A Transportation Improvement Program for Southeastern Wisconsin: 2007-2010

The transportation improvement program (TIP) is a listing of all arterial highway, public transit, and other transportation improvement projects proposed to be carried out by State and local governments over the next four years (2007-2010) in the seven-county Southeastern Wisconsin Region. The TIP indicates the transportation system improvement priorities of State and local governments in Southeastern Wisconsin by their programming of projects in each of the next four years. Federal regulations require that transit, arterial highway, and other improvement projects proposed to be implemented in the next four years with Federal U.S. Department of Transportation funding be included in this transportation improvement program if these projects are to be eligible for capital or operating Federal funding.

The TIP was compiled by an interagency staff team drawn from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation; the Milwaukee County Department of Public Works; the Milwaukee County Transit System; the City of Milwaukee; and the Regional Planning Commission. This staff team contacted all local engineers, planners, and transit operators within the Region in an attempt to include all proposed State and local government transportation projects in the TIP. The TIP is reviewed by the Regional Planning Commission’s Advisory Committees for Transportation System Planning and Programming for the Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine urbanized areas. These committees are comprised of local elected and appointed officials and agency representatives responsible for transportation system improvement, operation, and maintenance within each urbanized area. The TIP is also reviewed by the Regional Planning Commission for consistency with the Regional Transportation System Plan.

The project-by-project listing of the 2007-2010 transportation improvement program includes for each project a brief description; estimated costs; estimated levels of Federal, State, and local funding; and the State or local unit of government sponsor responsible for project implementation. The 2007-2010 TIP contains 683 projects representing a total potential investment in transportation improvements and services of $2.59 billion over the next four years. Of this total, $1.38 billion, or about 54 percent, is proposed to be provided in Federal aids; $805 million, or about 31 percent, in State funds; and $398 million, or about 15 percent, in local funds.

About 32 percent of the four-year 2007-2010 TIP proposed expenditures, or about $837 million, are programmed in 2007, the first year of the TIP. A significant proportion of the 2007 financial resources are devoted to the preservation of existing transportation facilities and services—about $663 million or 79 percent. The expenditure of funds for highway expansion—the construction of new arterials—is about $35 million, or about 4 percent, of total programmed expenditures in the Region. The expenditures for highway improvements—widening existing arterials—are about $54 million, or about 6 percent of total expenditures. A significant portion of total financial resources is devoted to public transit projects, which account for about $181 million, or 22 percent of programmed funding. Of the programmed funding for public transit, about 89 percent is programmed for preservation of existing services, and about 8 percent for service improvement and about 3 percent for service expansion.

To download a copy of the TIP click HERE.

The Advisory Committees on Transportation System Planning and Programming in the Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine Urbanized Areas met on November 15, 2006, and approved the TIP. The TIP was adopted by the Commission at is meeting held on December 6, 2006.

The public was invited to review and submit comments on the draft Transportation Improvement Program for Southeastern Wisconsin: 2007-2010 during a public comment period that started on November 6, 2006 and ended on December 5, 2006. A public informational meeting was held on November 15, 2006. Commission staff was available in an “open house” format to individually answer questions and provide information about the TIP. Two formats were made available during the public informational meeting to comment on the draft TIP: 1) oral comment given to commission staff, or 2) written comments submitted to the Commission. Persons with special needs were asked to contact the Commission offices a minimum of 3 business days in advance so that appropriate arrangements could be made.