A PIVOTAL POINT IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Southeastern Wisconsin has reached a pivotal point in its development. The 2020 Review and Update of VISION 2050 affirmed that this statement from the originally adopted VISION 2050 is accurate, and that the expected workforce shortage caused by the Region’s demographic trends is occurring at a rapid pace. In recent years, the Region’s notable economic growth has further magnified the need to attract new residents underscored in the originally adopted plan. These new residents need to be attracted at a level unseen in decades, putting Southeastern Wisconsin in direct competition with other metro areas. If the Region does not compete strongly to attract needed workers, economic growth may not continue to occur.
A PLAN TO SUSTAINABLY DEVELOP OUR REGION
This website summarizes VISION 2050, Southeastern Wisconsin’s long-range land use and transportation plan, produced by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). The plan was adopted in 2016 and updated in 2020. VISION 2050 seeks to build on the Region’s existing strengths and improve areas where the Region does not compete well with its peers, in order to increase the quality of life for residents and businesses and attract new growth to the Region.
VISION 2050 RECOMMENDS:
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Encouraging sustainable and cost-effective growth
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Preserving the Region’s most productive farmland and primary environmental corridors, which encompass the best remaining features of the Region’s natural landscape
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Encouraging more compact development, ranging from high-density transit-oriented development to traditional neighborhoods with homes within walking distance of parks, schools, and businesses
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Significantly improving and expanding public transit, including adding rapid transit and commuter rail, and improving and expanding local and express transit services to support compact growth and enhance the attractiveness and accessibility of the Region
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Enhancing the Region’s bicycle and pedestrian network to improve access to activity centers, neighborhoods, and other destinations
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Keeping existing major streets in a state of good repair and efficiently using the capacity of existing streets and highways
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Strategically adding capacity on highly congested roadways, incorporating “complete streets” roadway design concepts to provide safe and convenient travel for all, and addressing key issues related to moving goods into and through the Region
FUNDING THE PLAN
Implementing VISION 2050 will require adequate funding to support the investments recommended in the plan. The financial analysis prepared for the plan identified funding gaps that would prevent both the public transit and arterial streets and highways elements of the plan from being fully implemented.
For public transit, a gap of $250 million per year was identified, which would not only prevent the recommended improvement and expansion of transit from being implemented, but is expected to result in a 35 percent decline in existing transit service levels by 2050.
For arterial streets and highways, a gap of $385 million per year was identified, which is expected to result in fewer roads being reconstructed, widened, or newly constructed. Many of the roadways recommended to be reconstructed by 2050 would instead be rehabilitated, extending the overall life of the existing roadways, but likely reducing pavement quality.
CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT FUNDING
Postponing freeway reconstruction and not adding capacity on highly congested segments would likely result in:
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Costly emergency repairs and insufficient pavement maintenance due to unnecessary (and increasingly ineffective) repaving projects
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Increased traffic congestion and travel delays, along with decreased travel reliability
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Increased crashes due to traffic congestion, outdated roadway design, and deteriorating roadway conditions
The expected 35 percent reduction in transit service expected under the fiscally constrained system would result in:
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Reduced access to jobs, healthcare, education, and other daily needs; particularly for households without access to a car, which is more likely to affect people of color, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and seniors
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Smaller labor force available to employers
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Reduced traffic carrying capacity in the Region's heavily traveled corridors
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Reduced availability to develop compact, walkable neighborhoods that improve access and safety for people walking, and encourage active lifestyles
