What is Connect 2050?

Connect 2050 is a vision plan, setting an overall direction for our transportation system and establishing goals and objectives based on transportation-related issues and trends, and comments from people like you!

Connect 2050 is ...

Long-range. It looks ahead, decades into the future.

Statewide. It has a broad reach; its vision, goals and objectives will guide WisDOT’s decision-making for all of Wisconsin and for all people.

Multimodal. It sets goals and objectives that apply to all modes and means of transportation in Wisconsin including roads, transit, biking, walking, rail, aviation and water transport.

Unlike a transportation project that is happening now or in the near future, Connect 2050 affects decisions about plans and projects that will be completed and funded years from now.

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Our Guiding principles

• Implement and maintain a safe and efficient statewide multimodal transportation system that provides safe, affordable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices for all people.
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• Ensure that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, age, religion, income status or limited English proficiency in any programs, activities or services administered by WisDOT.
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• Embrace a continuing, cooperative, comprehensive planning process.
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How Does Connect 2050 Work?

Connect 2050 creates a direction WisDOT will follow to support development of an integrated, efficient, and safe multimodal transportation system.
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The plan is not meant to include specific policies or actions, but its goals and objectives universally affect planning for Wisconsin’s entire transportation system.
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Our technical reports and modal, operational and business plans – like WisDOT's Six-Year Highway Improvement Program and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program – will implement Connect 2050's goals and objectives through policies and actions.
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So, while Connect 2050 provides a long-term vision, goals and objectives for what we should accomplish, WisDOT’s other plans and technical reports identify how to meet Connect 2050’s goals.
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What is Performance-Based Decision-Making?

Performance-based decision-making combines target-setting and trends analysis with measuring and tracking progress toward meeting those targets.

When WisDOT measures progress, we can identify what we are doing well and what areas need improvement, prioritizing constructive actions.

How do We Track Performance?

• Federal Transportation Performance Measures
• ‍MAPSS Performance Improvement Program

WisDOT also combines performance management with asset management. The Transportation Asset Management Plan  (TAMP) identifies investment strategies to maximize system performance.

Over time, as we monitor and report on our performance, we update the targets and our asset-management-based investment strategies to reflect current system conditions.

Wisconsin's Transportation System

WisDOT plans, builds, maintains, or financially supports all these types of transportation, which make up our statewide network. The Connect 2050 plan's goals and objectives apply to all the modes listed below.

Airports

Ports, Harbors and Ferry

Highways and Bridges

Bicycles and Pedestrians

Passenger Rail

Freight Rail

Transit

Intercity Passenger Bus

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Transportation in Wisconsin: By the numbers

Bicycles and Pedestrians

The percentage of total passenger trips in 2017 for which Wisconsinites biked or walked.
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Passenger Rail

The number of people that Amtrak’s Hiawatha line, the Midwest’s busiest passenger rail service, transported in 2019 between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Freight Rail

The approximate value of the 188 million tons of cargo that 11 Wisconsin freight rail companies moved in 2019.
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Airports

The number of estimated passengers and local businesses that Wisconsin’s airports expect to serve annually by 2030.
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Ports, Harbors and Ferry

The approximate value of the nearly 27 million tons of cargo Wisconsin commercial ports processed in 2019.
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State Highways

The annual percentage of total miles traveled by vehicles on Wisconsin’s state highways, which make up only 10% of our entire roadway network.

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Trends That Affect Transportation

Our communities and how we move around them are changing all the time. And from e-bikes and ride-hailing apps to drones and driverless cars, transportation is often at the center of advances in technology.

Understanding the key issues or "trends" that affect transportation is essential for a Connect 2050 plan that prepares us for what lies ahead. The six trends below will influence how WisDOT makes decisions about managing our statewide transportation system well into the future.

Population

Population growth helps determine where and when transportation improvements may be appropriate.

Wisconsin's population is expected to grow between 2013 and 2040 by almost 800,000 people, or about a 13.5% increase.

Transportation planners use population, demographics and other data to help determine future transportation demands – like getting to work, the grocery store and recreational destinations, and transporting freight.

What types of communities are growing?

Small

500 or fewer people

0%
growth

Mid-sized

2,000-50,000 people

17%
growth

Large

50,000+ people 

10%
growth

Wisconsin’s SENIOR POPULATION

Wisconsin’s population of people 65 years old and older is expected to double from 2010 to 2040, particularly in our northern and rural counties.

legend

35% or more

25%-35%

25% or less

2010 Census

Population, Ages 65+

2040 Projection

Population, Ages 65+

There's more to Learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, 2010-2040 Population Projection Report Travel Patterns.

