WI DOT Hands Out $99 Million To State Municipalities

Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced Thursday (4/8/21) that municipalities across the state received more than $99 million in the second quarterly payments for 2021 for General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids.

For calendar year 2020, local governments received more than $505 million in general transportation aids (GTA) financial assistance to support transportation related projects, a 10% increase over calendar year 2019 allocations.

Total funding for all local programs makes up almost one-third of the state transportation budget.

“The work we do with local governments across the state keeps goods and services moving throughout Wisconsin,” WisDOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said. “Cooperatively, we are committed to investing wisely and working hard together to come up with good transportation solutions that support economic development and our quality of life.”

The local assistance increase is part of more than $465 million in new funding for transportation projects included in the 2019-2020 state budget, the largest dedication of new, ongoing revenue to the transportation fund in a generation. In addition to the 10% GTA increase, the budget included $320 million in new funding for the State Highway Rehabilitation program and provided $90 million in one-time funding for the Local Roads Improvement Program-Supplement grant program.

The second quarter payments, made on April 5, totaled $99,147,646.56 and included:

  • General Transportation Aids – $95,875,797.36 to towns, villages, and cities
    • Second quarter payments do not include counties, which receive three payments per year. 
  • Connecting Highway Aids – $3,015,874.20 to 116 eligible cities
  • Expressway Policing Aids – $255,975.00 to Milwaukee County

General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities.

Quarterly payments for cities, towns and villages are sent the first Monday in January, April, July and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25 percent of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January; 50 percent on the first Monday in July; and 25 percent on the first Monday in October.