Statewide Action Alert on Trail Funding:
The Badger State Trail, along with 91 other bicycle/pedestrian projects in communities throughout the state will go unfunded by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Trails, paths, and lanes will not be built because of a funding shortfall.
Much of the funding shortfall is because the state only spends about 30% of the funds that the federal government designates for Transportation Enhancements. The state could chose to spend over $30 million every two years on these projects, but instead recently only provided $9.8 million for the same period. The WisDOT instead uses the funding for other projects like highways. In recent years, the WisDOT has worked to add some token amounts back to the Transportation Enhancement program through a program called Surface Transportation Program-Discretionary (STP-D), but those efforts were eliminated by the Joint Finance Committee in the state budget process.
The 2005-2007 total budget for the WisDOT was $5.8 billion. Transportation Enhancements in Wisconsin amounted to less than 0.2% of the transportation budget.
What can you do?
Before November 15th, send a letter to the Secretary of Transporation asking that Transportation Enhancements be funded at the full 10% of the Surface Transportation funding (or about $15-$18 million PER YEAR)
Frank Busalacchi, Secretary
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Hill Farms State Transportation Building
4802 Sheboygan Avenue
P.O. Box 7910
Madison, WI 53707-7910
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(608) 266-1114
Executive Director
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400
P.O. Box 1224
Madison, WI 53701-1224
Phone: 608-251-4456
Fax: 608-251-4594
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: www.bfw.org
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is a proud member of Community Shares of Wisconsin, and Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee
Bike for Wisconsin Ride, September 17, 2006, Cedarburg, WI
Saris Gala, October 20, 2006, Madison, WI
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