Travel Patterns

Knowing where, why and how people travel is important for allocating funding and other resources.

We expect the annual amount of travel in Wisconsin for all vehicles – a metric called "vehicle miles traveled" or VMT – to increase from 65.9 billion (2018) to 82.9 billion (2050), which will require our transportation network to accommodate increased use.

We use modeling and current and future population and employment data to forecast future VMT and the reasons for people's trips.

Current and Forecast Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled

Mode choice: How we travel in Wisconsin

About 80 percent of annual person miles of travel, or PMT, are by vehicles including cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Transit use makes up 3.5 percent – reflecting the limited availability of transit in non-urban areas of the state.

Airplanes, which cover long distances, account for about 14 percent of total PMT.

There's more to Learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Source: Federal Highway Administration. National Household Travel Survey, 2017.

Safety

WisDOT uses educational campaigns, media shares and engineering techniques to keep our system safe.

Our approach to creating and maintaining a safe transportation system in Wisconsin: Safety is everybody's business.

To reduce the number of preventable traffic fatalities and injuries, WisDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety works with internal and external partners, utilizing the best expertise to solve safety-related challenges.

Did You Know?

Safety is one of the five key goals of our MAPSS – or Mobility, Accountability, Preservation, Safety and Service – Performance Improvement Program. We report on MAPSS progress quarterly with a summary scorecard and improvement report for each goal.

Learn More

SAFETY TRENDS ON WISCONSIN PUBLIC ROADS (2015-2019)

The Bureau of Transportation Safety also prepares our annual Highway Safety Plan and Highway Safety Program Annual Report for submission to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

These reports describe, respectively, our planned and current safety-focused programs, grants and activities.

Wisconsin Crash Statistics

Among Wisconsin's 551 traffic fatalities in 2019, speed-related crashes accounted for 163 deaths (30 percent), and crashes involving alcohol accounted for 140 deaths (25 percent).

In 2019, when helmet use could be determined by the investigating officer, 65 percent of all motorcyclists killed in crashes were not wearing helmets.

Deer are the third most commonly struck object in Wisconsin (behind other vehicles and fixed objects), causing almost 18,400 deer-related crashes here (2019).

There's more to learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Source: Federal Highway Administration. “Transportation Performance Management State Profile: Wisconsin”. June 2020. Retrieved from https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/reporting/state/

Economic Activity

A healthy economy requires an efficient, multimodal transportation system that can meet our changing needs.

Recent years have seen increases in just-in-time deliveries, which eliminate overhead costs, and the growing popularity of e-commerce.

2020-2050: Economic Indicators

30.8%

Increase

Wisconsin's Per Capita Income Statewide

50.2%

Increase

Wisconsin's Gross Domestic Product

WisDOT works with public- and private-sector partners on committees and task forces such as the Freight Advisory Committee to enhance our state transportation network for a 21st-century supply chain environment – one that also supports the northernmost and most rural areas of Wisconsin.

Projected S1atewide Employment by Industry through 2050

Manufacturing

3%
Decline

Health Care

47%
growth

Farming

6%
Decline

Projected Statewide Earnings by Industry through 2050

Manufacturing

13%
growth

Health Care

80%
growth

Farming

1%
Decline

There's more to Learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Employment Projections 2016-20226.

Energy and the Environment

Emerging technologies such as alternative fuel vehicles and autonomous and connected vehicles have the potential to change how we travel — and even how we fuel transport.

To help prevent snow drifts that can close roads and driveways and isolate farmsteads, WisDOT works with farmers to implement "living snow fences," which are trees and shrubs strategically placed along roadways to help stop snow drift.

Did you know?

Wisconsin’s Interstates 39, 41, 43, 90, 94 and 535, and US 53 and 151 have been designated as "Alternative Fuel Corridors" as part of a national network of alternative fueling and charging infrastructure.

Learn More

Farmers keep rows of corn standing along roadway edges to prevent snow drift; in return, WisDOT compensates farmers with a premium per-bushel price for the corn.

WisDOT balances our transportation system needs with a healthy environment by recycling pavement, seeding native plants along highways, rehabilitating wetlands, using solar power at rest areas, and planning for alternative fuels.

