From April 15 to 19, Wisconsin and states nationwide participated in National Work Zone Awareness Week. This week is a collective effort to remind motorists to be vigilant in work zones as the construction season commences. 

This year's national theme brought home the message: "Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, preliminary 2023 data shows more than 2,100 crashes occurred in work zones, resulting in 9 deaths and more than 700 injuries. From 2019 to 2023, Wisconsin work zones experienced more than 10,600 crashes, causing 64 deaths and more than 3,800 injuries.

The common factors in most of these crashes are speeding, tailgating, and distracted driving.

As we know, work zone awareness must extend well beyond the week. It is up to all of us to echo these WisDOT recommendations:

• Drive safely. Be courteous, avoid distractions, and obey posted speed limits.
• Leave your phone alone. Texting while driving anywhere and talking on a hand-held mobile device in work zones are illegal.
• Move over, or slow down when you see workers and vehicles with flashing lights along the highway. Wisconsin's Move Over Law applies to maintenance operations as well as emergency response units.
• Buckle Up. 

Please spread the word: slowing down and paying attention while driving keeps us all safe.

WisDOT 2024 Work Zone Safety Fact Sheet

New Work Zone Safety Driver’s Education Program Launched

The Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) recently announced the launch of “Work Zone Safe Wisconsin” (workzonesafe.com). This free web-based instructional guide and test is targeted to Wisconsin student drivers. 

Becki Slater, the mother of Zane Reilly, who was struck and killed while working along a Sauk County roadway, joined WTBA and others at the Work Zone Safe Wisconsin (WZSW) launch news conference.

“It takes a village to keep our workers safe in the roadways,” Slater said. “We, as parents, need to model good driving habits, the education system needs to provide tools for young drivers to have in their toolbox to build awareness and understand the responsibility of being behind the wheel, and our judicial system needs to provide accountability when drivers are irresponsible.” 

To progress through the program, students must view all 14 videos and read news articles throughout the WZSW platform to continue. Quizzes at the end of the four sections help gauge how well students have absorbed the information. Students must achieve 100% on the quizzes before advancing. Individuals successfully finishing the course are eligible for a $500 scholarship drawn monthly. 

A new state law requires all driver’s education courses to have at least 30 minutes of work zone safety education; this program meets that requirement.

While geared toward young drivers, the free course is open to anyone. And everyone should take it. TDA's executive director received a certificate of completion on May 3.

This WTBA-led program is made possible with support from the Transportation Education Fund (TEF), Wisconsin Laborers District Council, Operating Engineers Local 139, Wisconsin Counties Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, and DAAR Engineering. The Wisconsin County Highway Association is sponsoring the $500 monthly scholarship.

Amtrak recently announced that tickets are on sale for a second daily Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Chicago via Milwaukee, with service beginning May 21. This new state-sponsored route, the Borealis, originates from St. Paul at midday and from Chicago in the late morning.

The train will stop at the stations along the current Empire Builder route between St. Paul and Milwaukee and the Hiawatha route between Milwaukee and Chicago. Stops will include:

• St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN-Union Depot (MSP)
• Red Wing, MN (RDW)
• Winona, MN (WIN)
• La Crosse, WI-Amtrak Station (LSE)
• Tomah, WI (WDL)
• Wisconsin Dells, WI (WDL)
• Portage, WI (POG)
• Columbus, WI (CBS)
• Milwaukee, WI- Downtown (MKE)
• Milwaukee, WI-General Mitchell Airport Trains (MKA)
• Sturtevant, WI (SVT)
• Glenview, IL- (GLN)
• Chicago, IL- Union Station (CHI)

The states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois are supporting this new service hosted by the CPKC railroad.

“This route includes eight stations in Wisconsin, and doubling the frequency of the service will better connect the many businesses, universities, and tourist attractions along this corridor,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “This expansion is thanks to the work WisDOT was able to do together with Minnesota, Illinois, and Amtrak, as well as the opportunities provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We will continue to work with federal and state partners to explore more passenger rail options in Wisconsin.”

Wisconsin recently received notification about the following federal discretionary grant awards:

Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT): USDOT awarded Monroe County Highway Department a $506,000 planning grant to assess the vulnerability of bridges, culverts, dams, and roadways in southwestern Monroe County and prioritize their repair or removal. The project will also identify strategies for improving the resiliency of these road crossings during extreme weather events such as flash flooding and develop cost-effective actions to reduce potential impacts.

Thriving Communities Program: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced funding to help 112 communities nationwide access federal funding and resources provided by the federal infrastructure law, including the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin.

The program provides two years of free technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities to help them identify, develop, and deliver transportation projects to achieve local goals.

See the WisDOT interactive map of federal discretionary grants here.

May is National Bike Month, a time to highlight the many benefits of cycling and encourage people to get out there. The League of American Bicyclists asks that cyclists #MakeEveryRideCount by logging each ride with the Love to Ride app.

This new app is not just a way to log your rides; it's a powerful tool that can make a real difference. By generating anonymous data, it helps planners make infrastructure decisions based on real-time, crowdsourced information. 

Think of May as a warm-up for early June and Wisconsin Bike Week 2024. This annual statewide event, which this year has the theme "Bikes Mean Business," will run from June 1 to 9.

TDA Out and About

TDA members keep Wisconsin moving. They are involved in every aspect of planning, constructing, and providing transportation projects and services.

Last month, TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson had the opportunity to see a couple of TDA members in action. And wow, was it impressive!

Jackson and TDA President Jason Culotta, whose paying gig is president of the Midwest Food Product Association, toured Fraser Shipyards in Superior, learning about its diverse business and expansion plans.

Jackson also had the opportunity to observe a day during the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 Spring Externship. Jackson shadowed a group of students as they learned about the high-demand career path of an Operating Engineer, met industry professionals, toured the 400-acre state-of-the-art training center in Coloma, and got hands-on experience with mini-excavators and equipment simulators. See a short video of the Externship highlights here.

• TDA Annual Meeting: Oct. 16 at the Marriott Madison West

Brose Named President of EMCS

Dave Brose, longtime TDA board member and past president, has been named President/COO of EMCS, a multidiscipline civil engineering firm with offices across the Midwest. Dave will be responsible for the overall growth of the EMCS offices and service groups and will continue to focus on strategic relationships, directing ongoing diversification and geographic expansion.

Rose Morgan, EMCS founder, will transition to Board Chair/CEO. She will continue to advance leadership initiatives and strategic development. 

Congratulations, Dave and Rose!

Get Answers to Your Asphalt-Related Questions!

As the new construction season gets underway, the Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association (WAPA) is available to answer your asphalt-related questions.

WAPA offers Black Bag Lunch & Learn sessions free to members and public organizations and for a fee to nonmembers. These sessions provide the latest information and applications for asphalt, with presentations tailored to your organization's needs.

Find out more about the wide range of topics that the professionals at WAPA can discuss with your group.

MobiliSE:

Why Transit Matters

May 14, 2024

8:00 AM to Noon

3rd Street Market Hall

275 W Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee

This event is for people interested in helping to make the case for why transit matters for SE Wisconsin and its future and delivering a call to action.

Register to attend this free event.

WCHA 2024 Summer Highway Conference 

June 3 - 5, 2024

Chula Vista Resort

Wisconsin Dells

Registration is open for the 2024 Summer Highway Conference.

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.