Registration

Event registration will open in early January. BUT MAKE YOUR HOTEL AND FLIGHT RESERVATIONS NOW.

If you have any questions, please contact Debby Jackson at debby.jackson@tdawisconsin.org.

At the December meeting, the Transportation Projects Commission (TPC) unanimously voted to approve two Major Highway Project studies — US 18/151 from Madison to Dodgeville and US 151 from Columbus to Waupun. These projects could bring significant safety improvements along heavily used freight corridors critical to Wisconsin's agricultural economies.

The US 18/151 project, Madison to Dodgeville (Dane/Iowa County), is expected to include an expansion of seven miles and conversion from the expressway to the freeway of 28 miles, and the US 151 project, Columbus to Waupun (Dodge County), 26 miles of freeway conversion. Both corridors have above-average crash rates and traffic fatalities in 2023.

"Converting expressways to freeways is a proven way of increasing safety and efficiency," Secretary Craig Thompson said. "These routes currently have significantly higher crash rates than the statewide average and removing their at-grade crossings in favor of interchanges is a wise decision."

Governor Evers chairs the TPC, which includes five state senators, five assembly representatives, and three citizen members. The TPC reviews, approves, and makes recommendations regarding Major Highway Projects.

Visit the TPC page on the WisDOT website for more project information and to watch the December meeting.

Earlier this month, the US DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced $8.2 billion for ten passenger rail projects and 69 corridor selections across 44 states through the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program.

As part of the Corridor ID program, WisDOT was awarded up to $500,000 for each of the following corridor studies:

• Milwaukee-Madison-Eau Claire-Twin Cities Corridor
• TCMC (Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago) service expansion via La Crosse
• Milwaukee to Green Bay (Hiawatha service extension)
• Milwaukee to Chicago Hiawatha service expansion

The FRA also awarded $500,000 to Eau Claire County to study passenger rail service to St. Paul on an existing corridor that would serve several communities along the route.

These grants do not require local or state matching funds and provide an opportunity to assess potential ridership, infrastructure requirements, costs, and economic return on investment for each corridor. These studies are an essential first step for Wisconsin to be able to go after the rail expansion funds included in the federal infrastructure law.

Local elected leaders, Chambers of Commerce, and businesses applauded the FRA’s announcement. 

“The Amtrak Hiawatha trains on the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor are widely recognized as providing valuable economic and mobility benefits to southeast Wisconsin, and service is expected to start soon for an additional Chicago-Milwaukee Twin Cities train via Wisconsin Dells and La Crosse,” notes Scott Rogers, vice president governmental affairs at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and an organizer of The Wisconsin Business Coalition for Passenger Rail. “These grants make it possible to look at how trains could benefit other parts of Wisconsin, as well.”

With the current extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) statutory authorities set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023, the House of Representatives passed a second short-term extension of aviation excise taxes, spending authority, and policies before adjourning for the holiday recess.

The new extension (H.R. 6503) would run from Jan. 1 through March 8, 2024, following a three-month extension from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023.

The Senate, seeking to vote on the must-pass, stop-gap bill quickly with unanimous consent, was blocked last Thursday by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). He placed a hold on the FAA bill to force senators to finish negotiations before the end of the year on border security measures that could gain GOP support for aid to Ukraine and Israel. 

The Senate, scheduled to recess last Friday, delayed its holiday break. It returns this week to work out a deal on immigration and aid to Ukraine and Israel and hopefully pass the FAA extension.

The House passed its new, five-year FAA reauthorization bill (H.R. 3935) with a bipartisan vote of 351 to 69 on July 20. However, the Senate proposal stalled primarily due to a months-long standoff over how to deal with the pilot shortage, including changes to the 1,500-flight-hour rule for commercial airline pilots.

As Congress heads out of town for its holiday break, there are twelve unfinished fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills with continuing resolution expiration dates divided between Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. Congress will only have two weeks in January to wrap the appropriations bills in the first group, including Transportation-HUD, or pass another continuing resolution.

Earlier this month, Eno Transportation wrote, "Behind-the-scenes leadership talks still haven't resulted in an agreement on the non-emergency spending levels for the twelve unfinished appropriations bills." Eno concludes that House-Senate negotiations will be hampered without this agreement, especially as the House and Senate are over $100 billion apart on the non-defense total.

Appropriations Status Table 

TDA Podcast Marks a Milestone -— #50

It's episode #50 of TDA's On The Go podcast! In this fun episode, Dan Deibert of Edge Messaging interviews TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson.

Jackson looks back to the first “On The Go” episode, shares the original inspiration behind the podcast, and recollects some of her favorite moments of the last five years of the program. 

With a focus on showcasing the intricate relationship between the state's economy, culture, and various modes of transportation, "On The Go" has become a trusted source of information, insights, and thought-provoking discussions. 

Listen to the podcast here.

TDA is busy implementing new association management software. As part of this transition, we are launching an updated member portal. The Member Center will allow you to log in to renew your membership, sign up for future events, and update contact information on your computer or smartphone.

To get started, create your login here. You will receive an activation email to complete your account setup by establishing a username and password.

As with our previous membership platform, you may access the membership portal by clicking the Member Login link on the TDA home page. 

This new membership platform also enables TDA to email membership invoices. So, if you are the primary membership contact, look for a renewal email early next year. 

If you have any questions or need help creating your account, please contact Luke Pearson at (608) 661-0916 or luke.pearson@tdawisconsin.org.

Thanks for taking the time to create your login. 

Wisconsin Transportation Reception at TRB

You are invited! The 2024 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, is quickly approaching. If you're in town, you'll want to attend the Wisconsin Reception at TRB, a much-anticipated opportunity for Wisconsin transportation professionals to network in an informal setting.

Sunday, January 7, 2024

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Yard House

812 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

Please share this information with colleagues and peers interested in attending.

This event is hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin.

If you would like TDA to consider including your organization's update or event in an upcoming newsletter, please forward information to Luke Pearson at luke.pearson@tdawisconsin.org.