Fixing Milwaukee streets in poor condition would cost $821M, report says

Maya Bell

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel USA TODAY NETWORK – WISCONSIN

There are 1,370 miles of streets in poor condition in the city of Milwaukee, according to a new report by the Department of Public Works.

And there isn’t any simple remedy to the problem.

The report to the Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee tried to get everyone on the same page in terms of the breadth of the problem, the scope of the repair costs, and number of options available.

The DPW report said it would take a little more than $60 million annually to maintain average pavement quality, and from 2022 to 2025, about that much was invested each year.

“However, the resources available from the State and Federal governments are required, in nearly all cases, to be targeted at arterial roadways,” the report said. “This is resulting in continued improvement in the average pavement quality of the City’s major streets, while collector and local streets tread water or continue to decline.”

Streets last between 25 and 30 years before needing repair, and many streets are nearing, or at, the end of their life at the same time, according to a report.

As problems have built up, it would now take $821 million to repair all the roads in poor condition, $752 million just for collector and local streets.

“This report reaffirms what residents have long voiced — safe, smooth streets are a basic city service, not a luxury,” said Alderman Peter Burgelis.

Milwaukee City Engineer Kevin Muhs suggested four possible steps the city could take to raise money to speed up road repairs:

● Increase borrowing from its tax levy. Of course, any time the city borrows more money, it runs risks with balancing its budget, maintaining its bond rating, supporting other services, and irritating taxpayers.

● Seek more than its allotted $1 million every other year from the state Local Road Improvement Program. “The overall program, even when including the competitive funding, is a relatively small portion of the state’s total biennial transportation funding,” the DPW report said. “Given the State’s overall fiscal picture, it may be appropriate to make the case that a greater commitment from the state is needed.” ● Raise the vehicle registration fee. Milwaukee’s fee generates a little more than $9 million annually, and is fairly low compared to the largest cities in neighboring states.

● Create a transportation utility, like a wheel tax, which has been done in other Wisconsin municipalites. The problem is that some of them have been challenged in court — and shot down. Any attempt to do this would need to be worked out with the city attorney.

The Department of Public Works also identified one other cost associated with any funding increases to meet demand: More workers would be needed to repave the roads. Those labor costs would be significant.