Illinois and Wisconsin may be in a bidding war for jobs – and don’t even talk about the Packers-Bears rivalry. But Ethan Johnson with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says the two states have a long record of cooperation in helping to fund Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee. [Read more...]

What’s the 511? It’s the state’s service for those hitting the road. Wisconsin’s 511 Traveler Information service has just completed its second year of operations and it seems to be a hit. It provides reports on road conditions in winter, lane closures due to construction, maintenance, or crashes, and access to camera images and message board messages along main highways in the state. Chris Quennel with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says that since launching two years ago, the service’s Web pages have received 2.4 million visits and its phone line more than three-quarter of a million calls. A December 12th, 2010 snow storm generated the system’s most use: more than 20,000 phone calls and nearly 103,000 Web visits.