The federal government recently approved the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s $1.2 billion proposal for the expansion of Interstate I-94 in Milwaukee. According to DOT, this massive undertaking will modernize the obsolete infrastructure and mitigate congestion from traffic levels that are now approaching pre-pandemic levels.

While the DOT report acknowledged the importance of transit, rail and alternate modes of travel, the state’s consistent prioritization of road and highway infrastructure jeopardizes the future of sustainable transportation.

Wisconsin lawmakers’ investment in road infrastructure at the expense of alternative — often more sustainable and accessible — forms of transportation is not a new development. In fact, in 2010, Gov. Scott Walker made the appalling decision to turn down $810 million in federal funds for the construction of a high speed rail between Madison and Milwaukee, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Instead, he urged then President Barack Obama to allow the state to use these funds for highway and road development instead.

Republican leaders’ sentiment against passenger rail does not seem to have changed in the last decade. According to AP News, the leader of the Wisconsin Senate voiced his opposition to federal and state funding for passenger rail in Wisconsin just in December 2022.

This cold response to passenger rail is quite unfortunate considering the sustainability and accessibility provided by rail travel. In fact, according to Amtrak, expansion of passenger rail can reduce carbon emissions by 50% compared to traditional automobile transportation. Additionally, Amtrak finds that passenger rail provides low-income and rural communities with an efficient mode of travel and connection.

Specifically, rail can also have long-term benefits for maintaining the vibrancy of Wisconsin’s rural communities. According to Isthmus, graduating UW Madison students and prospective Wisconsin residents would be more willing to live in small, less populated communities if provided with rail connections to neighboring cities.

So, why are Republican leaders in Wisconsin constantly fighting efforts to expand rail infrastructure and investing billions of dollars in roads instead?

One of Walker’s concerns about accepting federal funding for passenger rail was the $7.5 million annual maintenance cost that would land on the state, according to WPR. While Republicans deemed this expense too costly, they seem to have no problem with the $2.1 billion set aside for road and bridge infrastructure for just 2022 and 2023. Additionally, these lawmakers do not seem to be factoring in the environmental benefits associated with investment in passenger rail.

Republicans’ opposition to trains might also stem from the partisan divide that seems to dictate most political issues. According to WPR, Obama was one of the most outspoken proponents of railroad expansion. In response, Republican governors across the nation voiced their rejection of any federal rail funding that might come their way.

It is frightening to envision the grave consequences of such trivial partisan controversies. For Madison, plans to construct the city’s first ever passenger rail is at stake. According to its website, the city will receive federal funding for the train system, which will be constructed in partnership with Amtrak. The city is currently in the midst of planning potential train station locations, but it is important to consider whether railroads have a viable future in Madison considering historic opposition from state leaders.

It has been just over a decade since Walker rejected federal funding and withheld any state funds for passenger rail, leaving the future of trains in Wisconsin far from certain. Moreover, Republican leaders’ emphasis on road-based infrastructure proves to be just as problematic. Expansion of roads will likely promote driving as a mode of transportation, which will then lead to an increase in congestion. Soon enough, leaders will call for greater expansion of road infrastructure, leading to an endless cycle that will turn our communities into inaccessible and lifeless jungles of ever encroaching roads.

Upon examination of smaller-scale impacts, it isn’t hard to see the detrimental consequences of a road centric approach for the University of Wisconsin campus community. According to a report by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, nearly 33% of UW students utilize public transportation to travel to campus, while 55% choose to walk or bike to campus. It is clear that cars have little place on the UW campus, and car-centric policies can be detrimental for students.

Moreover, the development of a rail system can further the university’s efforts to make higher education more accessible to rural communities by connecting these small, distant communities to Madison via an efficient transportation system. As a public university located in the heart of Wisconsin, the university has a responsibility to increase accessibility to higher education for Wisconsin residents that might hail from disadvantaged or rural communities. A rail system might invite a commuter student population from neighboring communities to UW Madison, promoting equity and accessibility to the university.

It is clear that alternate modes of transportation are important to Wisconsin at all scales, and it is time that state leaders recognize the importance of investing in diverse transportation infrastructure. Setting aside partisan differences, the state must step back from its road-centric investments and focus on more sustainable and accessible approaches instead. For instance, Madison’s breakthrough railroad project can pioneer the expansion of similar infrastructure throughout the state.