There's more to Learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Source: Federal Highway Administration. Alternative Fuel Corridors webpage. Accessed July 2020. Retrieved from https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/alternative_fuel_corridors/

Connected and Automated Vehicles

By 2050, Wisconsin's transportation landscape will likely look very different ...

WisDOT is exploring solutions involving connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) that could help us meet our changing needs and communities.

Connected vehicles (CVs) communicate with other vehicles and transportation infrastructure

Automated vehicles (AVs) operate with varying levels of human involvement

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) utilize AV and CV technologies

WAVE Advisory Committee

In 2020, WisDOT created the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle External Advisory Committee to gather stakeholder input and advice about CAV-related planning priorities, implementation policies, and impacts on the state’s transportation system. The committee includes representatives from private-sector, nonprofit, academic and government organizations.

Learn More

While some early CAV technology has already arrived, WisDOT continues to explore what introducing CVs and AVs to Wisconsin’s roadways will mean for infrastructure, policy, administrative requirements, enforcement, and communities.

A number of Wisconsin organizations and companies are involved in CAV research including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, MGA Research Corporation, Traffic & Parking Control Co. Inc., the city of Madison, and WisDOT.

Wisconsin's CAV Test Facilities

Eau Claire

Chippewa Valley Regional Airport

Racine

• UW-Madison Extension Racine County
• City of Racine
• Gateway Technical College

Madison

• UW-Madison
• City of Madison

Burlington

MGA Research

Elkhart Lake

Road America

There's more to Learn!

Get the trend fact sheet

Sources: State of Wisconsin. “Report of the Governor’s Steering Committee on Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment”. June 29, 2018. Retrieved from https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/av-final-report-062918.pdf. 2) University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wisconsin Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds website (Accessed July 2020) Retrieved from https://wiscav.org/

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Trends: By the Numbers

POPULATION
Our state’s population is expected to grow by almost 800,000 people – a 13.5 percent rise – between 2013 and 2040.
^{Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, 2010-2040 Population Projection Report}

Travel Patterns

The total number of trips in Wisconsin is projected to increase from 4.4 billion in 2020 to 5.3 billion in 2050.
‍^{Source: Wisconsin Statewide Travel Demand Mode.}

Safety

Wisconsin has the 13th lowest highway fatality rate in the United States
^{Source: USDOT. Transportation Performance Management State Profile: Wisconsin.}

Economic Activity

Wisconsin has the 12th most reliable Interstate travel in the country. Reliable travel times are essential for our substantial trucking, farming, tourism and manufacturing industries.
^{Source: USDOT. Transportation Performance Management State Profile: Wisconsin.}

Energy and Environment

WisDOT’s wetland mitigation program has restored more than 5,800 acres of wetlands.
^{Source: WisDOT Bureau of Highway Maintenance.}

Connected and Automated Vehicles

WisDOT will consider infrastructure, policy, administrative needs and enforcement as we prepare for automated vehicles on Wisconsin’s roadways.

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We asked Wisconsinites to share their vision for the future of transportation during the development of the Connect 2050 plan. Thanks to your participation, we received comments and survey responses from people in all 72 Wisconsin counties!

What are others saying about Transportation in Wisconsin?

view Archived comments

Archived comments received during the Pre-Draft and Draft Plan phases.

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Who Responded

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Survey Results

Funding and project costs

While not one of the five identified goals of the Connect 2050 project, funding and project costs are an equally important area of focus.

Sustainable predictable
transportation funding sources

2.7

Sources other than gas tax
explored implemented

2.3

Private partnerships
to fund transportation projects

1.8

Exploring mile-based user fee
as transportation funding option

1.7

Exploring tolling as
transportation funding option

1.7

The Goal

System Management

Utilize cost-effective preservation and maintenance techniques to maximize transportation investments.

Highest Rated Topics for this Goal

Roads efficiently maintained
through engineering analysis

2.6

Innovative design methods
for roads bridges

2.5

Local community infrastructure
well-maintained

2.5

Bike ped facilities well-maintained

2.2

The Goal

System Integration and Connectivity

Bring modes of transportation together to provide a properly integrated system

Highest Rated Topics for this Goal

Access for disability/age/no car ownership

2.5

Better connect different modes

2.4

Improve bike walking connections

2.3

increase pass rail frequency

2.3

The Goal

Safety and Security

Create a system that is safe for all users and flexible in preventing, preparing for, and coordinating responses to any incident, whether natural or man-made.

