Business Routes in Wisconsin

[SEWIGuy]

Are business routes really worth it?  Or are they usually things promoted by a chamber of commerce without any evidence that they actually work?

[SSOWorld]

The only two WISDOT business routes are Bus 51 in the Wausau area and Bus 51 between the Stevens Point south limits to I-39/US 51.  Bus 51 within Stevens Point is locally designated.  The rest of the routes are locally designated.  Back in 2004, WISDOT was pressuring communities to decommission their business routes.  Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh, and Plymouth all decommissioned their business routes. Even though Bus 42 in Manitowoc runs along state highways, the city of Manitowoc designates it and WISDOT was trying to get Manitowoc to decommission it, but refused, according to wisconsinhighways.org.

Add Mount Horeb to that list as of last year.

[peterj920]

Are business routes really worth it?  Or are they usually things promoted by a chamber of commerce without any evidence that they actually work?

I think communities want them after the initial "shock" of being bypassed.  Most of the business routes that are around today are communities that were bypasses within the last 25 years.  There still are some older than that (Green Lake, Beaver Dam, Waupun, Sun Prairie, Columbus) to name a few.  The communities that gave up their business routes in 2004 were bypassed over 20 years prior and businesses sprawled out to the newer alignment in most cases.

[SEWIGuy]

And oftentimes that's not where the business develops anyway.  For instance, getting off at Business 26 in Fort Atkinson on both the north and south sides of town is a wasteland.  The US-12 exit is where the restaurants and gas stations are.

[peterj920]

And oftentimes that's not where the business develops anyway.  For instance, getting off at Business 26 in Fort Atkinson on both the north and south sides of town is a wasteland.  The US-12 exit is where the restaurants and gas stations are.

At the north Wis 26/Bus 26 interchange, was the road planned on being extended to Wis 89 or was there a proposal for a business development?  There were traffic signals at the south ramps when the Ft. Atkinson bypass opened as a Super 2, but was replaced with stop signs when the bypass was twinned.  I was wondering if the signals were there to accommodate a future expansion of the road northward.

[SEWIGuy]

At the north Wis 26/Bus 26 interchange, was the road planned on being extended to Wis 89 or was there a proposal for a business development? 

No. It wasn't even Highway 89 at the time of the bypass' initial planning.  It was County Q.  WI-89 was routed along this highway before construction was finished.

There were traffic signals at the south ramps when the Ft. Atkinson bypass opened as a Super 2, but was replaced with stop signs when the bypass was twinned.  I was wondering if the signals were there to accommodate a future expansion of the road northward.

No I simply think they anticipated more traffic, especially with the north side business park.  Those stoplights were routinely ignored because there was absolutely no traffic.

[The Ghostbuster]

Previously, Highway 89 used to duplex with Highway 26 from their junction in Fort Atkinson northward to US 18 in Jefferson. Highway 89 then duplexed with US 18 back to its present day alignment. I believe Highway 89 was relocated onto former County Highway Q's alignment around 1990. The Fort Atkinson bypass didn't open until the mid-90's, so SEWIGuy is correct.

[peterj920]

Another interesting thing that occurs is that 2 separate business routes for Wis 26 end within about a mile of each other.  I wonder if there are any other cases of separate business routes for the same parent route beginning/ending that close.

[paulthemapguy]

Here are some business routes I am aware of in Wisconsin.

Business 13 in Marshfield (Removed in 2010 after Central Av. Project)
Business 51 in Stevens Point-Plover (Will become local after Post Rd. Project)
Business 51 in Wausau (Kept becuase it connects many businesses and communities in the Wausau area)
Business 29 in Chippewa Falls (Still signed throughout Chippewa Falls)
Business 53 in Eau Claire (Also still signed, more commonly called Hastlings Way)
Business 10 in Neillsville (Signed as CTH-B)
Business 29 in Abbotsford (Another well-maintained route)

I would add to this list:
Business 26 in Watertown
Business 53 in Solon Springs
Business 41 in Peshtigo
Business 41 in Oconto
Business 29 in Shawano
Business 151 in Sun Prairie

Most are probably municipally maintained.

[peterj920]

Business 11 Monroe
Business 40 Bruce
Business 141 Coleman/Pound
Business 23 Green Lake
Business 42/57 Sturgeon Bay
Business 42 Manitowoc
Business 151 Columbus/Beaver Dam/Waupun/Mineral Point/Platteville
Business 45 New London
Business 26 Ft. Atkinson/Jefferson
Business 41 in De Pere runs between I-41 and Wis 32 but is unsigned
US 151 has the most business routes. 

[SEWIGuy]

Business 26 in Milton.

