Weekly Radio Address: Investing in Local Roads and Bridges

Madison – Governor Scott Walker released his Weekly Radio Address today titled “Investing in Local Roads and Bridges.”

Hi, Scott Walker here.

We recently received the Department of Transportation’s budget proposal outlining their transportation priorities for Wisconsin over the next two years.

The budget includes greater funding at all levels of local government for roads and bridges to continue our focus on making sure our roads are safe and maintained…all while holding the line on taxes and fees.

At a local level, the proposal adds $46 million to General Transportation Aids, which represents a nearly 5 percent increase over the last budget, and a 25 percent increase to the Local Road Improvement Program when compared to our last budget. That’s the largest increase in two decades.

Earlier this week, we met with local leaders throughout the state at the Wisconsin Towns Association annual convention. There, I had the opportunity to hear about what we’re doing right, as well as areas we can improve, both statewide and at the local level.

We appreciate this feedback and we want the people of our state to know we’re listening. That’s why today, we’re announcing our intention of investing an additional $14.6 million in General Transportation Aids for towns all across Wisconsin.

When combined with the nearly $9 million increase included in the DOT’s budget proposal, Wisconsin towns are projected to see a $23.5 million increase in funding. This represents an 8.5 percent increase over the last budget in overall funding to Wisconsin towns for both the Local Road Improvement Program and General Transportation Aids.

We know an efficient transportation network is crucial to our state and to our economy, and this increase reaffirms our dedication to ensuring the quality of Wisconsin’s local roads and bridges.

Looking forward, we will continue to show you don’t need to raise taxes or fees to maintain a safe and strong transportation network.