Council adopts Ald. Burgelis Amendment to Address Decades-Long Underfunding of Local Roads

The Milwaukee Common Council today (Friday, November 8) adopted an amended 2025 City of Milwaukee budget. In adopting the budget, the Council passed a budget amendment authored by Alderman Peter Burgelis to add $4 million in general obligation borrowing authority to the Department of Public Works’ High Impact Paving Program. First funded in 2013, this program has grown significantly and now plays a vital role in the City’s road maintenance and construction strategy. Currently, approximately 50% of the capital funds allocated for local road improvements each year go to the High Impact Paving Program.

“My colleagues passed my amendment because they agree that investing in our city’s roads now is not just an infrastructure improvement; it’s a commitment to a safer, more connected, and economically vibrant community,” Alderman Burgelis said. “Quality roads reduce vehicle repair costs for residents, enhance accessibility for local businesses, and contribute to safety by minimizing accidents and reduce the costs of emergency repairs. With inflation impacting costs, delaying these investments would lead to even higher costs in the future. Borrowing to fund improvements now allows us to take advantage of lower financing rates and benefit our neighborhoods.”

There are 466 miles of local roads in Milwaukee with a “poor” Pavement Quality Index (PQI) rating. This rating has sharply declined since 2014, while the PQI scores for collector roads, minor arterials, and major arterials have remained steady or improved over the same period. Local roads typically do not qualify for state or federal matching funds.

The Mayor’s Proposed 2025 Budget included a 33% or $6 million cut to neighborhood road funding compared to 2024. The Department of Public Works estimates that one lane-mile of high-impact paving will now cost approximately $175,000. The proposed budget would fund about 34 lane-miles of high-impact paving, while Alderman Burgelis’ additional $4 million will improve significantly more lane-miles over a 2-3 year period.

“The administration has failed to provide a sustainable and fundable framework to fix local roads. City residents are suffering from decades of underfunding, and investing less in 2025 than in 2024 is moving our community in the wrong direction. These critical repairs will only become more expensive over time. Estimates to repair the 466 miles of local roads currently rated as ‘poor’ exceed $81.5 million. My budget amendment is not enough to meet the need, but it is a strong start, and I again thank my colleagues for their support for my amendment,” stated Alderman Burgelis.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.