The Road To Sprawlville, Chapter XXV: Widening Capitol Dr. In Waukesha County

And because the road needs repaving - - someday, according to someone's data - - let's play that oldest con in the highway planners' playbook one more time and throw in that new, extra lane, too.

Oh, we've heard this before, haven't we?

This is the same hocus-pocus that the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission cobbled together a few years ago when it said: Hey, the entire regional freeway system will need to be rebuilt, so for a few extra hundred million bucks, you can have another lane across the entire 127 system, too.

And this is what is happening right now as the I-94 north/south leg from Milwaukee to the Illinois state line is beginning its eight-year reconstruction.

Estimated cost: $1.7 billion - - and, for a mere $200 million more - - you can have the new lane.

A $1.9 bargain!

So we're reached the point in Wisconsin public spending that $200 million is considered a throw-in, a little bump, an appetizer, if you will.

Worse: the north/south leg has been declared stimulus-worthy, back-filling a shortage of transportation funds with one-time federal dollars that could be used to make sure that the state's transportation infrastructure offers useful, sustainable and variable choices.

So while Milwaukee's transit system is failing, commuter rail is stalled and light rail is removed from discussion altogether, I-94 is going to get 70 miles of new lanes between Milwaukee and Illinois despite any authentic traffic justification.

And the same cabal responsible for the expanding freeway system is laying the groundwork for widening another road in Waukesha County, despite the overbuilding of spec houses and deserted subdivisions, and the coming drop-off in aging boomer driving - - to say nothing of the sagging economy and the support for transit that it's stimulating.

I see that comment is being sought for the Capitol Dr. boondoggle.

Good luck expecting the planners and spenders to listen.