Wisconsin group calls for halting highway expansions

1000 Friends of Wis. has urged the halting of new widening projects for state highways until an audit is completed on traffic projections, the group announced on Wednesday.
According to the group traffic projection data that was used to justify 11 projects was, on average, a 75 percent inflation of actual traffic numbers.
“We call for an immediate, independent audit of all projects that are less 10% complete and an immediate moratorium on these projects until the completion of the audit,” Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Wis., Steve Hiniker said. “Misspending on unjustified highway projects means local transportation needs go unmet. Misspending also has hurt everything from school funding to fire and police protection as scarce general purpose revenues have been diverted for questionable highway projects.”
This action follows a federal court order that halted widening activity on Highway 23 due to likely errors in the traffic counting process. The group states that due to transportation cuts, funding for these projects has come from other sources. They state that education spending and funding from local fire, police and recycling activity have been used for transportation projects.
“The misuse of the arcane practice of traffic forecasting has cost Wisconsin taxpayers billions of dollars, Hiniker said. It is clear that the legislature must act immediately to protect taxpayers as well local road users.”
The group ‘s focus is to preserve natural resources and facilitating healthy growth of communities along with environmental and economic health.