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 bill amends current law, which only required DOT to give due consideration to such facilities, and introduces a new requirement that exceptions to this mandate can only be made under specific criteria. The criteria include situations where the cost of establishing these facilities is excessively disproportionate to the project's total cost, where there would be excessive negative impacts in a constrained environment, or where there is a lack of need for such facilities.

The bill also repeals certain existing provisions and renumbers others to streamline the legal framework surrounding these requirements. Specifically, it repeals the previous section that allowed for broader discretion in not establishing bikeways and pedestrian ways, thereby tightening the rules to ensure that these facilities are included in highway projects unless clearly justified by the specified exceptions. The DOT is tasked with promulgating rules to define these exceptions, ensuring that the decision-making process is guided by a thorough review from knowledgeable officials.

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