Wisconsin roads third-worst in nation, study finds

Wisconsin's roads are the third-worst in the nation and the potholes and other problems that plague them cost drivers in some cities almost twice the national average in repairs and associated costs, according to a new study of the state's highway system.

The numbers mark a dramatic decline in road quality. As recently as 11 years ago, Wisconsin's roads ranked No. 22 in the nation, and their deterioration affects almost every industry and motorist in the state, according to the study commissioned by the Local Government of Wisconsin Institute.

Poor roads in the Milwaukee area cost drivers $700 a year in extra vehicle repairs, according to the study; in the Madison area, road conditions cost drivers an additional $615 in annual tire wear, maintenance and accelerated deterioration. Nationally, substandard road conditions cost drivers an average of $377 per year, the study found.

The primary culprit: State budget cuts that have slashed the amount of money dedicated to repairing both state highways and local roads, which has left fewer than half of Wisconsin's roads rated as "good" or better, the report found.

The numbers come as no surprise to Emily Wattson, a 48-year-old Wisconsin Rapids woman who recently hit a pothole in Rudolph and wrecked the suspension on her 2008 car.

"I paid more than $500 to get it fixed," Wattson said. "It threw the car out of alignment, ruined a tire and did some other stuff.

"I don't think anybody is doing anything about the roads."

Bad roads hurt manufacturing, farming and transportation, three industries that are vital to Wisconsin's economy, according to the Local Government Institute study entitled Filling Potholes: A New Look at Funding Local Transportation in Wisconsin. The group is a coalition of members of the Wisconsin Counties Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Towns Association and Urban Alliance.

The study found that if the state's roads aren't brought back into good condition, it could harm Wisconsin's struggling economy, which is rebounding from the Great Recession more slowly than other states in the Midwest. Companies that are considering moving to Wisconsin could choose to relocate in states with better infrastructure that doesn't cost them as much in annual repairs.

The Local Government Institute took up the issue of Wisconsin's transportation system because it's a big issue at all levels of government, said Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple, a member of the institute's board of directors. The Local Government Institute was created to improve local governments and the services — such as road construction and maintenance — that they provide, Tipple said.

The study found several steps that can be taken to fix the roads without endorsing any one of them, Tipple said.

In the end, it's probably going to be a combination of things that solves the problem, Wood County Board Chairman Lance Pliml said. Pliml, another member of the institute's board of directors, said the biggest issue is state cuts to road repair. It's not likely the problem is going to get any better with the state's next biennial budget, Pliml said.

"The early estimates are that transportation will have a $650 million shortfall," Pliml said.

Wisconsin spends about $15,500 on repair and maintenance per road mile, according to the study. The average in the United States is $17,800 per road mile. Illinois spends $24,200 per road mile, but Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota all spend less than Wisconsin. Iowa is 43rd in the country at $8,900 per road mile.

The study isn't a surprise, said Peg Schmitt, Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokeswoman. DOT officials have been doing a lot of outreach over the past few years letting legislators know about the problem of the aging infrastructure. State highways and local roads need investment, she said.

Currently, the state is budgeting 27 percent of the transportation funds it receives for local governments' roads, Schmitt said. The number includes a 4 percent increase state officials made to local road aids in the last budget, Schmitt said.

In 1993, the state dedicated 36.2 percent of road revenue for local governments, Pliml said.

State Sen. Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon, is chairman of the Committee on Transportation and he thinks Wisconsin's roads still are in better condition than those of its neighbors.

Petrowski does agree with the report on one count: As cars and trucks have become more efficient over the past 20 years, drivers are buying less and less fuel. That means the state takes in less and less revenue from gasoline taxes.

Petrowski said he and his colleagues need to consider one option the study proposed: returning to an indexed gas tax that automatically goes up or down with the price of fuel, to ensure that revenues remain relatively constant.

The state also could make vehicles subject to property tax, as Mississippi now does, according to the study. Under that proposal residents who receive property tax bills for homes and other property would have their vehicles included in the assessment amount, generating more tax money for roads.

The study also suggests forming regional transportation groups that could work together on fixing roads and funding public transportation to benefit from economies of scale. The state could encourage the cooperative groups by giving them additional funding, according to the study.

One partial fix on the horizon is the recently adopted constitutional amendment that requires all funding collected for transportation to be used for transportation, Petrowski said. That should pump at least some money back into infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Tipple said that local officials and others who believe roads are a problem should contact their state legislators and tell them the problem needs to be a priority in the state budget now being negotiated.

You can contact reporter Karen Madden at 715-423-7200, ext. 6729, or follow her on Twitter @KMadden715

On the web

A complete copy of "Filling Potholes: A New Look at Funding Local Transportation in Wisconsin" can be found at www.localgovinstitute.org.