WAUKESHA COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION LEAGUE
POSITION STATEMENT

Transportation

The current surface transportation system in Waukesha County relies mainly upon the automobile. This reliance causes a large number of environmental and social problems. The region exceeds national standards of air pollution established by the Federal Clean Air Act of 1990 Automobile and service station emissions are major contributors to this problem. Runoff from pavement surfaces fouls the area's waterways and ground water. Expansion of roadways directly and indirectly causes permanent damage to sensitive and unique environmental areas such as woodlands, wetlands, farmland and prairie remnants. Expansion of roadways also encourages urban sprawl.

The Waukesha County Environmental Action League supports the following programs & policies regarding surface transportation;

Automobiles: WEAL advocates a general "no new roads" policy in Waukesha County.

  1. Strengthening of existing emissions monitoring programs.
  2. Require pavement sweeping by municipalities and businesses.
  3. Cessation of planning and building of all new roadways
  4. Cessation of lane expansions and improvements through environmentally sensitive areas.
  5. Encouragement of programs to increase the occupancy rate of vehicles.
  6. Incentives to private citizens to acquire/convert to vehicles powered by electricity and other alternative fuels.
  7. Increase the average fuel economy of new motor vehicles, and restructure the formula to include all vehicles including light trucks.
  8. Encourage programs to allow employees to telecommute

Mass Transit:

  1. Construction of mass transit systems throughout Waukesha County.
  2. Permit and encourage high density housing, to make transit systems more economical.
  3. Work toward restructuring Wisconsin Department of Transportation's (DOT) funding priorities to emphasize mass transit.
  4. Require all office/industrial developments to cluster, thus providing easy mass transit access.
  5. Formation of a Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority to plan regional transit needs through mass transit.

Other:

  1. Expansion of the bike trail system to allow more people to recreate in a non- polluting manner.
  2. Discourage dumping excessive amounts of salt on the roads during winter.
  3. Encourage the planting of native prairie plants and other natural landscaping in roadway rights-of-way thus eliminating the need for mowing and providing a more scenic roadway.
  4. Revision of the Department of Transportation's criteria for evaluating construction projects to place a higher economic value on environmentally sensitive areas.
  5. Require all gasoline pumps and gasoline delivery trucks to have vapor recovery systems, regardless of size or volume.

Present transportation trends and systems within Waukesha County and its environs are threatening the quality of life and natural resources of the county. All residents and businesses contribute to the pollution problems in a variety of ways. Through a variety of small individual efforts, like trip reduction and car pooling, citizens of Waukesha County can contribute to a cleaner environment.

 

Written 1992 MYB
Revised 7/97 ADS