The governors's office has announced nearly $17 million, for 47 transportation projects, many of them bike routes. David Voght with the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin says the money comes from the Transportation Enhancement fund. “This is different from just a simple recreational type of grant,” notes Vogt. “This is something that has to help alleviate the need for traveling by car.”
Vogt says spending money on these projects has benefits for drivers, too. “The more people you get out of their cars, there's more space on the roads for people who do drive cars. There's more parking spots, there's less wear and tear on the roads. It's really an excellent investment in terms of the infrastructure.”
The funded projects include $600 thousand for bicycle lanes on Madeline Island , nearly $800 thousand for a bike trail in Marshfield, and $870 thousand for the Badger State Trail in Fitchburg.