MARK Rail Commission
The Cities of Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, Wis., have executed an intergovernmental agreement to form the MARK Rail Commission, according to WDTD, an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio.
The Commission will be made up of nine members (each city will appoint three), the media outlet reported Nov. 30. It will guide ongoing work to establish a MARK passenger rail line, and succeed an advisory Steering Committee, initially made up of representatives from the Cities of Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha; the Wisconsin Department of Transportation; and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. That committee has directed a study now under way to explore the reintroduction of passenger rail service on existing lines connecting Racine, Kenosha, and other communities along Lake Michigan to the larger Milwaukee-Chicago region.
The City of Racine received $5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending and is using part of that funding to complete the MARK Rail Study. According to the study website, Racine has contracted with a consulting team led by DB E.C.O. North America and including Kimley-Horn; the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission is assisting, and the City has hired AECOM to analyze the potential for transit‑oriented development.
Goals of the MARK Rail Study are to examine potential service options that would complement, and not compete with, Amtrak’s Hiawatha service and to pursue Federal Railroad Administration Corridor ID program funding, according to the study website. Amtrak’s Hiawatha service provides daily trips between downtown Milwaukee and downtown Chicago on tracks largely owned by Canadian Pacific Kansa City and Chicago’s Metra commuter railroad, with limited stops between the two cities. The Hiawatha route is located inland, and, as a result, the Hiawatha does not directly serve the major population centers located along Lake Michigan, including the Cities of Racine, Kenosha, and others in Southeastern Wisconsin, as well as Chicago’s North Shore communities. MARK Rail would differ from the Hiawatha by directly serving Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and communities in between on existing tracks and right-of-way owned by Union Pacific and CPKC, which are east of the tracks used by the Hiawatha. According to the study website, potential service options could include:
- “Local and/or regional service with multiple intermediate stops operating between Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha.
- “Regional and/or intercity service with fewer intermediate stops (but more than Amtrak’s Hiawatha service) operating between Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and Chicago.
- “A combination of local, regional, and/or intercity service.”
According to the website, the study will evaluate the need for potential improvements, such as upgrading the track to allow for higher speeds and adding sections of double track where only a single track currently exists. The study will also evaluate and identify suitable locations for new stations and train layover/maintenance facilities.
RTD
RTD riders can now tap a contactless credit or debit card, or use a mobile wallet, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, to pay their fare on any RTD light rail, commuter rail, or bus service with no physical ticket or reloading required, Masabi reported Nov. 25. With this launch, RTD’s complete digital fare payment ecosystem now runs on Masabi’s Justride platform, which powers “mobile ticketing, Account-Based Ticketing and Open Payments within a single, cloud-native platform,” according to the supplier, which has partnered with RTD since 2017.
“The Open Payments feature introduces fare capping and account linking across the network, ensuring passengers always get the best possible fare when tapping their contactless card,” Masabi said. “Riders and visitors alike can simply pay when boarding RTD services with the payment card they already have in their pocket, benefiting from daily and monthly fare caps that make using Denver’s transit network affordable and effortless. Regular riders can review their payments history online and associate concessions with the contactless card they tap to ride.”
The Open Payments launch is said to build on the RTD fare system that already supports MyRide smartcards and mobile ticketing via the MyRide app.
“The introduction of Tap-n-Ride provides an experience that is easy to navigate, equitable, and accessible for everyone who relies on RTD,” RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson said. “This new fare payment option is focused on removing barriers and offering customers a seamless, straightforward experience where they can simply tap and ride. With fare capping available, customers can feel confident they’re always getting the best fare on each and every trip.”
“By extending the [RTD Fare Payments-as-a-Service] platform [from Masabi] to include Open Payments and account linking, we’re making transit easier and more secure for everyone, whether they’re daily commuters or visitors exploring Denver,” Masabi CEO Brian Zanghi noted.
Separately, RTD recently launched a near-term plan to enhance the customer experience and increase transit utilization and released its third-quarter financial results.
