Transportation budget highlights need for funding reform

​By Steve Baas – MMAC Senior VP of Governmental Affairs
  
Governor Walker's proposed budget invests  more than $6 billion in new money for Wisconsin's transportation infrastructure. 

While these investments are a good start, the "perfect storm" of major highways in the state reaching the end of their serviceable lifespans and an under-performing revenue stream into the state Transportation Fund means that, despite this generous levels of spending, some projects still face delay. Most notably for the metro Milwaukee region is the delay of the I-94 East-West between the Zoo Interchange and the Marquette interchange.

With the majority of the truck traffic in Wisconsin going through the Zoo or Marquette interchanges, increasing capacity and safety along the East-West corridor linking them is not only a regional mobility concern but also a statewide economic concern. MMAC is grateful for the generous funding the Governor has proposed in his transportation budget that keeps projects like the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange and I-94 North-South on track. We will continue to work with the legislature, however, as the budget moves forward to find a sustainable long-term solution to our transportation funding challenges that will allow critical projects like the I-94 East-West to be put back on track without jeopardizing other critical road projects statewide.