News of the details of the negotiation between Taiwan-based Foxconn and the state of Wisconsin have revealed ideas about transportation planning that are either ambitious or delusional, depending on your opinion.
"Foxconn Technology Group asked for an autonomous vehicle lane to be included in the expansion of Interstate 94 North-South in Racine County," reports Arthur Thomas.
The Foxconn deal made national news as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker touted the company's decision to locate in the state as evidence of his administration's success in economic development. President Trump also chimed in, telling residents of upstate New York to move after Oneida County failed to land the deal.
"The special session legislation setting up Foxconn’s $3 billion in tax credits and breaks also authorized $252.4 million in borrowing to complete the expansion of I-94 in Racine County, but that money cannot be spent without an award of federal funding for the project," adds Thomas.
The article includes soundbites from Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy, Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokesperson Michael Pyritz, and Waukesha County Board Chair Paul Decker. Decker, for instance, argues that the state will have to rethink its approach to transportation planning and start thinking about funding on a regional level, rather than a local level, to make large projects like I-94 a reality.
Hat tip to Kim Slowey for sharing the article.
FULL STORY: Foxconn wants autonomous vehicle lane as part of I-94 expansion
Wisconsin's $1.1 Billion Highway Widening Project on the Ropes
The proposed widening of I-94 in Milwaukee is a $1.1 billion chunk of a $6.4 billion road widening program in the region. The NAACP sued the project as a matter of environmental justice.
Revisiting Wisconsin's Foxconn Deal, Now Called a 'Boondoggle'
Wisconsin taxpayer will be paying the bill for the deal to bring Foxconn to Racine "for decades, if not generations, to come."
Nine Highway Expansions Identified as Worst Boondoggles of 2018
In a new report, U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group describe nine costly highway projects amounting to $30 billion in their fourth annual "Highway Boondoggles" report. All share the theme of induced travel demand.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Baltimore Ordered to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility
The city is one of many to face lawsuits for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This Toronto Suburb Has More Bus Riders Than Columbus, Ohio
Brampton, Ontario used gradual improvements in service to prove that if you build it, they will ride.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service