Tuesday, August 12, 2008

WisDOT: We Want Mo' MONEY!!

That hike in auto-registration fees? The damn-near-highest gas tax? Higher drivers' license fees?

Not enough for DOT and the RoadBuilders.

WisDOT’s inability to assess developers for road improvements is another example that there are not many sources of highway money in Wisconsin, said Craig Thompson, executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. Although the state must rely on gas taxes and registration fees in the upcoming biennial budget, it’s time to consider new sources of money, including assessments on developments, he said.

“We’re looking at it,” he said, “and it’s one idea amongst many.”

Although I'm not opposed to assessing developers for the road-building necessary for new developments, I AM curious about the "amongst many" phrase.

Of course, we could stop widening roads that nobody uses, such as Hy. 151 southwest of Madistan...

HT: FoxPolitics

4 comments:

Ken & Carol said...

Are the Mad Hatters no longer the People's Republic of M . . .? Keep up the good work. Once a cheesehead, always a cheesehead.

Billiam said...

Umm... Dad, 151 is a favorite of truckers who, you know, bring damn near everything people use.. Making 151 4 lanes made it safer. It also cut down the time it took to get to that part of Wisconsin and Iowa.

Dad29 said...

Yah. But still, there's almost zero traffic on that road.

And how do you define "safer"?

Another way to put it: if "safer" is the objective, then why aren't all roads 4-lane?

Billiam said...

Safer in that there are exits now, so less traffic pulling out in front of you. A left lane for passing slower traffic, and better visability over all. There is more than 'zero' traffic on that road, as I've been on it many times. More truck traffic. There are certain hwys such as us 10 and wi 21 that should be 4 lane all the way across, just as US 41 should be 6 lanes from milw to marinette. When they made wi 29 4 lanes, they made that route, a major one between Green Bay and Minneapolis safer and faster.