Toll roads/lanes in Wisconsin?

[SSOWorld]

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/article_2e70b124-e097-11df-8976-001cc4c03286.html

This is an editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal, a Madison newspaper.  It also says that the Republican governor candidate Scott Walker likes this idea as well.  Worried that gas taxes will dwindle due to fuel economy and battery powered cars? gimme a break.   I don't mind toll roads, but I know the feds will have a field day if this were ever implemented (just ask PA Turnpike Commission), especially on the Interstates.

[froggie]

Not necessarily.  Federal law and FHWA policy supports new toll lanes (and especially new HO/T lanes), even on Interstates, as long as existing lanes remain free.  Witness the new HO/T lanes being built on the DC Beltway, for example.

[Brandon]

^^ As long as they're I-Pass compatible, we Flatlanders won't much care.

[triplemultiplex]

Wis-Pass?
Wi-Pass?
Cheese-Pass?

HOV/T lanes seem like a viable alternative in a few places around Milwaukee, especially on I-94 between downtown and Waukesha, instead of just expanding the freeway to eight general purpose lanes.

As far as new toll facilities, there really aren't any places in Wisconsin so much in need of a new four lane highway that we need to resort to toll roads to expedite construction.  That leaves the always popular "toll an existing freeway" option.

What Wisconsin can do is set up I-Pass tollbooths on several of our north-south corridors that collect tolls from FIB's only.  A couple between MKE & the border, a bunch on I-39; ones on I-43 & US 41 would definitely charge more the day of Packers-Bears games.
Heh.

[SSOWorld]

What Wisconsin can do is set up I-Pass tollbooths on several of our north-south corridors that collect tolls from FIB's only.  A couple between MKE & the border, a bunch on I-39; ones on I-43 & US 41 would definitely charge more the day of Packers-Bears games.
Heh.

Ouch - now that's just mean - oh wait...

Good idea!!!

[mightyace]

^^^

It's a good idea until Illinois returns the favor especially for the Packers-Bears games in Chicago.

Also, would games with Univ. of Wisconsin vs Illinois and/or Northwestern also be included?  

[Stephane Dumas]

Wis-Pass?
Wi-Pass?
Cheese-Pass?

Also, Milk-pass, Beer-pass, Fonzie-Pass, Mr.C-Pass

HOV/T lanes seem like a viable alternative in a few places around Milwaukee, especially on I-94 between downtown and Waukesha, instead of just expanding the freeway to eight general purpose lanes.

As far as new toll facilities, there really aren't any places in Wisconsin so much in need of a new four lane highway that we need to resort to toll roads to expedite construction.  That leaves the always popular "toll an existing freeway" option.

Maybe we could dust-off the proposed Milwaukee beltway as a tollway
http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/system_map.html

[JREwing78]

US-12 between the state line and Madison would be a prime candidate, especially if/when Illinois makes a suitable connection. Leave the original stretch of freeway as is, and toll the Elkhorn to Madison connection. The shorter distance would make it valuable for traffic to and from Chicago.

Certainly, any new freeway around Milwaukee or additional routes along the lakeshore would be good candidates as well.

Not sure, however, how you can make the business case for these in lieu of raising gas taxes. The lanes won't pay for themselves unless the free lanes are approaching congestion, and that still happens infrequently on most rural freeways.

[mgk920]

^^^

It's a good idea until Illinois returns the favor especially for the Packers-Bears games in Chicago.

Also, would games with Univ. of Wisconsin vs Illinois and/or Northwestern also be included? 

Naaaaah, just on US 151 for Wisconsin v. Iowa games and I-94 at the Saint Croix River on Badgers-Gophers gamedays.



Mike
Post Merge: October 28, 2010, 09:42:42 PM

US-12 between the state line and Madison would be a prime candidate, especially if/when Illinois makes a suitable connection. Leave the original stretch of freeway as is, and toll the Elkhorn to Madison connection. The shorter distance would make it valuable for traffic to and from Chicago.

Certainly, any new freeway around Milwaukee or additional routes along the lakeshore would be good candidates as well.