[gr8daynegb]

Add in Bus US-12 from Lake Delton to just south of Baraboo.....and another Business 12 near Sauk Prairie


Remembering old days when Bus 13 was in Wis Rapids along Wis 54 as well

(Sorry for bumping thread)

[thspfc]

US-151 has the most business routes.

Makes sense. It's the only long non-Interstate freeway/expressway in the state (unless you want to count 26, but I think Johnson Creek breaks it up).

[SEWIGuy]

US-151 has the most business routes.

Makes sense. It's the only long non-Interstate freeway/expressway in the state (unless you want to count 26, but I think Johnson Creek breaks it up).

WI-29 is longer and US-53 is just a little shorter.

[thspfc]

My list of all business routes in WI:
151/Platteville
151/Mineral Point
18+151/Mt Horeb
18+151/Verona
14/Oregon
151/Sun Prairie
14/Janesville
26/Fort Atkinson
12/Whitewater
26/Jefferson
26/Watertown
16/Oconomowoc (?)
151/Columbus
151/Beaver Dam
151/Waupun
12/Sauk Prairie
12/Baraboo
35/Holmen+Onalaska
35/River Falls
12/Eau Claire
53/Eau Claire+Lake Hallie
29/Chippewa Falls
29/Abbotsford
51/Wausau
29/Wittenberg (?)
29/Shawano+Bonduel
42+57/Sturgeon Bay
45/New London
10/Amherst+Amherst Jct. (?)
51/Stevens Point+Plover
13/Marshfield
13/Wis Rapids
10/Niellsville
53/Minong
53/Solon Springs
2/Ironwood+Hurley (not sure if it officially exists in Hurley or not, but I know it does in Ironwood)
41/Peshtigo
41/Oconto
141/Coleman+Pound
8/Rhinelander
64/Somerset
64/New Richmond
26/Milton

Per route:
8 business routes: US-151
4 business routes: US-12, WI-26, WI-29
3 business routes: US-53
2 business routes: US-10, WI-13, US-14, US-18, WI-35, US-41, US-51, WI-64
1 business route: US-2 (maybe), US-8, WI-16, WI-42, US-45, WI-57, US-141

I for sure missed some, so speak up if you find another one. I will edit this post accordingly.

[SEWIGuy]

Milton has a WI-26 business route.

[thspfc]

Milton has a WI-26 business route.

Thanks.

[SSOWorld]

My list of all business routes in WI:
151/Platteville
151/Mineral Point
18+151/Mt Horeb depends on who you believe - signed west of WIS-92, only one sign at ID's exit but not on the BGSs
18+151/Verona
14/Oregon
151/Sun Prairie
14/Janesville
26/Fort Atkinson
12/Whitewater
26/Jefferson
26/Watertown
16/Oconomowoc (?)
151/Columbus
151/Beaver Dam
151/Waupun
12/Sauk Prairie
12/Baraboo
35/Holmen+Onalaska
35/River Falls
12/Eau Claire
53/Eau Claire+Lake Hallie
29/Chippewa Falls
29/Abbotsford
51/Wausau
29/Wittenberg (?) yes
29/Shawano+Bonduel drops south prior
42+57/Sturgeon Bay
45/New London
10/Amherst+Amherst Jct. (?)
51/Stevens Point+Plover Point portion stricken from the books and now locally maintained, signs linger though
13/Marshfield
13/Wis Rapids
10/Niellsville
53/Minong
53/Solon Springs
2/Ironwood+Hurley (not sure if it officially exists in Hurley or not, but I know it does in Ironwood) not in Hurley
41/Peshtigo
41/Oconto
141/Coleman+Pound
8/Rhinelander not signed
64/Somerset
64/New Richmond
26/Milton

Per route:
8 business routes: US-151
4 business routes: US-12, WI-26, WI-29
3 business routes: US-53
2 business routes: US-10, WI-13, US-14, US-18, WI-35, US-41, US-51, WI-64
1 business route: US-2 (maybe), US-8, WI-16, WI-42, US-45, WI-57, US-141

I for sure missed some, so speak up if you find another one. I will edit this post accordingly.

Also 11 and 69 in Monroe.

Too bad there's no route log.

