Milwaukee County Awarded Nearly $29 Million for Road Improvements and New Buses

MILWAUKEE – County Executive David Crowley is praising the Biden-Harris Administration for delivering nearly $29 million in federal funding for transportation improvements and public transit investments in Milwaukee County. The funding received comes from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is awarded through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Surface Transportation Program (STP).

“Enhancing roadway safety and investing in public transit assets for all who use them are important in supporting the health, well-being, and economic vitality of Milwaukee County,” said County Executive Crowley. “Thank you to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for delivering this federal funding to our community. I am equally grateful for champions like Governor Tony Evers, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Representative Gwen Moore for continuing to advocate for Milwaukee County at the state and federal levels. Together, let’s continue working to create safer streets, grow our economy through expanding access to job opportunities, and make Milwaukee County a healthy, accessible place for all.”

This influx of federal transportation funding would not have happened without support and advocacy from Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Representative Gwen Moore, and WisDOT. A project-by-project breakdown of the federal funding received by Milwaukee County is available HERE.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making once-in-a-generation investments in Wisconsin’s infrastructure statewide, building upon the work we’ve been doing for the past five years to fix the darn roads,” said Governor Evers. “These essential funds will give more communities across Wisconsin access to the safe, reliable highways they need, create good-paying jobs, and will make a real difference in people’s lives and livelihoods.”

“I fought hard to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild our outdated infrastructure, spur economic growth, and keep Wisconsinites safe across our state,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m thrilled to see it doing just that–investing in communities large and small across our state, connecting businesses to consumers, and moving our economy forward–creating jobs every step of the way.”

“The bipartisan infrastructure law is making improvements that my constituents will see and benefit from – however they commute. These funds will help make our roads safer, fixing hazardous areas for pedestrians and drivers and help replace aging MCTS buses that so many of my constituents rely on to get to work,” said Representative Moore.

Almost $22 million in federal funds will be going towards redesigning and rebuilding segments of County-owned highways and bridges that are in critical need of repairs and improvements. Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) staff will work with municipalities and stakeholders to rebuild these roadways, with a focus on redesigning them as safer streets and, wherever feasible, Complete Streets.

As Milwaukee County’s Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project has highlighted, there are Corridors of Concern on which fatal and serious injury crashes and acts of reckless driving occur regularly.  Segments on Corridors of Concern like S. 76^th Street, W. Silver Spring Drive, and W. Layton Avenue are among those that are slated for full redesign and reconstruction, thanks to this federal investment.

Milwaukee County and the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will also receive over $7 million in additional STP funding to replace 13 buses. MCTS’ bus replacement program is one of the most critical aspects to operating an efficient, reliable mass transit system as the average lifespan of a bus is approximately 12 years or 500,000 miles.  The more its fleet of over 300 buses can operate consistently and efficiently, the more feasible mass transit will be as a viable mode of transportation throughout Milwaukee County.

“For Milwaukee County to have a modern and robust transportation network, we continually seek to provide infrastructure that also ensures the safety and wellbeing of the travelling public,” said Donna Brown-Martin, Milwaukee County Director of Transportation. “Similarly, new buses for the MCTS fleet will support connectivity by moving more people timely and efficiently, while also reducing operational and maintenance costs through the replacement of vehicles past useful life standards.”

Milwaukee County is committed to pursuing state and federal funding to increase multimodal safety, reduce reckless driving, and maintain public transit services in the community. MCDOT is utilizing federal funding to implement street safety improvements in Greendale, Shorewood, South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and West Allis, as well as in partnership with the City of Milwaukee on a critical segment of the 35^th Street corridor, to combat reckless driving, calm traffic, and create safer streets for all.

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.