Archives for 2024

Everyone in Wisconsin–from lawmakers in the state Capitol to families in places such as Kenosha, Wausau, and Superior–faces a difficult decision in the very near future: find a way to sustainably pay for our roads, bridges, and highways, or cut back significantly and face the consequences.

That’s the sobering reality presented in the independent Wisconsin Policy Forum’s latest report out Thursday, titled “Road Map.”

The report looks at the state’s road conditions, where and how money has been spent, and the fact that Wisconsin relies heavily on a stagnant gas tax and vehicle registration fees to support its Transportation fund.

Click HERE to read through the full 41-page report

That’s forced a “triage” approach to maintaining the state highway system with Band-Aid repairs that cost taxpayers more in the long run, putting us hundreds of millions of dollars a year behind the eight ball.

“While little of the analysis or warnings about the condition of our transportation funding system are new, we are reaching an inflection point–fiscally, technologically and demographically–that makes the stakes of ignoring long-term reforms to fund our roads, bridges and highways even higher than ever,” WTBA Executive Director Steve Baas said.

One of the biggest culprits, the study finds, is the state gas tax, which hasn’t changed since Wisconsin lawmakers stopped indexing for inflation in 2006. That left behind up to $2.9 billion more in gas tax revenue from 2007-2022, the report says. Meanwhile, inflation has driven up the cost of construction by 56.8% nationally and 26.6% in Wisconsin just since 2020.

The Forum’s report also offers several possible solutions including increasing the gas tax, instituting a vehicle miles traveled program (VMT), and using general fund transfers more regularly, as other states do.

“At the end of the day it’s about the vision for the future,” Baas said. “Our economy stands on manufacturing, agriculture and tourism – all are incredibly dependent on roads and transportation. If we are going to grow the state’s economy, creating a sustainable sufficient funding model to support smart asset management is an imperative.

“The cost of doing nothing is prohibitive for Wisconsin communities and the Wisconsin economy.”

MADISON, Wis. — A critical but aging corridor that Wisconsin families, commuters, truckers, and vacationers all depend on is a step closer to getting billions of dollars in upgrades.

Monday, the Transportation Projects Commission (TPC) unanimously approved adding the I-39/90/94 expansion project to next year’s state budget process.

The project would add a lane in both directions of the interstate along a 67-mile stretch between Madison and Wisconsin Dells.  It would also improve 15 interchanges, build three new ones, and replace dozens of bridges.

“This route is one of, if not the most important routes in the state,” Bureau of State Highway Programs Director Scott Schoenmann told the TPC during the 90-minute meeting.

Anywhere from 40,000 to 109,000 vehicles travel at least a portion of this interstate daily.  About 25% of that traffic is freight, valued at $120 billion last year, according to WisDOT.

The freeway was built in the 1960s and has grown more congested and less safe over the years, averaging 2 ½ crashes daily.  In addition to pavement and ramps needing replacement, more than half of the 113 bridges in the project zone are near the end of their useful lives.

“These projects focus on very busy routes that will not be able to safely keep up with the travel demands in the coming years,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said.  “We must step in and fix it so that we can keep our travelers safe long into the future.”

Fixing these problems, though, comes with a big price tag: an estimated $3.7 billion.  It could also take until 2051 to complete, but Schoenmann called that a “worst case” scenario.

The TPC’s approval does not guarantee the project happens, but simply adds it to the budget for the governor and Legislature’s consideration.

Gov. Tony Evers will introduce his version of the budget in late-February or early March.

“I’m committed in the next budget to make sure that we have adequate funding to make sure we have a modern transportation system,” Evers said.

US 51 PROJECT IN DANE COUNTY GETS GREEN LIGHT

The TPC also approved a $174 million rehabilitation of 5 ½ miles of US 51, running from Highway 30 north to the I-39/90/94 interchange on Madison’s far-east side.

Unlike I-39/90/94, the Commission’s approval allows work to begin immediately on US 51 because it is considered a “High-Cost Rehabilitation” project.  Plans include rebuilding intersections to improve safety, adding separated and longer left-turn lanes, and retooling signal timing.  This version does not include expanding the highway, which would’ve added to the cost.

The committee voted 12-1 in favor of the US 51 project, with Senator Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) voting against it.