Highest Rated Topics for this Goal

Reduce distracted driving

2.5

Withstanding extreme weather
natural disasters

2.3

Roadway features
signs markings

2.2

Tech that improves
transportation system safety

2.2

The Goal

Quality of Life and Natural Environment

Implement and manage a system that balances transportation needs with the natural environment and resource conservation.

Highest Rated Topics for this Goal

Protect environment during projects

2.6

Better air quality

2.5

Integrate plans with local
to identify growth areas

2.3

Planning that includes
minority low income voices

2.3

The Goal

Economic Vitality

Maintain and improve the state’s transportation system so it is responsive to global and regional economic needs and changing conditions

Highest Rated Topics for this Goal

Highest rated topic across all goals = Top priority for All

Roads in good condition

2.8

Affordable local transport options

2.3

Protect environment
reduce fossil fuel

2.3

Robust freight supply chain

2.2

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Connect 2050 Outreach Plan

The Connect 2050 Public Involvement Plan (PIP) outlines a comprehensive process to reach and engage with Wisconsin residents, businesses and other transportation system users.

The public involvement process that our PIP originally outlined was updated to reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 virus.

We canceled all proposed in-person events and instead conducted virtual events in accordance with state and local public health guidelines for group gatherings during this pandemic.

WisDOT approved the Connect 2050 Public Involvement Plan (PIP) in February 2020.

Connect 2050 Vision

WisDOT envisions an integrated multimodal transportation system that maximizes the safe and efficient movement of people and products throughout the state in a way that enhances economic productivity, transportation accessibility, and the quality of Wisconsin's communities while minimizing impacts to the natural environment and socioeconomic, historic, and cultural resources.

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Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Pursue sustainable
long-term transportation funding

Funding is the key to maintain and develop Wisconsin's transportation system so that it is safe for all users, meets current and future demand, and exists in a state of good repair that facilitates lowering long-term costs. This leverages prudent asset management practices that maximize the benefit of available funding.

Objectives
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• 1.a. Ensure funding is managed efficiently and is sufficient to support WisDOT’s long-term plans for providing a transportation system that is in a state of good repair and is safe, efficient, and accessible, all of which support Wisconsin’s economy and quality of life.
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• 1.b. Facilitate access to funding at the regional and local level according to state and/or federal requirements, and prudent financial management of WisDOT-administered programs.
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• 1.c. Pursue innovative and sustainable funding mechanisms and solutions to ensure system health across all modes.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

BUDGET: Fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, and driver license fees largely fund the state’s $7.2 billion transportation budget for 2021-2023. Wisconsin also receives money from the federal government based on formula and discretionary funding programs, and from program and local revenues.

TRANSIT: WisDOT's State Urban Mass Transit Operating Assistance program provides operating cost assistance to support bus, shared-ride taxi and rail services. Federal transit programs further support rural and urban transit systems and specialized transit services in Wisconsin.

‍LOCAL ROADS: The General Transportation Aids (GTA) program enables local governments to receive state aid payments for county and municipal road construction, maintenance, and traffic operations. GTA is WisDOT’s second-largest program with a budget of $1.04 billion in the 2021-2023 state budget.

Goal 2: Focus on partnerships

Effective partners work together to identify common goals. They communicate with each other an help each other when support is needed. Wisconsin will focus on transportation partnerships to coordinate and cooperate toward shared objectives.

Objectives
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• 2.a. Ensure the transportation system is developed in a way that addresses the needs of all users.
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• 2.b. Ensure inclusivity, equity, access, and safety.
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• 2.c. Eliminate and reduce barriers to transportation accessibility.
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• 2.d. Ensure the transportation system can adapt to changesover time, such as connected and automated vehicles, use of alternative fuels, telecommuting and other social changes, and needs of an aging population.
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• 2.e. Collaborate with partners and stakeholders to identify strategic transportation investment opportunities.
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• 2.f. Identify and communicate transportation system needs, priorities, and benefits to maximize transportation investments.
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• 2.g. Ensure project considerations include the character and needs of communities.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

COMMUNICATION: WisDOT created the Wisconsin Non-Driver Advisory Committee in 2020 as a forum to discuss transportation mobility, safety and access for Wisconsin residents who do not drive due to physical, mental or developmental disabilities, age, financial constraints, or choice.

COORDINATION: Industry representatives on the Freight Advisory Committee keep WisDOT informed about issues that affect freight access, mobility and viable transport from, to and within Wisconsin.