[thspfc]

My list of all business routes in WI:
151/Platteville
151/Mineral Point
18+151/Mt Horeb depends on who you believe - signed west of WIS-92, only one sign at ID's exit but not on the BGSs
18+151/Verona
14/Oregon
151/Sun Prairie
14/Janesville
26/Fort Atkinson
12/Whitewater
26/Jefferson
26/Watertown
16/Oconomowoc (?)
151/Columbus
151/Beaver Dam
151/Waupun
12/Sauk Prairie
12/Baraboo
35/Holmen+Onalaska
35/River Falls
12/Eau Claire
53/Eau Claire+Lake Hallie
29/Chippewa Falls
29/Abbotsford
51/Wausau
29/Wittenberg (?) yes
29/Shawano+Bonduel drops south prior
42+57/Sturgeon Bay
45/New London
10/Amherst+Amherst Jct. (?)
51/Stevens Point+Plover Point portion stricken from the books and now locally maintained, signs linger though
13/Marshfield
13/Wis Rapids
10/Niellsville
53/Minong
53/Solon Springs
2/Ironwood+Hurley (not sure if it officially exists in Hurley or not, but I know it does in Ironwood) not in Hurley
41/Peshtigo
41/Oconto
141/Coleman+Pound
8/Rhinelander not signed
64/Somerset
64/New Richmond
26/Milton

Per route:
8 business routes: US-151
4 business routes: US-12, WI-26, WI-29
3 business routes: US-53
2 business routes: US-10, WI-13, US-14, US-18, WI-35, US-41, US-51, WI-64
1 business route: US-2 (maybe), US-8, WI-16, WI-42, US-45, WI-57, US-141

I for sure missed some, so speak up if you find another one. I will edit this post accordingly.

Also 11 and 69 in Monroe.

Too bad there's no route log.

BUS-51 in Plover/Stevens Point exists and is well signed.
BUS-53 in Eau Claire definitely exists:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.7812845,-91.4416141,3a,15.3y,306.31h,96.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sitAUecnmB9k9R7yr71egaQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Google Maps shows that BUS-12 in Eau Claire, BUS-13 in Marshfield, and BUS-14 in Janesville all exist.
I wasn't sure about Oconomowoc, Amherst, or Hurley so thanks for clarifying. And I guess I was wrong about River Falls, Wis Rapids, and Niellsville. Also I figured that BUS-8 in Rhinelander was not signed, but listed it anyway.
Thanks!

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Was 53 BUS in Superior officially stricken? I know it's not signed.

[gr8daynegb]

The Business 13 in Wisconsin Rapids has not been signed for awhile now as signs were removed before rerouting Hwy 54 in the Rapids. Decent number of these routes now only seem to live on in old maps or our GPS's.

Business 51 is well signed in Plover/Point area.....if anything changed the signage says still alive and strong

[SEWIGuy]

These business routes are largely remnants of the past and completely unnecessary, especially with the advent of the blue signage that indicates services all over the place.

One that I know well is the Bus WI-26 route in Fort Atkinson, which doesn't get you near any services on either end.  But the US-12 exit has multiple gas stations, restaurants and hotels.

The Bus WI-26 in Milton is pretty absurd, and was put in place only after a gas station owner complained to his state assemblyman about the lack of an exit on the south end of Milton cutting off his station.  Which he bought after all of the WI-26 bypass plans were published!

Anyway, from the south, that business route exits off of WI-26 at WI-59, goes into downtown, then heads north on the old highway 26 to the County Highway N exit - about two miles outside of town.  A ridiculous route that doesn't even serve the aforementioned gas station.

[hobsini2]

I just found out that sometime between 2016-2018, BUS WIS 23 was removed from Green Lake. That route made a lot of sense though since 23 just completely bypasses the city. But ok.

[SSOWorld]

Was 53 BUS in Superior officially stricken? I know it's not signed.

It is stricken.

The Business 13 in Wisconsin Rapids has not been signed for awhile now as signs were removed before rerouting Hwy 54 in the Rapids. Decent number of these routes now only seem to live on in old maps or our GPS's.

Business 51 is well signed in Plover/Point area.....if anything changed the signage says still alive and strong

the Point/Plover Business 51 remains signed yes, but the state relinquished control of the Point portion last year and it ceased to exist in Point's mind.  Point does not do a good job of signing.  It sure doesn't help that US-51(I-39) Exit 161 still has Bus 51 on its signs.

[thspfc]

Was 53 BUS in Superior officially stricken? I know it's not signed.

It is stricken.

The Business 13 in Wisconsin Rapids has not been signed for awhile now as signs were removed before rerouting Hwy 54 in the Rapids. Decent number of these routes now only seem to live on in old maps or our GPS's.

Business 51 is well signed in Plover/Point area.....if anything changed the signage says still alive and strong

the Point/Plover Business 51 remains signed yes, but the state relinquished control of the Point portion last year and it ceased to exist in Point's mind.  Point does not do a good job of signing.  It sure doesn't help that US-51(I-39) Exit 161 still has Bus 51 on its signs.

Got it.