Local governments get $130 million in road aid

Wisconsin communities have received $129,698,460 in transportation funding payments, the last quarterly payments for 2020.

Included on the list of those receiving funding, are the towns of Lake Holcombe, Ruby and Sigel; City of Cornell; and villages of Boyd and Cadott.

For the calendar year 2020, local governments received more than $505 million in general transportation aids (GTA) financial assistance, to support transportation related projects; a 10 percent increase over calendar year 2019 allocations.

The local assistance increase is part of more than $465 million in new funding for transportation projects included in the 2019-20 state budget, the largest dedication of new, ongoing revenue to the transportation fund in a generation. In addition to the 10 percent GTA increase, the budget included $320 million in new funding for the State Highway Rehabilitation program and provided $90 million in onetime funding for the Local Roads Improvement Program-Supplement grant program.

“Our local roads are a crucial element of the state’s transportation system,” said Craig Thompson, Wisconsin Transportation secretary-designee. “These roads represent the first mile of a farmer’s shipment of crops or the last mile of a family’s vacation trip. That’s why Wisconsin’s entire transportation system depends on the condition of its local infrastructure.”

GTAs help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction.