Wisconsin notes

[SSOWorld]

From the La Crosse Tribune article:

In 2011, the DOT built a four-lane connecting highway between Viroqua and Westby. The stretch, coined as the "Uff-da-ban,"  took land away from adjacent farms, but made the trip between the two cities a seven-minute drive.

"Uff-da-ban"?   
We might have to explain that one for our non-upper Midwest members.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uff_da

uff-da_Bahn is probably what he wants to say.

[jhuntin1]

New Zoo interchange animations/drive thrus have been posted on the WisDOT YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/dvp4HKAUhj0 -- there looks to be about 4 or 5 animations.

I'm surprised the signage in the videos still refers to US 41 rather than Interstate 41.

[GeekJedi]

Because it's still US-41.  To do the animation with I-41 signage would be confusing.  Many people are still unaware of the impending change.

[GeekJedi]

uff-da_Bahn is probably what he wants to say.

We call WI-83 between Wales and Mukwonago the "Mukwonabahn". 

[Revive 755]

New Zoo interchange animations/drive thrus have been posted on the WisDOT YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/dvp4HKAUhj0 -- there looks to be about 4 or 5 animations.

Since when is the yellow left banner needed for ramps that initially split from the right side of the freeway?  The animation for NB to WB has one at 1:09, and the animation for SB to EB has one at 1:21

[Big John]

Because it's still US-41.  To do the animation with I-41 signage would be confusing.  Many people are still unaware of the impending change.

The current US 41 does not go that way.  This is an area where US 41 will be relocated to coincide with I-41.

[mgk920]

A couple of Wisconsin political notes that are germane to this forvm.

I don't have an article link handy, but apparently the Scott Walker administration is seriously studying the idea of converting Wisconsin's volume-based retail fuel tax to a percentage of the price based tax (he's calling it a special 'sales' tax), at a rate to be set as being revenue-neutral on the day that such a conversion would be made.

This is an interesting idea that I've been positing a lot about in recent years and we'll see where it goes assuming that Walker wins re-election on 2014-11-04.

Another item on the Wisconsin ballot next month is a binding referendum that would amend the state's Constitution to place a legal 'firewall' around the transportation segregated fund.  During the 'double-aughts', former Governor James Doyle repeatedly raided that fund to cover parts of major general fund budget shortfalls.

Mike

[GeekJedi]

It would not pain me to see that "firewall" put up.  It was a mistake for Doyle to raid that fund - we had some of the best roads in the Midwest, and in a few short years we saw the brakes applied on several worthwhile projects.

Pardon my ignorance on the subject, but what would a change in the fuel tax look like to consumers?

[SEWIGuy]

It would not pain me to see that "firewall" put up.  It was a mistake for Doyle to raid that fund - we had some of the best roads in the Midwest, and in a few short years we saw the brakes applied on several worthwhile projects.

Well it is inaccurate to say that Doyle raided the fund.  For the first six years that Doyle was governor, the Republicans controlled the state Assembly.  They were complicit in the raid of the funds from the beginning.

I have mixed thoughts and can see both sides of the issue.  On the one hand, it isn't written in stone that fuel taxes must be used for roads or other transportation.  On the other it does make it hard to plan long term without some sort of understanding of how much money is available in the future.

[tchafe1978]

A "Yes" vote is to amend the state constitution to say that money collected for transportation can only be used for transportation. I'm not sure how I feel on this either. Part of me says that money collected for that purpose should only be used for that purpose. But part of me also says that if a need arises in some other part of the state budget, and the transportation fund has a surplus, then there should be no reason why we shouldn't be able to use that money somewhere else instead of making cuts or raising taxes elsewhere.

[Revive 755]

A couple of Wisconsin political notes that are germane to this forvm.

I don't have an article link handy, but apparently the Scott Walker administration is seriously studying the idea of converting Wisconsin's volume-based retail fuel tax to a percentage of the price based tax (he's calling it a special 'sales' tax), at a rate to be set as being revenue-neutral on the day that such a conversion would be made.

I thought Wisconsin use to have a small percentage based tax on fuel that was repealed a few years ago?

A "Yes" vote is to amend the state constitution to say that money collected for transportation can only be used for transportation. I'm not sure how I feel on this either. Part of me says that money collected for that purpose should only be used for that purpose. But part of me also says that if a need arises in some other part of the state budget, and the transportation fund has a surplus, then there should be no reason why we shouldn't be able to use that money somewhere else instead of making cuts or raising taxes elsewhere.

Has there ever been a time a transportation fund anywhere has had a surplus?  There's almost always a road or bridge that needs repairs or upgrading, and Wisconsin certainly has the corridors that could use upgrading - US 12 from Madison to I-43 for example.

[tchafe1978]

A couple of Wisconsin political notes that are germane to this forvm.

I don't have an article link handy, but apparently the Scott Walker administration is seriously studying the idea of converting Wisconsin's volume-based retail fuel tax to a percentage of the price based tax (he's calling it a special 'sales' tax), at a rate to be set as being revenue-neutral on the day that such a conversion would be made.

I thought Wisconsin use to have a small percentage based tax on fuel that was repealed a few years ago?

A "Yes" vote is to amend the state constitution to say that money collected for transportation can only be used for transportation. I'm not sure how I feel on this either. Part of me says that money collected for that purpose should only be used for that purpose. But part of me also says that if a need arises in some other part of the state budget, and the transportation fund has a surplus, then there should be no reason why we shouldn't be able to use that money somewhere else instead of making cuts or raising taxes elsewhere.

Has there ever been a time a transportation fund anywhere has had a surplus?  There's almost always a road or bridge that needs repairs or upgrading, and Wisconsin certainly has the corridors that could use upgrading - US 12 from Madison to I-43 for example.

I realize having a surplus in the transportation fund is very unlikely, as there are always projects needing done, but if there ever was....

[mgk920]

A couple of Wisconsin political notes that are germane to this forvm.

I don't have an article link handy, but apparently the Scott Walker administration is seriously studying the idea of converting Wisconsin's volume-based retail fuel tax to a percentage of the price based tax (he's calling it a special 'sales' tax), at a rate to be set as being revenue-neutral on the day that such a conversion would be made.

I thought Wisconsin use to have a small percentage based tax on fuel that was repealed a few years ago?

It's always been 'volume-based'.  What was repealed a few years ago was an annual administrative adjustment in the rate to keep it level with inflation.  "RAISING TAXES WITHOUT VOTING ON IT!!!!  " was a common refrain from the discussion circles in the mid to late double-aughts.

Mike

[triplemultiplex]

The referendum on the segregated transportation fund is too inflexible.  There should be a mechanism for diverting funds if it is in the best interest of the state budget.  Roads are nice but if push comes to shove, I do not have a problem delaying or cancelling a highway expansion.

The referendum is worded in absolute terms so it would require another referendum or the passage of a law to overrule it.  Government needs to be flexible to respond to changes and the referendum this year is a step away from that.  Especially in a state where a "balanced budget" is the law.

[mgk920]

The referendum on the segregated transportation fund is too inflexible.  There should be a mechanism for diverting funds if it is in the best interest of the state budget.  Roads are nice but if push comes to shove, I do not have a problem delaying or cancelling a highway expansion.

The referendum is worded in absolute terms so it would require another referendum or the passage of a law to overrule it.  Government needs to be flexible to respond to changes and the referendum this year is a step away from that.  Especially in a state where a "balanced budget" is the law.

That is an amendment to the state's Constitution and if passed, any changes to it (as with any other amendment to the state Constitution in Wisconsin) will require the proposed amendment to pass two consecutive sessions of the legislature in identical form and then a binding statewide referendum election.  There is no citizen-initiative process for enacting statewide laws in Wisconsin.  (Note, the only places in Wisconsin where where binding citizen-initiative referenda are allowed is for municipal charter ordinance amendments and for a very limited set of other purposes, such as initiating or challenging municipal annexations.)

Mike

[JREwing78]

Hwy 73 between I-39/90 and US-12/18 is now open to through traffic, and it is very nicely done. Travel lanes are considerably wider, as are the shoulders. All the sharp curves are straightened and the hills and dips flattened.

As anticipated with the pending I-39/90 construction, they have also installed scales and pulloffs for truck enforcement.

[SSOWorld]

I was kind of intrigued by the US-2 alternate route in Ashland and why it was there.  Think hard - the main road is level with the bay and right along it and there are very few trees to protect against wind driven snow.  WisDOT installed gate beams at the road to Washburn and the connection to WIS 112 (which junctions with the alt route).

[on_wisconsin]

Just an update:

The transportation fund amendment passed with 80% of voters saying yes.

[SSOWorld]

Now if they just catch up with the neighbors and pass a 70 mph speed limit

[merrycilantro]

^^AMEN!!!

[mgk920]

Driving around the last few days, I've been noting that WisDOT is now installing a generous number of freeway cams on US 10, US(I)-41 and WI 441 here in the Appleton area, the last major metro in the state without a significant number of them (there already are a couple of them on US(I)-41 on the south edge of the Neenah area).

When they are turned on over the next month or so, they'll be available with all of the rest of them statewide at http://www.511wi.gov/web/traffic/cameras.aspx , then go to Outagamie and Winnebago Counties (with perhaps a couple under Calumet County).



Mike

[DaBigE]

Driving around the last few days, I've been noting that WisDOT is now installing a generous number of freeway cams on US 10, US(I)-41 and WI 441 here in the Appleton area, the last major metro in the state without a significant number of them (there already are a couple of them on US(I)-41 on the south edge of the Neenah area).

When they are turned on over the next month or so, they'll be available with all of the rest of them statewide at http://www.511wi.gov/web/traffic/cameras.aspx , then go to Outagamie and Winnebago Counties (with perhaps a couple under Calumet County).



Mike

Get ready to see many more installed now that the laws have changed. It used to be that cameras could only go in along with reconstruction projects. Now WisDOT has the freedom to install cams and other ITS projects pretty-much at-will.

[SSOWorld]

That's been that way for some time.  What's the body count up to now by the way?

[Big John]

That's been that way for some time.  What's the body count up to now by the way?

Just under 300

http://511wi.gov/Web/traffic/cameras.aspx

[SSOWorld]

actually I was referring to these...

http://511wi.gov/Web/traffic/message_signs.aspx