Barrett
names Transportation Advisory Committee members
June
13, 2005 -- Three city representatives
have been named to the Southeastern Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission's advisory committee
developing the region's long-range transporation
plan.
The
three are Michael Maierle, of the Department
of City Development; Sharon Cook, the city's
chief lobbyist; and Paul Vornholt, a Barrett
aide.
It
took Barrett a year to name the three to the
committee.
Pave
Wisconsin continues
U.S. 45, I-94 studies approved;
bike, ped funding killed
June
13, 2005 -- Some $67million in planning
money for two Milwaukee area billion-dollar-plus
highway projects was approved by the Joint Finance
Committee, while a small program for developing
bicycle and pedestrian facilities got nothing.
The
Joint Finance Committee approved spending $38
million on studies for reconstructing the Zoo
Interchange and U.S. 45 from the Zoo Interchange
to Richfield in Washington County, and $29 million
for studies on reconstructing I-94 from the
Illinois-Wisconsin state line to the Mitchell
Interchange in Milwaukee.
Those
studies would be funded from a special Southeastern
Wisconsin freeway budget, which also is tapped
to pay for the Marquette Interchange project.
Under the committee's recommendation, that budget
would be about $560 million over the biennium.
The
Surface Transportation Grant Program, which
pays for alternative transportation methods,
was not funded. The governor had requested $3.4
million for the program over the biennium.
Joint
Finance recommended the 2% increase for mass
transit requested by Gov. Jim Doyle, which the
Legislative Fiscal Bureau said was not enough
to keep up with rising
costs. Under the Joint Finance proposal,
mass transit operating assistance would go up
about $3 million over the biennium; meanwhile,
funding for major highway projects would increase
about $160 million.
The
Zoo Interchange / U.S. 45 studies were approved
even though construction probably won't begin
until afte 2016, and WisDOT officials have expressed
concern that signifigant time gaps between conducting
studies and beginning construction may violate
federal environmental laws.
The
National Environmental Policy Act "requires
meaningful public participation regarding potential
projects impacts," a WisDOT official wrote
in an analalysis of the Southeastern Wisconsin
Regioanl Planning Commission' freeway reconstruction
study. "Making decisions too early in the
process can violate NEPA’s intent."
Two
other WisDOT officials have expressed similar
concerns.
Read
an analysis
of the JFC budget from 1000 Friends of Wisconsin,
which specializes in land use and transportation
issues.
Feds
tweak mayor
Barrett didn't make appointments
to SEWRPC transportation committee
May
31, 2005 -- Two
of four city seats on a Southeastern Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission transportation
advisory committee remained vacant for almost
a year, even as city residents complained of
underrepresentation in regional planning efforts,
according to a new federal report.
The
seats were empty because Mayor Tom Barrett did
not make the appointments that would fill them.
The
webteam asked the mayor's office last Wednesday
why Barrett delayed making the appointments
and whether the seats have been filled. The
mayor's office has not yet provided answers.
The
SEWRPC roster for the advisory committee, though,
shows just two city representatives, City Engineer
Jeff Polenske and Public Works Commissioner
Jeff Mantes.
The
report by the Federal Highway Administration
and Federal Transit Administration used the
empty seats to illustrate what the agencies
said was a lack of public understanding of the
structure of major SEWRPC transportation advisory
committees. The makeup of those committees is
based on representation, said the report, "2004
Transportation Planning Certification Summary
Report."
"While
City of Milwaukee residents and elected officials
vehemently complain of underrepresentation in
decision-making, two of the four City of Milwaukee
appointments to the SEWRPC Advisory Committee
on Regional Transportation System Planning remain
vacant nearly a year after SEWRPC solicited
appointments from the Mayor of Milwaukee,"
the report said.
The
report was the result of the FHWA and FTA review
of SEWRPC's certification as the region's Metropolitan
Planning Organization. As the region’s
MPO, SEWRPC makes recommendations about transportation,
land-use and natural resource issues and sets
priorities for federal funding of projects.
The
executive summary, which included many recommendations
for SEWRPC improvement, was released earlier.
To read it, click here.
To
read the full report, click here.
US
45 reconstruction study proposed
Would be part of Zoo Interchange
project
May
31, 2005 -- The
State Department of Transportation would include
a stretch of U.S. 45 from the Zoo Interchange
to the Town of Richfield in any proposal to
reconstruct the Zoo Interchange, according
to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau paper.
The
project stretch about 21 miles, according
to the Fiscal Bureau. The Joint Finance Committee
is expected to consider this week authorizing
the state to conduct preliminary work for
the project.
"According
to SEWRPC's freeway study, the total estimated
cost of the Zoo Interchange-USH 45 project
is $943 million," the Bureau said in
a report released last week.
That
figure includes adding a traffic lane in each
direction along the entire stretch of highway.
The
SEWRPC report says that reconstruction of
the 5-mile Zoo Interchange would consume 52.9
acres of land, and require the destruction
of 19 homes, one business and two government
buildings. Reconstruction of U.S. 45 would
suck up another 31.8 acres and require the
destruction of eight homes.
The
land destroyed would include more than 326,000
square feet of primary environmental corridor.
To
see a conceptual plan of the SEWRPC Zoo Interchange,
U.S. 45 recommendations, click here.
The
preliminary work for the Zoo Interchange U.S.
45 project would cost about $38 million and
would include preparation of environmental
impact statement, preliminary construction
plans, and real estate and utility plans,
the Fiscal Bureau paper says.
Waukesha
County Republicans, including State Rep. Scott
Jensen and State Sen. Ted Kanavas, have pushed
for the Zoo Interchange studies to be done.
Secretary of Transportation Frank Busalacchi
told the Joint Finance Committee his agency
could conduct the study if it were funded
in the 2005-07 budget.
He
did not reveal, however, that he considered
the Zoo Interchange project to include U.S.
45 extending into Washington County.
WisDOT
has indicated it could reconstruct the Zoo
Interchange and U.S. 45 at the same time it
rebuilds the North-South I-94 corridor from
the Illinois state line to the Mitchell Interchange,
according to the Fiscal Bureau.
It
is more likely, however, that the Zoo Interchange
- U.S. 45 project would "be started and
end somewhat after the I-94 South Construction,"
the Legislative Fiscal Bureau said. "This
project schedule, however, would be contingent
upon sufficient funds being provided to construct
these projects concurrently."
We
energies clarifies figures
May
23, 2005 -- The Wisconsin Department
of Transportation will reimburse about $6.5
million of the $6.8 million price tag for We
energies work on Menomonee Valley Power Plant
equipment that is related to the Marquette Interchange
reconstruction effort, according to a utility
official.
Stephen
St. Amour, a We energies supervisor, said the
$300,000 in work not being reimbursed was discretionary
on the part of the utility.
A
We energies spokeswoman said earlier that WisDOT
would reimburse about $6.5 million of the $7.7
cost of the work.
We
energies ratepayers pick up Marquette Interchange
costs
May
16, 2005
-- We
Energies ratepayers will dinged for almost $14
million of the costs incurred by the utility
for work related to Marquette Interchange reconstruction,
a utility spokeswoman said.
Total
We costs are expected to be about $20.45 million,
We Energies Margaret Stanfield said.
We
ratepayers will be required to pay for all but
about $50,000 of the $12.75 million cost of
relocating some of the utility's steam distribution
network the serves the downtown area, Stanfield
said.
Utility
customers also will be hit with about $1.2 million
of the $7.7 million cost of moving some Menomonee
Valley Power Plant equipment, Stanfield said.
Wisconsin
Department of Transportation officials frequently
contend that highway projects are paid for by
state and federal taxes.
