Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In

The conventional wisdom about America's infrastructure woes is that cash will solve everything. That's the pitch Donald Trump is making with his vaguely-defined $1 trillion infrastructure package.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
false

But simply spending a lot on infrastructure is no guarantee of better transportation conditions. It can easily make things worse. Wisconsin is a perfect example.

James Rowen at The Political Environment notes that under Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin has gone on an enormous road spending spree. The state has lavished more than $6 billion on huge highway interchanges in the greater Milwaukee area. But this orgy of road spending has coincided with the neglect of basic maintenance, which even the Walker administration has been forced to admit, the Journal-Sentinel reports:

The share of roads in poor condition will double, debt payments and the state's stream of cash for road and highway projects will barely grow, a state official told lawmakers Tuesday.

By 2027, the share of state roads in poor condition would double to 42% while the money available to address those growing challenges would increase at only one-quarter the recent inflation rate, state Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb testified to lawmakers Tuesday.

The state now has more highways to maintain thanks to the billions Walker spent, which only makes the maintenance backlog worse. Rowen says this situation will cost Wisconsinites dearly:

The SE WI expansion and rebuilding includes 127 new lane miles and many wider ramps -- adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the bottom line, thus slowing down or starving completely other projects statewide and aid to local governments for road repairs which, if left unfunded, only raise local property taxes, so-called vehicle 'wheel taxes,' and motorists costs in blown tires, broken shocks and damaged axles. And nerves.

So get ready for either increased vehicle and licensing fees, or gas taxes, or, more likely, deep service cuts across the board.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Tri-State Transportation Campaign shows impressive before and after shots of Rochester's "Inner Loop" highway removal. Urban Review STL says what St. Louis needs is form-based code, not old height restrictions. And Streets.mn questions the need for dedicated bike funding.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Eyes on the Street: OC Streetcar Construction Progress

Orange County streetcar construction is progressing, especially with recent installation of overhead wires. OCTA's 4-mile light rail line is expected to open in 2025.

December 2, 2024

Monday’s Headlines

BART fares going up again; Making public spaces safe for children; Not all e-bikes are street legal; More

December 2, 2024

The 2024 Streetsblog Gift Guide for Sustainable Transportation Advocates Who Love to Read

The previous 11-plus months have been epic for urbanism-related books. Why not buy a few for the advocates on your holiday list?

December 2, 2024

Pennsylvania Shifted Cash From Highways to Transit – But Other States Could Go Even Further

"If your governor says they don't have money for transit, they are lying," said one advocate.

December 2, 2024

What the Potential Pedestrianization of Europe’s Busiest Shopping Street Can Teach U.S. Cities

Oxford Street is poised for a pedestrian-friendly makeover. What can the U.S. learn from their journey to get there?

December 2, 2024
See all posts