Gov. Scott Walker has released his recommended budget. Unfortunately, he ignored all of the recommendations of the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission in his transportation budget.
The transportation budget
- Does not restore the 10% cut from the previous budget
- Transit funding remains flat for the entire biennium
- Moves transit out of the transportation fund in 2015 at the same time that $55 million in new funds is moved to the transportation fund
- Does not establish Regional Transportation Authorities
- UPDATE Gov. Walker has announced that he intends to borrow $1 billion for freeway construction. His recommendations on funding transit remain unchanged.
Cuts not restored
Transit aid from the state was cut 10% across the board in the previous state budget, resulting in cuts to bus service across the state. Milwaukee was able to avoid most cuts with funds that expire in early 2014. The Transportation Commission recommended reversing the cut and restoring the money taken from transit, but that recommendation has been ignored.
Transit funding will remain flat
State money to local transit systems will be frozen at 2012 levels. Since the cost of running buses increases with inflation like everything else, this is actually a service cut.
Moving transit out of the transportation fund
This is the biggest danger of the budget. If transit is moved out of the transportation fund it will be pitted against other crucial programs like education in the General (GPR) fund where it will be cut year after year. This is the same problem that Milwaukee County has, where transit service has declined 20% since 2000.
Transit IS transportation and it belongs in the transportation fund, not the overburdened general fund. Bus riders deserve the same treatment and consideration that drivers get, not a budget that marginalizes them.
No regional transportation authorities
One of the key recommendations of the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission was to create regional transportation authorities (RTAs) to fund buses and roads. These RTAs were to raise money and spend 75% of it on transit and 25% of it on roads. As with other common-sense recommendations of the Commission that would have raised the standing of bus riders in Wisconsin, this recommendation has been ignored.
An RTA would potentially have had a positive effect on the Milwaukee area, which is the most segregated major metro area in the nation according to the Census Bureau.
UPDATE $1 billion for freeway megaprojects, $0 for bus riders
Gov. Walker has announced plans to borrow $1 billion for freeway construction. This is a surprise to bus riders, who have been told that restoring $9.3 million to transit service annually is too expensive.
Summary
This budget is a step backwards for transit, economic justice, environmental justice and sustainability in Wisconsin. We need our leaders to show vision and push for a 21st century transportation network in Wisconsin.