SUPPORT: Our Harbor Assistance Program helps fund projects within communities along the Great Lakes and Mississippi River that maintain and improve the shipping, port and waterway resources that support our economy.

Goal 3: Pursue continuous improvement and expand data-driven decision-making processes

Data-driven decision-making ensures that the transportation system is operated, maintained, and improved in the most efficient and effective way possible so that the right project is implemented in the right place and at the right time.

Objectives
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• 3.a. Strategically align resources and emphasize integrating performance-based decision-making throughout the Department.
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• 3.b. Use cost-effective techniques to maximize transportation investments.
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• 3.c. Continue using performance measures to inform sound investment decisions.
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• 3.d. Be agile in adapting to changing data needs over time.
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• 3.e. Assess, expand, and improve data collection through technological means by processing, monitoring, using, reporting, and sharing data.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

STRATEGY: Our Transportation Asset Management Plan identifies strategic investment decisions that will preserve and maintain the useful life of transportation assets over time.

IMPROVEMENT: WisDOT's MAPSS Performance Improvement Program focuses on five core goals and associated performance measures that guide us in achieving our mission "to provide leadership in the development and operation of a safe and efficient transportation system." We report our progress quarterly in summarized "scorecards" and improvement reports for each performance measure.

MAINTENENCE: WisDOT meets federal requirements for system performance and measurement by reporting at regular intervals information about our assets to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Goal 4: Increase options, connections, and mobility for people and goods

Mobility and transportation choices are at the core of an efficient and effective transportation system, which is critical to Wisconsin’s economic vitality and quality of life.
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Objectives
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• 4.a. Ensure adequate system mobility to support and enhance Wisconsin’s quality of life and economic competitiveness though system reliability, efficiency, and a resilient supply chain.
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• 4.b. Enhance transportation equity, access, mobility, and safety.
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• 4.c. Facilitate mode choice options that support transit use and active transportation such as bicycling and walking.
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• 4.d. Close gaps and create an inter-connected network of transportation facilities to move people and goods safely and efficiently.
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• 4.e. Promote and implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies to improve efficiency, equity, and access by developing a connected multimodal transportation system and reducing single occupancy vehicle travel.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

OPTIONS: Options- WisDOT is currently working to identify how Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies may increase mode choice options, improve system efficiency, and improve transportation equity and access.

CONNECTIONS: WisDOT financially supports the Hiawatha rail service between Chicago and Milwaukee. Hiawatha, the busiest route in the Midwest, served a record 880,000passengers in 2019. As part of the Hiawatha Service program, an Amtrak ThruwayI-41 Bus Service connects with the Hiawatha in Milwaukee and provides two daily round-trip buses between Green Bay and Milwaukee, with stops in Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac.  Similar to the financial support for the Hiawatha Service, WisDOT will join other States in supporting the new Twin Cities – Milwaukee – Chicago (TCMC) intercity passenger rail service when it is implemented.

MOBILITY: WisDOT is currently updating the Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan and Wisconsin Pedestrian Policy Plan, and combining them into the Wisconsin Active Transportation Plan 2050. The Active Transportation Plan will be a statewide long-range plan focused on human-powered modes of transportation, such as bicycling and walking.

Goal 5: Maximize technology benefits

Technological change occurs rapidly, and that trend is expected to continue from now through 2050. The purpose of this goal is to continue a proactive and agile approach to using new technologies that provide transportation benefits and increase the cost-effectiveness of transportation solutions.

Objectives
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• 5.a. Identify opportunities to integrate transportation and technology that will support WisDOT’s vision.
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• 5.b. Embrace technology and be agile in implementing technology-based solutions to improve all aspects of transportation including materials, safety, resiliency, operations, maintenance, and transportation system impacts on sensitive resources.
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• 5.c. Use technology and data to maximize transportation investment benefits.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

PROACTIVITY: We created the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle External Advisory Committee or WAVE in 2020 to gather input and advice about connected- and automated-vehicle-related planning priorities, policies, and impacts on the state’s transportation system.

AGILITY: Our Traffic Management Center monitors roadway conditions throughout the state from one location, allowing faster response for maintenance activities such as snowplow deployment, or emergency medical service for incidents.

