which transitioned to hosting events exclusively in early 2024. The move also brought changes to The White House’s eponymous restaurant, which was remodeled and replaced by SAGE, a modern American concept, in February. > >The restaurant, opened in partnership with Alexander Stewart, emphasizes vegetable-forward dishes made with seasonal ingredients and colorful presentation. As of Friday afternoon, SAGE had not announced any upcoming changes to its operation.

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>Three of the state’s major utilities are planning to spend almost $2 billion on five renewable energy projects as part of their plans to cut carbon emissions and shift to clean energy. > >We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service and Madison Gas and Electric filed plans with the Public Service Commission to acquire and build facilities that would cost around $1.9 billion combined. The five projects are expected to power about 250,000 homes. They include 500 megawatts of solar, around 180 megawatts of wind and 100 megawatts of battery storage. The wind and solar facilities are being built by developers Invenergy and Qcells USA. They include the Dawn Harvest Solar Energy Center in Rock County, Saratoga Solar Energy Center in Wood County, Ursa Solar Park in Columbia County, Badger Hollow Wind Farm in Iowa and Grant counties and the Whitetail Wind Farm in Grant County. > >“As we close our older, less efficient fossil fuel plants, we’re replacing that with clean energy, and these projects are going to be an important part of doing that,” We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said. > >We Energies would own 80 percent of the projects. WPS and MGE would each own 10 percent. > >We Energies and WPS, which are owned by WEC Energy Group, plan to invest nearly $8 billion in renewable energy, natural gas projects and storage in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee-based company said it’s part of a larger plan to save customers more than $2 billion over the next two decades.

From the Article:

>Milwaukee’s streetcar system, The Hop, recorded 49,573 rides in August 2024. That works out to an average of 1,599 rides per day. August 2024 ridership was up slightly from August 2023, when 47,552 rides were recorded. > >The Hop recorded 63,383 trips in July 2024—the highest monthly ridership of the year. That number was down slightly from previous Julys, however, thanks to low ridership during the Republican National Convention. > >Prepare to argue.

From the Article:

>Remember when Milwaukee pizza stalwart Pizza Man left its 10-year Downer Avenue home in March 2023? Remember when it then moved to the former Stubby’s Gastrogrub space on Humboldt Avenue/Boulevard? Remember when that location closed after only one year? Remember when it was then revealed that Pizza Man was coming back to its old location on Downer Avenue? Weird! > >Anyway, Pizza Man’s “back-to-Downer” story is nearly complete. According to signs posted on the business’ windows, a grand opening is set for Friday, September 27. That’s tomorrow! > >“Our remodeled space is almost ready, and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store!” reads a social media post from three days ago. “Stay tuned for a sneak peek of the new Pizza Man Downer look—it’s going to be better than ever!” > >So there you go! Pizza Man is opening on Downer! Again! Under new ownership, apparently, so, um, let’s hope it lasts more than a year? (Pizza Man’s Wauwatosa location remains open.)

From the Article:

>The Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program (WIVIP) announced on Monday, Sept. 30 a new vehicle emission testing program. It features kiosks which motorists can use to conduct the testing themselves. > >A news release says the two self-service kiosks have been installed at the new test-only facilities located at 8718 W. Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee and 9300 S. 27th Street in Oak Creek. Vehicles with a model year of 2007 and newer will be able to test at the WIVIP Self-Service Kiosks. > >Officials said the launch of self-service kiosks is part of a larger initiative from the Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program to expand emission testing services throughout the seven-county southeast Wisconsin region.

From the Article:

>Kwik Trip plans to start the rollout of the first of its 24 planned electric vehicle charging stations, with the initial two slated to open in October. > >The first two are under construction in the Wisconsin communities of Ashland and Salem, with two others planned later in 2024. The majority of the stations will be built in 2025, according to Ben Leibl, public relations specialist for the convenience store chain. > >The state of Wisconsin previously allocated $23.3 million in funds it received under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program to offset the costs of installing 53 electric vehicle charging stations in the state. > >Those stations are expected to cost $33.8 million in aggregate. The remaining $10.5 million is to come from private financing. > >La Crosse-based Kwik Trip will open 24 of the 53 EV charging stations planned for Wisconsin, the most of any single entity among the hotels, restaurants and fuel retailers that are part of the project. > >The Kwik Trip program will provide direct current fast chargers (DCFCs) for customers. It will include connectors for both Combined Charging System (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS), "allowing drivers of almost any electric vehicle to charge at a safe, clean and staffed 24/7 location," Kwik Trip said in a Monday news release. > >According to the retailer, the chargers will offer a minimum of 150kW of power per dispenser when four vehicles are plugged in, or up to 400kW of power for a single vehicle. > >"These rates depend on a variety of factors when the vehicle pulls up, but Kwik Trip is excited to be able to offer some of the fastest chargers in the market, furthering their commitment to quality guest service," the company said. > >Customers will also be able to view charger availability, pricing and where chargers are through a standalone mobile application.

