FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2018
CONTACT:
Craig Thompson, Executive Director
Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin
craig.thompson@tdawisconsin.org, 608-256-7044
Transportation Development Association Executive Director Craig Thompson released the following statement on transportation in Wisconsin:
“The state of transportation in Wisconsin is poor and declining. And there is no plan to reverse this trend.
“U.S. News & World Report ranks the condition of Wisconsin’s roads 2nd worst in the country. In addition, the Legislative Audit Bureau finds that Wisconsin’s state highways are demonstrably worse than those of our neighbors. Just over 32 percent of Wisconsin’s state highways were found to be in good condition compared to an average of over 68 percent in the other Midwestern states.
“Many of these states have passed significant transportation packages to invest more in their systems. Yet, Wisconsin reduced the State Highway Improvement Program by almost $250 million in the current budget. This marks the lowest investment level in this program since the 2005-2007 budget.
“We all hear citizens across this state complain about the condition of our roads and the proliferation of orange barrels due to short-term fixes where long-term planning is needed. Our roads are in rough shape and the recent budget did nothing to improve that overall situation. It is no wonder that members of the majority party concluded that while they may have been proud of the rest of the recently passed state budget they were ‘disappointed’ that they couldn’t agree on a long-term solution for transportation. There is still time to right this wrong, however.
“With Foxconn, our state’s leaders have made it clear they understand the important role transportation infrastructure has on economic development. I’d love to hear that the Governor and Legislature are developing a plan to improve the state of transportation throughout Wisconsin.”
About TDA
From the buses in Racine to the Port of Green Bay to the rail lines in Superior to the Waukesha County Airport to the roads we use every day, Wisconsin’s transportation network is the key to connecting goods to market and people to jobs.
Founded in 1971, the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin promotes the vitality and safety of the state’s transportation system, including public transit systems, public-use and general aviation airports, railroads, commercial ports, and roads. TDA’s members comprise business, labor, units of government, regional planning organizations, as well as individuals. Contact us at: www.tdawisconsin.org and Twitter handle @TDAWisconsin.