Not sure, however, how you can make the business case for these in lieu of raising gas taxes. The lanes won't pay for themselves unless the free lanes are approaching congestion, and that still happens infrequently on most rural freeways.

I agree on US 12 - if/when it is completed, it will take over as the main highway to/from Chicagoland to the northwest and I can easily see both states having to 'fast-track' six-lane upgrades on its entire route northwestward to Madison - prime for two tollgates (between I-39/90 and Fort Atkinson and on the Elkhorn-Whitewater 'corner cut') and it would work financially (the tollgates would have both cash and full-speed EZPass lanes).  Note that both existing major routes that run northwestward from Chicagoland (I-90 and I-94) are already tollways.

I have always looked upon US 12 between Chicagoland and Madison as being analogous to a dam that is about to fail.

As for Milwaukeeland, I wonder if building a new tollway between I-43 and US 41/45 across northern Milwaukee County would work.

Mike

[Cheesehead77]

I agree on the US 12 corridor...

What about splitting the triplex of I-39/90/94, and putting 39 on a new alignment further east of Madison.  It would re-connect just north of Portage.  I would put toll booths at Portage and the new 39 and 90 interchange, and leave the interchanges at 12/18, 94, and 151 open.

[SSOWorld]

Then wonder why I-39 is never travelled?

[3467]

http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/2040/priority-capital-projects

Not suprisingly we (Illinois) may not be of much help on US 12. IDOT has tossed the Richmond bypass to McHenry county
However the Tollway may build teh route 53 extension. It may consider the extension to US 12 but like Illinois 120 it may be a tolled arterial

On the other hand you may want to look at tolled arterials Apparently they are viable now with Cheesepath technology . I am thinking of Wisconsin 11 from Beloit to Dubuque. Illinois has basically shelved the US 20 freeway as too expensive at 20 million a milllion a mile. Would WI 11 be less expensive. Could tolls pay for part of it?
Is WisDOT more creative than IDOT?

[JREwing78]

If you're splitting up I-39 and I-90, I-90 should be the one to split off by following the US 14 corridor to Madison, then the US-12 corridor to rejoin I-94 near Wisconsin Dells. The eastern route is already pretty well covered by the WI 26 upgrades.

As for a toll WI 11, it'd be a hard sell diverting traffic from US 20 in sufficient volume to make it viable, and it's really not that busy by itself.

[SEWIGuy]

Wisconsin has recently committed to expanding I-39/90 from Beloit to Madison, which would mean three lanes from the state line to the I-39 split near Portage.  Funding this with a toll component is really the only thing that makes sense, especially considering the traffic that comes up from Illinois on the weekends.

As for US-12, I have lived within two blocks of the highway in Fort Atkinson for the past 15 years.  Outside of heavier traffic, but certainly not unreasonably heavier, on summer weekends, four lanes certainly are not warranted.  (I would cut the corner from Elkhorn to Whitewater though.)  If Illinois ever gets their act together and improves their portion of US-12, which is likely too cost prohibitive at this point, that may change however.

And re-routing I-39 or I-90 will not happen.  It's really just pie-in-the-sky thinking.

[tchafe1978]

Most of the people I kow are against toll roads in Wisconsin. THere's a reason why Wisconsinites hate driving to Chicago: the tollways. Even if you don't have to stop and throw change in a basket anymore, just the memory of doing that is enough to bring up vile thoughts about Illinois. I don't think Wisconsin wants to turn into Illinois, althought it would be nice to stick it to the FIB's. Besides, they help pay for our roads anyways if they buy gas here.

[hobsini2]

I would be in favor of US 12 freeway (as it had been planned) to be built as a tollway and connect it directly into IL 53 at Lake Cook Rd.  I don't like the current 53 plan to go up to 120 then split.  Jusr make it from Lake Cook to Genoa City.  Once this is built (if ever), the route can be...wait for it...I-290!  That's right. extend 290 all the way to Madison and possibly up the 12 corridor to the Dells.  This somewhat goes against one of my pet peeves (3dis that go longer than 100 miles) but it would fit nicely.