How Some Of Wisconsin's Surplus (Or More Regular Dollars) Should Be Invested

There are plenty of potholes on roads statewide right now that are sinkholes-in-waiting, and you don't have to be a road engineer to know that when all this snow and ice finally melt some potholes will need their own DNR environmental impact statements.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has listed the infrastructure in Wisconsin that needs fixing. 

These caught my eye:

Driving on roads in need of repair costs Wisconsin motorists $1.147 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs – $281 per motorist.

71% of Wisconsin’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

1,157 of the 14,057 bridges in Wisconsin (8.2%) are considered structurally deficient. 

779 of the 14,057 bridges in Wisconsin (5.5%) are considered functionally obsolete.

Keep these numbers in mind as you watch the Governor and Legislature walk away from these needs, and if you see something on the list you think the state should be funding with surplus dollars, call your legislator. Today.

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Wisconsin Key Facts:

Water and Environment

DAMS

• Wisconsin’s dam safety program has 6.25 Full-Time Employees that each oversee an average of 152.5 state regulated dams.
• Wisconsin has 252 high hazard dams.
• 70% of the state regulated dams in Wisconsin have an Emergency Action Plan.
• Wisconsin’s state dam safety program has an annual budget of $752,000.

DRINKING WATER

• Wisconsin has reported $6.2 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

• Wisconsin has 38 sites on the National Priorities List.

LEVEES

• Wisconsin has approximately 134 miles of levees according to the current FEMA Midterm Levee Inventory.

WASTEWATER

• Wisconsin has reported $6.4 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

Transportation

AVIATION

• There are 133 public-use airports in Wisconsin.

BRIDGES

• 1,157 of the 14,057 bridges in Wisconsin (8.2%) are considered structurally deficient.
• 779 of the 14,057 bridges in Wisconsin (5.5%) are considered functionally obsolete.
• Wisconsin received $18.3 million from the Federal Highway Bridge Fund in FY2011.

INLAND WATERWAYS

• Wisconsin has 230 miles of inland waterways, ranking it 29th in the nation.

PORTS

• Wisconsin’s ports handled 30.6 million short tons of cargo in 2009, ranking it 22nd in the nation.

RAIL

• Wisconsin has 8 freight railroads covering 3,387 miles across the state, ranking it 14th by mileage.

ROADS

• Driving on roads in need of repair costs Wisconsin motorists $1.147 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs – $281 per motorist.
• 71% of Wisconsin’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
• Wisconsin has 114,843 public road miles.
• Wisconsin’s highway vehicle-miles traveled in 2009 was approximately 10,440 per capita, ranking it 22nd in the nation.
• Wisconsin’s gas tax of 32.9 cents per gallon has not been increased in 6 years.

TRANSIT

• Wisconsin has 70,074 annual unlinked passenger trips via transit systems – motor bus, heavy rail, light rail, and commuter rail.

Public Facilities

PARKS AND RECREATION

• Wisconsin has reported an unmet need of $53.2 million for its parks system.

SCHOOLS

• Public school districts in Wisconsin spent a total of $1.5 billion on capital outlays for school construction and acquisition of land and existing structures in fiscal years 2005–2008.
• It is estimated that Wisconsin schools have $4.4 billion in infrastructure funding needs.

Energy

• Wisconsin produces 4.586 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy every year, ranking it 27th.