House Speaker Pelosi pulled the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill last week as Democrats continue to work on a larger reconciliation bill focused on climate change, education, healthcare, and federal safety-net programs. Pelosi’s attempt to decouple the infrastructure bill from the passage of a multi-trillion-dollar social spending plan was unsuccessful, with progressives standing firm on their stance not to support the infrastructure bill without first passing the other.

The extension of the FAST Act, the current surface transportation bill, expired on September 30.

Over the weekend, Congress quickly passed a one-month extension of the Highway Trust Fund and surface transportation programs, which President Biden signed.

Obviously, annual meetings come every year, but this will be a once-in-a-lifetime event you won't want to miss. Next month, TDA is celebrating a milestone worthy of your presence. Together we'll recognize our legacy and examine how we move forward to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the next half-century.

But wait, there's more. Not only will our annual meeting be a can't-miss event, but we're also hosting a special happy hour at The Coopers Tavern on the Capitol Square the night before (Monday night, November 15th). We will provide more details about these events in the days and weeks ahead, but be sure to block out this time on your calendar. We can't wait to see you!

Last week, the Wisconsin State Senate voted 27-4 to confirm Craig Thompson as transportation secretary. Thompson has served as secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation since Governor Evers took office in January 2019.

The Senate also voted to confirm Randy Romanski as agriculture secretary; Missy Hughes as secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Dawn Crim as secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services; and about 30 other appointments to various boards, commissions, and committees.

The I-94 North-South Freeway Project through Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee counties received national acclaim, being named one of the nation’s outstanding infrastructure projects in 2021 by America’s Transportation Awards.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) completed the $410 million project between the Mitchell Interchange in Milwaukee and the state border on schedule and under budget in 2020. The project reconstructed and expanded 19 miles of concrete pavement to provide eight travel lanes on this vital interstate corridor and replaced four interchanges and 18 bridges.

I-94 North-South is one of the most heavily trafficked freight corridors in the nation, with trucks accounting for an estimated 17% of an average annual daily traffic volume of more than 98,000.

While the project was not selected as a Top 12 finalist in the 2021 America’s Transportation Awards competition, Wisconsinites already won with the modernization of the corridor. WisDOT expects safety and traffic flow improvements to reduce the 800 accidents each year along the corridor. And the project has spurred economic development with about $1.6 billion in new investment through projects like Haribo and Amazon in Kenosha County, Foxconn in Racine County, and IKEA in Oak Creek.

America’s Transportation Awards is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Every year in Wisconsin, people die needlessly on or around railroad tracks. Many of these accidents occur where there are warning devices alerting drivers and pedestrians to the presence of trains.

Gary Koerner, state coordinator of Operation Lifesaver, joins TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson on the latest episode of the On The Go podcast. The two discuss safety at railroad crossings, the dangers of trespassing on tracks, and Wisconsin events Operation Lifesaver had planned for Rail Safety Week, which took place September 20-26.

Listen to the podcast here.