Transportation in the State Budget

2003-2005 Budget Analysis

Throughout the 2003-2005 budget process, the Governor and members of the Legislature said repeatedly that everybody will have to share the burden cuts.  Yet, the transportation budget, particularly when it comes to road building, has been given immunity with this budget.  Considering the fiscal crisis and struggling economy and the need for better money management, a golden opportunity was missed to begin more fiscally accountable budget practices such as Fix it First and Life Cycle Costing.

State Highways

Major Highway Projects, Maintenance and Repair: The budget increased bonding levels to pay for an anticipated increase in Major Highway Projects. The Rehabilitation budget was decreased and a long overdue inflationary increase of Maintenance was also eliminated. Adding insult to injury, four additional major highway projects were enumerated.

Southeast Wisconsin Freeway Reconstruction: The budget inched this massive road building project forward by providing $261 million over the biennium, including $244 million for the Marquette Interchange reconstruction.

Local Transportation

General Transportation Aids, which every county and municipality receives for local road construction and maintenance, were frozen for the next two years at 2003 levels.  This means that the state share for filling potholes and fueling buses will not keep up with increased costs and local governments will have to make up the difference.  According to the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, property taxes and shared revenue, which is funded by sales taxes and income taxes, already cover more than 70% of local transportation costs.

Elderly and Disabled Transit Aids, which assists elderly and disabled residents in meeting their mobility needs, were increased by 2.5% to keep up with inflation. 

Transit and a Balanced Transportation System

This budget continues the general trend of falling short in meeting the mobility needs of transit users, pedestrians and bicyclists. State transit aid is the largest source of funding for the operating costs of Wisconsin’s public transit systems.  The budget froze this funding at 2003 levels for fiscal years 2004 and 2005.

This budget deletes funding for discretionary Surface Transportation Grants, which are used to provide other modes of transportation beyond the single-occupancy automobile.  It deletes funding for multimodal transportation studies, which are related to the development of new transportation facilities that accommodate more than one mode.  It also deletes funding for comprehensive planning grants, which help communities to plan for future development and growth, including the growth of their transportation infrastructure. 

The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (“KRM”) Commuter Rail Line. The budget established a biennial appropriation and also provides a $400,000 match for federal funding in 2004 to cover preliminary engineering for the project.

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