transportation

The downtown freeway is in the middle of a makeover. Part of the High Rise Bridge is getting a concrete overlay, with construction affecting traffic within the Marquette Interchange.

There are long-term closures of a number of lanes and freeway ramps. To many drivers, work on the freeway has become a nuisance -- and feels like it's never-ending, but some experts on highway construction say the bridge is right on schedule.

After years of traffic fatalities and injury accidents trending down, both are now on the rise and are soaring to levels not seen in recent years. As police regroup, Milwaukee residents are grappling with the idea that a green light doesn’t mean it’s safe to go.

One night last November, Nicole Demmith was washing the dishes at her home near the intersection of Muskego and Becher streets when she heard yet another car accident outside her door — only this one came with a particularly awful clap of thunder and metal.

Milwaukee lawmakers are getting creative when it comes to trying to ensure city residents are not left out of the expected job boom that will be created by Foxconn. One alderman is now floating the idea of expanding the footprint of the city.

Annexation, the act of incorporating new territory into the domain of a city, country or state, is not a term thrown around a lot these days. At a Milwaukee common council committee meeting on Tuesday, it got some play.

Reckless driving is a problem in Milwaukee. So far this year, around 60 people have been killed in vehicle accidents. To help make streets safer, some lawmakers are now considering traffic and red light cameras, but not everyone believes that’s the right direction.

It’s not unusual in Milwaukee for drivers to whip by waiting vehicles using turn lanes and bike lanes, ignore red lights, or weave in and out of traffic, sometimes completing daredevil stunts you would only expect to see in a video game. Sometimes the cars hit speeds that would be reckless even on the interstate.

The Joint Finance committee held a marathon session Tuesday and in the end, advanced some huge policy items. The panel approved a road funding plan that would delay a couple of major freeway projects in Milwaukee County, plus impose new fees on electric and hybrid cars. Lawmakers also rubber stamped a number of changes to the Foxconn deal, and sent the bill back to the Assembly for another vote.

Two Milwaukee neighborhoods may become more connected to the city in the coming months with the help of multi-use trails. The new trails were recommended by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that transforms unused rail corridors into walking and bike trails.

How to pay for roads? It’s a question states across the country are struggling with, including in Wisconsin. While some Republicans are pushing for all revenue options to be on the table, Governor Walker has said he will not raise taxes, including the gas tax, unless there’s a corresponding decline somewhere else in the budget. 

Thursday, some members of the GOP may unveil a new transportation funding scheme. It involves placing a sales tax on gasoline, flattening the income tax and moving away from the state’s Great Depression-era minimum mark-up law.

Updated March 23, 2017:

The tug-of-war continues between public and private choice schools in Milwaukee over transportation costs.

Last fall, a pair of Milwaukee voucher schools approached MPS, asking the district to reimburse them for the cost of student bus service.

Now, one of those programs is suing MPS.

If there’s one state issue that riles a lot of Wisconsin leaders these days, it’s transportation. Wisconsin could face a $1 billion shortfall in its next transportation budget. Should lawmakers scale back projects or find more money?

An Assembly committee held the first hearing Tuesday on the Department of Transportation's spending plan. Legislators from both political parties questioned the administration’s priorities.

Wisconsin is facing a $1 billion deficit in its transportation fund.

Gov. Walker has proposed delaying road projects because he does not support upping the gas tax or vehicle registration fee. Republican lawmaker Rob Hutton plans to reintroduce legislation that would eliminate the state’s prevailing wage when it comes to road projects.

The state of Wisconsin has had a prevailing wage law since the early 1930s. It requires companies that contract with the state to pay their employees the certain wage, benefits and overtime, based on the area in which they’ll be working.

Hundreds of Milwaukeeans ride the bus every day to jobs in Waukesha County. But the funding that helps pay for the routes will dry up in a couple of years. So leaders are spreading the word about the routes' successes in hopes the service will continue -- and even grow.

Milwaukee leaders often call for businesses to create more jobs in the central city. Yet until that dream comes to fruition, hundreds of residents are finding work miles from home and using Milwaukee County buses to get there.

Gov. Scott Walker is drawing sharp criticism for his plan to delay highway projects, including the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee. In the past, the governor has hailed the interchange as key to state businesses that transport products throughout the region.

Anyone who's driven in the Milwaukee area recently knows that there are some roads that are in rough shape.  But do the pot holes and frost heaves and other bumps paint an accurate picture of the overall condition of the city's transportation infrastructure?