CONTACT: Bill McCoshen, (608) 444-7526
(Madison, WI) – The DRIVE board of directors released the following statement in response to the Legislative Audit Bureau release of the WisDOT audit:
“This much-needed Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) audit confirms what Wisconsin motorists already know: Our roads are getting worse. Wisconsin roads in ‘good’ condition have declined from 53.5% in 2010 down to 41% in 2015 and rank far worse than our neighboring states and the national average.
“The audit also reveals the need for WisDOT to have a more accurate method for estimating the cost of major projects, to take into account construction inflation and other factors for which the department should prepare. Some potential savings and efficiencies were also identified in the audit, but not enough to meet our current transportation needs. Lawmakers still must act now on a sustainable, long-term funding solution.
“Our roads are in crisis. The cost to fix them increases every year. Hitting the pause button or kicking the can down the road will only make our roads worse and the remedy more expensive.”
DRIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Thomas M. Diehl is the president, general manager and co-owner of Tommy Bartlett, Inc., which is comprised of the Tommy Bartlett Show and Tommy Bartlett Exploratory in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Tom has been a guiding force of the organization for 49 years and is considered a leader in Wisconsin tourism and economic development.
Steve Baas is MMAC’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. He lobbies on MMAC’s behalf at the federal, state, and local levels, and works with the MMAC Board to identify and advance public policy in the interest of Association members.
Jim Holte is the president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation on December 2, 2012. He is the president of the Rural Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors, and serves on the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors as a representative of the Midwest region and is a member of the Farm Bureau BanCorp Board of Directors.
Drive Sponsors:
American Automobile Association of Wisconsin (AAA)
Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions
Businesses Moving Wisconsin
CARW—Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin
Dairy Business Association
Forward Janesville
Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association
Greater Whitewater Committee
Madison Region Economic Partnership
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
Midwest Food Processors Association, Inc.
NAIOP Wisconsin — Commercial Real Estate
Development Association, Wisconsin Chapter
Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin
Tommy Bartlett Show
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association
Wisconsin Bankers Association
Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Wisconsin Independent Businesses
Wisconsin Pork Association
Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association
Wisconsin Realtors Association
Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association
Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association
