Milwaukee News
City Opens Bidding to Lead Milwaukee Streetcar Construction Project
Service for the initial downtown Milwaukee street car route is expected to begin in the fall of 2018.
1:13 p.m.
By Mary Spicuzza of the Journal Sentinel
The city has opened bidding for companies hoping to oversee the Milwaukee streetcar project.
Contractors have until June 1 to submit proposals to lead the project, which would involve serving as construction manager and general contractor for the 2.5-mile downtown streetcar route and lakefront loop.
The winning company will oversee all the construction activities for the first phase of the streetcar project. That will include installing the track, building the overhead contact system, and handling all necessary civil and road work for streetcar stops and the operations and maintenance facility.
City officials say construction for this phase of the streetcar and the maintenance facility will begin in late summer or early fall, and will continue until 2018.
The first streetcar, which is being built by Brookville Equipment Corp., is scheduled to arrive in Milwaukee in December 2017. The $18.6 million contract calls for Brookville to initially build four cars, but the company may be tapped to make a fifth vehicle for the lakefront line in the near future. City officials say the company could eventually manufacture as many as 24 vehicles for Milwaukee.
Service for the initial downtown route is expected to begin in fall 2018, and the lakefront line is expected to start operating in 2019.
The streetcar plan, which aims to connect the Milwaukee Intermodal Station with the city's lower east side, was approved by the Common Council last year. The project's capital budget is about $128 million for a 2.5-mile route, with an estimated $3.2 million operating and maintenance budget.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works said the contractor would be chosen based on price, qualifications and approach to the project.
This request for proposals can be found online, and companies interested should call (414) 286-3314.
Proposals are due by 4 p.m. June 1.
