WISPIRG’s High-Speed Rail Tour 2009

posted for Bruce Speight of WISPIRG

While many students head home, start their summer jobs, or begin long vacations, WISPIRG students spent their first full week of summer vacation travelling across the state to build support for high-speed rail in Wisconsin. We are happy to report it was a huge success! More than thirty students participated in the trip doing ten events from Green Bay to Milwaukee to Madison to La Crosse. Over the course of the week we had nearly 20 media outlets attend and met with 15 federal, state and local leaders at events in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Brookfield, Oconomowoc, Madison, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse. In order for the project to get built, it needs to be a priority for elected officials and the public. The students' trip created needed momentum for the project.

Building high-speed rail in Wisconsin would create jobs and rebuild our economy, improve our quality of life by providing viable alternatives to driving and flying to Chicago and the Twin Cities, and reduce our energy consumption, thereby reducing dependence on oil and global warming pollution. The time is right to connect our cities with high-speed rail.

Following are some highlights from the tour:

Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt kicks off the tour with students

Congressman Steve Kagen dons a T-shirt for a group photo in Appleton

UWM Student Natalie Mouilso talks to press in Milwaukee.

UW Madison student Devin Trezise speaks at the press conference in Oconomowoc.