As lanes close to begin construction on the I-94 East-West expansion, our transportation policy analyst spoke with Spectrum News 1 Milwaukee to talk about why the expansion is not the best use of the land.
Expanding highways is a routine approach for DOTs across the country for trying to increase the capacity of the freeway to manage traffic congestion. A recent landmark study shows, however, that rather than easing congestion, expansion invites more drivers to the freeway, which consequently increases vehicle emissions and further disinvestment in safer and more sustainable transportation options. Transportation for America’s 2020 Congestion Con report expands on how “adding freeways faster than population has grown has not prevented congestion,” assessing data from the 100 largest urbanized areas in the U.S. from 1993-2017. Further, Wisconsin is experiencing wetter weather conditions, including the historic 1000-year storm that devastated neighborhoods across Milwaukee County this past August. The expansion adds more impervious surfaces contributing to greater volumes of surface water runoff and increasing flood risk.
The health and environmental impacts of expansion will be distributed disproportionately to the predominantly black and brown neighborhoods and green spaces that surround the corridor; areas which were already harmed by the initial construction of the I-94 freeway.
1000 Friends continues to stand with community partners challenging this project and calling for investments that actually move people, not just cars.
Raphie Torralba is the Transportation Policy Analyst at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin who interviewed the media.