The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is having a tough time justifying new highway projects when highway use is down. So now they have a new tactic – denial. They simply deny that traffic is down – and they have issued a “fact sheet” to promote their view.
Read more about "Fact Checking the WisDOT VMT “factsheet”"
Read what Green Downtown Program Manager Matt Covert has to say about decking over John Nolen Drive in Madison. And check out these successful cut and cover examples: Chicago Columbus Duluth
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In this issue of Landscapes: Wisconsin is Getting Grayer and Greener – Are we ready for it? Protecting the Watershed – What do codes & ordinances have to do with clean water? Green Downtown Report & Walkability Survey with Badger Volunteers. Wisconsin Roads – Built for cars – not people.
Read more about "Summer 2014 Newsletter"
The Wisconsin State Journal in a news article this week states that the state will be short $15.3 billion over the next decade” largely because more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids and electric cars, are eroding state revenues from the gas tax, the largest source of state transportation funding.” These statements have been repeated by DOT officials, media publications and transportation professionals – blaming more efficient cars and electric vehicles for the precipitous fall in state transportation revenues. While this is no-doubt true, this is definitely not the main reason why fuel tax revenues are dropping.
Read more about "Don’t blame the Prius! The real reason the transportation fund is running dry"
Nearly 32,000 Americans die each year from traffic accidents. This is the equivalent of a fully loaded jumbo jet crashing each week. Highway engineers go through the morbid exercise of trying to estimate the number of inevitable deaths on any section of roadway they design. Putting this in context – wouldn’t it be ludicrous if an architect estimated that a certain number of people would inevitably die annually as a direct result of using a building she designs?
Read more about "Calming dangerous roads"
Wisdot’s Purpose and Need Document for the I 43 N-S corridor projects an increase of traffic on freeway segments (2010-2040) that varies between 32% and 39% based on population projections and an average annual traffic growth rate of 0.93%.
Read more about "WISDOT Projections for the I-43 corridor have no basis in reality"