It was always a risk that states would use funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to double down on the transportation systems that create congestion and air pollution.
“A $283 million boost in federal highway money that Wisconsin is getting from Washington got approval from the Legislature’s budget committee Tuesday, but only after the Republican majority rewrote some of the spending plan for the new funds,” reports Erik Gunn for the Wisconsin Examiner.
“The money comes to the state as a result of the federal [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act] enacted in late 2021 and the 2022 federal appropriations bill that followed this March,” adds Gunn to explain the state’s largesse.
The reasoning behind the Republican rewrite of the spending plan is worth paying attention for planners and advocates hoping to fund and complete projects proven to reduce automobile trips, reduce congestion, and reduce air pollution from combustion engines. The original plan for the $283 million, proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), devoted $4.3 million of the funding to the state’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ). The changes implemented by Republican committee members, however, ensure that the CMAQ funding won’t be spent on bicycle, pedestrian, or trail facilities.
The WisDOT is limited to spending CMAG funds in non-attainment and maintenance counties (i.e., high air pollution areas, as defined by federal law) in southeastern and northeastern Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Walworth, Sheboygan, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Door—so the funding changes deliver a blow to plans in the locations that need non-polluting transportation projects the most.
FULL STORY: Finance committee gives OK to most of state’s plan for extra federal highway money
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.