Statewide Coalition Applauds Joint Finance Committee’s Decision Not to Expand I-94
A statewide coalition of 25 groups is applauding the Budget Proposal passed by the Joint Finance Committee earlier today.
MILWAUKEE– A statewide coalition of 25 groups is applauding the Budget Proposal passed by the Joint Finance Committee earlier today. As part of the budget, the Committee did not approve the proposal to enumerate or give the green light to the I-94 East-West Corridor expansion between 16th and 70th Streets in Milwaukee.
On Behalf of the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation, Juan Carlos Ruiz Stated:
“We’re very excited to see that the Joint Finance Committee acted responsibly and heard the community outcry opposing the expansion of I-94 East-West Corridor (between 16th and 70th Streets) in Milwaukee. This will free up almost $1 billion in the next budget that we encourage the Joint Finance Committee to invest in much-needed local infrastructure improvements.
From the beginning, this proposal has been based on questionable traffic data and has led to cries from the community to fund local transportation needs like fixing local roads and investing in transit systems, rather than funding unnecessary highway expansions. We looking forward to working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to come up with a plan to repair the highway without expansion and instead adopt a much cheaper transit alternative that will connect people to jobs and other goods and services.”
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is proposing to unnecessarily add lanes to a 3.5-mile stretch of I-94, at an expected cost of $850 million. WisDOT has projected strong increases in traffic along I-94 to justify this highway expansion, but recent traffic trends make these projections unlikely to materialize.
The Coalition for More Responsible Transportation (CMRT) is composed of faith-based, public interest, social justice, public health, environmental and transportation advocacy groups, as well as of hundreds of concerned citizens from Milwaukee and beyond. With spending on big-ticket highway expansions skyrocketing statewide at the expense of local infrastructure investments — and increasingly financed by heavy borrowing — CMRT is calling for more responsible, cost-effective transportation spending that better meets local needs.
More about the I-94 East-West Expansion
- Op Ed: Expanded I-94 Will Damage Pigsville - Leland Pan - Jan 10th, 2022
- Transportation: Interstate 94 Project Cost Much Higher Than Original Estimate - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 10th, 2021
- Transportation: Public Input Sought on Controversial Interstate 94 Expansion - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 3rd, 2021
- Op Ed: Did I-94 End Milwaukee’s Population Growth? - David Jasenski - Sep 22nd, 2021
- Transportation: Plan Offers Alternative To Expanded I-94 - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 14th, 2021
- Statement from Mayor Barrett on the New Impact Review for the I-94 Project - Mayor Tom Barrett - Apr 15th, 2021
- Advocates applaud opportunity for public input on I-94 East-West project, but new environmental review process still needed - Press Release - Apr 15th, 2021
- Transportation: State Delaying Interstate 94 Expansion For New Study - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 15th, 2021
- Transportation: Freeway Expansion Opponents To Meet With Biden Administration - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 8th, 2021
- Op Ed: Evers Is Wrong on I-94 Expansion - John Norquist - Mar 16th, 2021
Read more about I-94 East-West Expansion here
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Coalition for More Responsible Transportation
Statement: State transportation budget is most harmful in a decade
Jul 9th, 2021 by Coalition for More Responsible TransportationTransportation advocates condemn unprecedented cuts to Milwaukee and Madison transit systems while green-lighting the unnecessary I-94 E/W highway expansion project
Statement: Proposed state transportation budget will unnecessarily expand I-94 and leave transit riders in the dust
Jun 9th, 2021 by Coalition for More Responsible TransportationTransportation advocates call for more action before the budget heads to Gov. Evers’ desk
Coalition for More Responsible Transportation Members Applaud Gov. Evers’ Proposed Transportation Budget
Mar 1st, 2019 by Coalition for More Responsible TransportationGroups support transit, road maintenance increase and focus on fixing instead of expanding highways
