Governor Walker Announces More than $145M in Payments to Local Governments

Governor Scott Walker announced that local governments received quarterly payments this week totaling $145,978,567 for General Transportation Aids, Connecting Highway Aids and Expressway Policing Aids from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. In 2018, local governments will receive $40 million more than last year in General Transportation Aids.

July payments to Wisconsin’s 1,925 local units of government include: $142,706,717 in General Transportation Aids; $3,015,875 to 117 municipalities entitled to receive Connecting Highway Aids; and $255,975 to Milwaukee County for Expressway Policing Aids.

General Transportation Aids help defray 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. Expressway Policing Aids to the Milwaukee County Sheriff Department is used to patrol Milwaukee expressways.

For calendar year 2018, local governments will use an estimated $473 million from the state transportation fund to build and maintain local roads and bridges. 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.

Communities also receive state transportation fund revenues for public transit, elderly and disabled transportation, and airport and harbor development. Local communities may also receive state and federal funds for specific highway and bridge construction projects.