From the Article:

>One of the great local losses of recent years is the loss of the Milwaukee PBS Great TV Auction. A hypnotically watchable and delightfully homegrown staple since 1969, the Great TV Auction was put out to pasture by Milwaukee PBS in 2019. No more overbids. No more table captains. No more handsomely framed photos of Brett Favre and Bart Starr. Boo. > >Happily, old auctions in all their live-local-TV glory can be found on YouTube. One recently caught our eye: Behold, a Great TV Auction from 1987, featuring the usual assortment of donated goodies (Summerfest stuff, Wisconsin Dells stuff, a handsomely framed photo of Gorman Thomas and Pete Vuckovich), plus a Waukesha “dream home”!

From the Article:

>A complaint filed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission says a town in Rusk County is breaking the law by refusing to make voting machines available to voters with disabilities. Despite a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice, the town allegedly conducted the August primary election using only hand-counted, paper ballots. > >The complaint filed by Disability Rights Wisconsin says the Town of Thornapple violated the federal Help America Vote Act by not making electronic voting machines available to people with disabilities during the April and August primaries. “By ceasing to use electronic voting equipment and, instead, exclusively using paper ballots completed and tabulated by hand, Respondents are no longer using voting systems that are accessible for individuals with disabilities in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation (including privacy and independence) as for other voters,” the complaint said. > >Disability Rights Wisconsin is asking the Wisconsin Elections Commission to order Thornapple to make accessible voting machines. DRW Director of Legal and Advocacy Services Kit Kerschensteiner told WPR the goal is to ensure all town residents are able to cast private ballots in the November presidential election. She said voting machines were used without issue in Thornapple before April. > >“This is not the situation of a machine that just isn’t functioning that day at the polling place,” Kerschensteiner said. “This is a place that has chosen specifically, knowing that they were disenfranchising individuals with disabilities, and choosing to go ahead and do that, which we find to be unacceptable.”

From the Article:

>Two Wisconsinites have died and a third has been hospitalized because of West Nile virus, according to state health officials. > >On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported the state’s first three cases of the mosquito-borne illness this year. > >West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot be passed from person to person. The state sees an average of 18 cases annually, with cases usually peaking in August or September. > >DHS epidemiologist Rebecca Osborn said on a call with reporters that Wisconsin has seen cases of West Nile virus every year since it was discovered in the state in 2002. She said the location of cases each year is “quite sporadic.” > >“It’s an unpredictable disease at times,” Osborn said. “We can have as few as one or two cases in a given year, and we can have as many as 52 cases, I think was our record. So there’s this sort of ebb and flow.” > >Osborn told reporters around 80 percent of people who are infected with the virus don’t have symptoms. People who do become ill typically develop a fever and experience symptoms similar to influenza, like headache and body aches.

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>A coalition of local officials and business leaders gathered at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Friday to stump for federal funding for a new international terminal. > >Airport officials have been working on a new international terminal project for years, initially securing funding in 2017. But the project was paused when the COVID-19 pandemic devastated air travel, and the ensuing inflationary pressures pushed the estimated project cost beyond the previously secured funding award. The estimated cost was approximately $53 million in 2017. Now that number is closer to $80 million, said Airport Director Brian Dranzik. > >The airport and Milwaukee County are working with federal officials and powerful local business interests to revive the project with federal funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The airport has applied for a competitive grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that could help close the approximately $30 million budget gap, Dranzik said at a press conference Friday. > >The project is expected to boost travel in and out of Milwaukee Mitchell, leading to more flight options for leisure and business travelers alike; and boosting the local economy through increased tourism and efficiency for local companies doing business internationally. > >“The real message that we want folks to understand is that in order to redevelop this particular concourse, Concourse E, it’s going to take the federal funds to do it,” County Executive David Crowley said. The county’s already troubling financial position has worsened over the past year, as a confluence of factors — including poor sales tax returns — have widened budget gaps in this year and next. > >If funding is secured, the airport will redevelop Concourse E, shuttered in 2017, into a new two-gate facility for both domestic and international travel. The current international terminal is small, outdated and disconnected from the airport’s main building complex, presenting logistical challenges for international travelers and airlines alike. It was built in 1975 and has a capacity of 140 passengers, which is lower than the 200-person capacity of larger Boeing 767 and 787 aircraft used for long flights.