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
Opinion: Proposed I-94 Expansion a 'Fiasco' for Milwaukee
An opinion piece published by Urban Milwaukee argues against a proposed expansion of three miles of Interstate 94 in Milwaukee.
Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.
The Disparate Racial Impacts of Commute Times
Commute times vary significantly depending on race, according to a recent study. The consequences of the imbalance have very real social and economic effects for already marginalized racial groups.
Houston Apartments To Be Demolished for Freeway Widening
Despite a federal hold on the controversial freeway widening project, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing ahead with the demolition of an apartment complex in downtown Houston.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.
Transit-Oriented Walking Tours Highlight the Value of Density
Housing advocates in Connecticut are leading walking tours that fight misinformation about transit-oriented development and emphasize the benefits of increased density.
State Reports Seeks To Guide Warehouse Development in New Jersey
With demand for sprawling e-commerce warehouses growing, New Jersey’s State Planning Commission has released a series of documents outlining best practices for cities examining warehouse proposals.
Manhattan Congestion Pricing Could Start in 2023
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has resubmitted its environmental impact assessment to federal officials, who sent the agency over 400 additional questions earlier this year.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Rolling Hills Estates
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
