Committee recommends denying license application for Milwaukee Intermodal Station parking lot
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Licenses Committee on Tuesday recommended denying the parking lot renewal application for the Intermodal Station parking lot on St. Paul Avenue, according to a news release from Alderman Robert Bauman.
The release says the parking lot has experienced more than a dozen reported vehicle break-ins and thefts within the last year, and committee members suggested the number may be higher.
Ald. Bauman called the committee's action "necessary and warranted."
“This particular parking lot, along with the Intermodal station, is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. It is a gateway to Milwaukee for hundreds of thousands of rail and intercity bus passengers annually," Ald. Bauman said. "WisDOT needs to make the necessary investments for enhanced security, 24/7 monitoring and other upgrades to ensure that rail and intercity bus passengers can feel confident their personal vehicles will still be there undamaged, when they return from their trip. There have been problems with security at this parking lot for several years."
"The lot operator testified today that the property owner (WisDOT) has been and remains unwilling to spend the necessary funds to provide the peace-of-mind the traveling public deserves. WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson needs to step up.”
The Department of Transportation pushed back in a statement it sent Tuesday evening. It pointed to a private company called Milwaukee Intermodal Partners, with whom WisDOT contracted to manage the property -- both the station and the parking lot.
WisDOT said it responded to initial security concerns by upgrading outdoor lighting around both the station and the lot.
The DOT statement said it also pushed to have Milwaukee Intermodal Partners add a second security guard. WisDOT said when the private contractor declined to hire another security guard, it chose to pay for that second guard.
"WisDOT stepped up and is funding a second security guard to increase security for the entire property, including the passenger parking lot," the statement said. "The Department believes we’ve acted in good faith with the lessee to address issues as they arise and will continue to do so."
The file will go before the full Common Council for final action on Tuesday, June 20.