EMBRACING: WisDOT installed a Truck Parking Information Management System or TPIMS that uses sensors and cameras to generate real-time information about truck parking availability. TPIMS enhances safety and efficiency, helping drivers plan their rest periods without having to exit the freeway.
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Goal 6: Maximize transportation safety

WisDOT has always prioritized transportation safety. A safe transportation system benefits all of Wisconsin, whether by providing safe highways for freight movement and vehicular traffic, safe ways for pedestrians to cross roadways, or safe and secure airport facilities.
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Objectives
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• 6.a. Develop and maintain a system that is safe and secure.
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• 6.b. Strategically align resources to make progress towards the goal of zero fatalities in Wisconsin.
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• 6.c. Leverage data and technology to improve safety.
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• 6.d. Research and implement innovative safety solutions that involve education, engineering, enforcement, emergency management, and everyone.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

RESEARCH: Replacing traditional intersections with roundabouts where warranted reduces severe injury crashes while also reducing traffic delays. As of May 2021, Wisconsin has 440 roundabouts, 256 are on the state trunk highway (STH) system and 184 are on local highways.
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STRATEGIZING: Centerline rumble strips have been shown to reduce head-on fatal and injury crashes by 44% on rural two-lane roads, and 64% on similar urban two-lane roads. Shoulder rumble strips, which alert drivers when their vehicle moves outside the driving lane, help lower fatal and injury lane-departure crashes by up to 29%.

‍FUNDING: The Wisconsin Highway Safety Improvement Program funds safety projects across the state such as intersection improvements, addressing sight-distance problems, eliminating roadside obstacles, and installing guardrails and barriers. The program, which also has a subprogram focusing on high-crash-risk rural roads, aims to reduce the number and severity of crashes on all streets and highways.
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Goal 7: Maximize transportation system resiliency and reliability

Resiliency is defined as the ability for the transportation system to continue operating in the face of an obstacle. Reliability is defined as the ability to successfully and consistently move people and goods when impacted by congestion, inclement weather, crashes, etc. Reliability and resiliency typically go hand in hand; if the system is resilient, it will be reliable for users.
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Objectives
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• 7.a. Develop physical and operational systems that are adept at preventing, preparing for, and coordinating responses to any incident, whether natural or the result of human activity.
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• 7.b. Emphasize system resiliency to reduce repair costs and improve safety and security.
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• 7.c. Identify and assess risk-based solutions for system vulnerabilities.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

EVALUATION: The Facilities Repeatedly Requiring Repair and Reconstruction or F4R program identifies and evaluates roadways and bridges with catastrophic damage from state emergency declarations on two or more occasions. These evaluations help assess repair and reconstruction costs relative to the likelihood of a future event, and present alternatives to consider.
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COORDINATION: Our living snow fence program, designed to reduce blowing snow, contributes to a reliable system by incentivizing property owners to strategically plant trees and shrubs along roadways resulting in 50-75% fewer winter weather-related crashes.

‍RELIABILITY: We track traffic patterns throughout the state to improve travel time reliability, so drivers can rely on consistent drive times and traffic flow. In 2019, our Interstate highways were 94.9% reliable person-miles traveled.
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Goal 8: Balance transportation needs with those of the natural environment, socioeconomic, historic, and cultural resources

The natural environment and Wisconsin’s cultural resources contribute greatly to our quality of life. We should develop and maintain the transportation system in a way that balances transportation needs with those of the landscapes in which transportation exists. Landscapes include the physical environment like waterways and forests, but also socioeconomic resources such as access to food.
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Objectives
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• 8.a. Develop a transportation system that avoids, minimizes, and compensates for environmental impacts.
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• 8.b. Prioritize emissions reduction and alternative fuels to improve air quality.
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• 8.c. Reduce waste and recycle materials during transportation projects.
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• 8.d. Consider cultural, socioeconomic, and historic resources during the project development process.
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• 8.e. Foster a safe and environmentally sensitive transportation system.

What are we doing now? Some Examples:

RESTORATION: Since beginning the wetland mitigation program in 1993, WisDOT projects have restored about 5,800 acres of wetlands in the state.
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INFRASTRUCTURE: Electric vehicle and alternative-fuel vehicles are growing across Wisconsin. Our Interstate highways (I-39, 41, 43, 90, 94 and 535) and US 53 and 151 are designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, part of a federal program to create a national network of alternative-fueling and charging infrastructure.

‍ENVIRONMENTLALLY SENSETIVE: WisDOT secured nearly $3.0 million of grant funding in 2018 from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Program to acquire battery electric buses and charging equipment for four rural public transit agencies.

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