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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > May 5, 2008
Barrett asks state to divert funds from I-94 project to mass transit
Published May 5, 2008 - BizTimes Daily
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Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and three Milwaukee aldermen today sent a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, urging the agency to downsize the Interstate 94 widening project and divert some of the funds instead for mass transit in the region.
Barrett and aldermen Willie Hines, Michael Murphy and Robert Bauman sent the letter in response to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) compiled by the Federal Highway Administration and the DOT for the I-94 north/south corridor reconstruction and expansion project.
"The I-94 reconstruction and expansion project is a $1.9 billion effort - the largest in the history of the State of Wisconsin. Given the enormous price tag, the skyrocketing costs of gas and energy and the tremendous opportunity that this project presents to advance many modes of transportation, we must reiterate our continued disappointment that the (plans) for the I-95 north/south corridor study have not incorporated mass transit into the mix of alternatives," the letter stated.
Between 1992 and 2007, the state spent $19.2 billion on highways, compared with $2.2 billion on rail and mass transit, Barrett said.
In 1999, the City of Milwaukee received $27.8 million in state dollars for roads and streets. In 2008, the city is receiving $26.32 million. When adjusted for inflation, the city is receiving 32-percent less from the state for roads and streets over the past 10 years, according to Barrett.
In that same period, the city's expenditures to cover the shortfall have climbed more than 31 percent to $5.5 million, Barrett said.
"These are the critical dollars that repair our streets and fix potholes that wreak havoc on our cars, buses and trucks," the letter stated.
The letter said the DOT estimates that $200 million of the I-94 plan would go to widen the freeway from the Mitchell Interchange south to the state line from six to eight lanes.
"In light of the serious questions raised about the need for freeway expansion, this money could be better spent implementing a balanced transit strategy that includes mass transit alternatives and increased local road aids," the letter stated.
