Senate Bill 343 mandates that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) must establish bikeways and pedestrian ways in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded by state or federal funds, a policy known as "complete streets." This requirement replaces the previous standard, which only required DOT to give due consideration to such facilities. The bill also introduces a new provision that allows DOT to create rules identifying exceptions to this requirement, but these exceptions can only be based on specific criteria, such as excessive costs or lack of community need.

The bill repeals certain existing provisions that previously allowed for more lenient considerations regarding the establishment of bikeways and pedestrian ways. Specifically, it repeals the introductory language and the second clause of section 84.01 (35) (d), while renumbering the first clause of that section to (c) 1. The new criteria for exceptions include factors like disproportionate costs exceeding 20% of the total project cost, excessive negative impacts in constrained environments, lack of community need, and refusal by the community to maintain the facilities.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 84.01(35)(b), 84.01