CHAPTER FIVE: TRANSPORTATION Transportation Recommendations Summary . Recognize that the County’s transportation network is critical to its economic health. Maintain state and county highways, and make improvements primarily to address safety concerns. Update County highway access control standards to ensure safe access. Prepare model specifications for new town roads to assure proper construction. Support and plan for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, including the Ice Age Trail and connections to it Highway Committee Review Draft #1: February 2015 Page 1 This chapter includes background information, goals, objectives, policies and recommended programs to guide the future development and maintenance of various modes of transportation in Marquette County over the 20-year planning period. Given the County’s rural setting, the primary focus is on highways and local roads. The chapter also compares the County’s transportation policies and programs to state and regional transportation plans. A. EXISTING TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES Access is a key determinant of growth because it facilitates the flow of goods and people. Marquette County is well connected to the region through the existing roadway network, especially the Interstate. Other transportation facilities, such as freight rail and bike and recreational trails and routes, are also found in the County. This section summarizes the County’s existing transportation facilities. ROADWAYS Marquette County is served by Interstate 39 and four state trunk highways, all of which link the County with the region’s major cities. These links are vital to the County’s tourism and recreation-based economy, as well as channeling product and commuter flows. Interstate 39 serves as the County’s primary north-south traffic artery. This four-lane freeway is designed to keep traffic flowing smoothly across the entire state, and connects Wisconsin’s metropolitan areas in the south to the “northwoods” region. Traffic has significantly increased since 2000. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), which records average daily traffic volumes (number of cars) for major state roadways, traffic on I-39 increased by almost 50 percent from 2001 to 2008 to an average of 16,500 vehicles per day. The State of Wisconsin Department Roadway Function Classification of Transportation (WisDOT) maintains a rest area to serve northbound traffic on Interstate 39 north of the System Village of Westfield. The rest area provides modern Throughout Wisconsin, all local, county, state restroom facilities and other amenities for the traveling and federal transportation routes are classified in public. categories under the “Roadway Functional Classification” system. In 2015, the County’s consultant updated an earlier assessment of the economic development potential As identified by WisDOT, the functional of lands along the Interstate 39 corridor. It included an classification system groups roads and highways according to the character of service assessment of access, daily traffic volumes, adjacent they offer, ranging from rapid through access to land uses and zoning, visibility, and environmental local land access. The purpose of functional constraints to development. This assessment is classification is to enhance overall travel summarized in Chapter Eight efficiency and accommodate traffic patterns and State Trunk Highways (STHs) are the arterial land uses by designing streets to the standards suggested by their functional class. The three roadways in the network. STH 23 is the main east-west main functional classes include: route through the County which, between 2000 and 2008, experienced a 12 percent decrease in traffic (as . Arterials that provide primary access to and measured on the west side of Montello) with average through an area daily traffic (ADT) of 3,700 vehicles in 2008. STH 22, . Collectors that disperse traffic within an which runs generally north-south through the County, area, and saw traffic volumes south of Montello, just north of . Local streets that provide access to the Union Pacific Railroad decrease by about 23 individual properties. percent over this same period, to an ADT of 1,700 vehicles by 2008. STH 82, running west from the See Map 7 for functional classification system Interstate through the Village of Oxford, experienced a designations in Marquette County. slight decrease in traffic volume between 2006 and 2008, with ADT of 3,700 vehicles in 2008. STH 73 serves the far northeastern portion of the County and the Village of Neshkoro, traffic volume on this highway remained constant between 2000 and 2003 with an ADT of 2700 vehicles. Highway Committee Review Draft #1: February 2015 Page 2 The County’ is also served by a 238-mile network of county trunk highways (CTHs). County highways usually serve as collector roads that both serve adjacent land uses and distribute local traffic to the Interstate and arterial system. They serve an important role in linking the area’s farm and forest resources to the County’s urban centers and major highways. The major County highways—D, E, F, and M—had ADT of between 800 and 1,400 vehicles in 2008. ADT along CTH D and along CTH F, south of Montello, was at 1,100 vehicles. Along County E west from Westfield, the ADT was 1,400 vehicles. Moderate-volume County highways, with ADTs between 450 and 800, include CTHs A, B, C, J, K, O, CH, and CX. The lowest volume County highways, with ADTs of 450 or less, were N, P, T, Y, and JJ. Modest traffic increases along the County highway network should be expected with new development in the more rural parts of Marquette County. Town roads are also important components of the transportation system. There are 536 miles of town roads in Marquette County. Town roads serve local development and farming and forestry areas. They also provide access to many of the County’s lakes and streams. Most of these roads are maintained by the local town, but the County does provide town road maintenance services under individual agreements. The segment of 14th Road in the Town of Buffalo, between CTHs O and CM, is enrolled in the Rustic Roads program. This program was created by the State legislature in 1973 to help citizens and local units of government preserve scenic, lightly-traveled roads for the leisurely enjoyment of bikers, hikers, and motorists. Featuring open agricultural vistas against a backdrop of wooded hills, 14th Road provides the traveler with a canopy of hardwood forests and cottonwood trees, along with views of century old farms and remnant prairie areas. BRIDGES There are 37 State-maintained bridges in Marquette County, located either along Interstate 39 or State highways. In addition, there are 21 bridges along County highways and 22 bridges along town roads, which are maintained by either Marquette County or local governments. The State and County maintain condition reports for bridges. There are also five railroad bridges, which are maintained by the Union Pacific Railroad. AIRPORTS There are no airports in Marquette County, but there are several small private airstrips. The nearest larger airport is the Portage Municipal Airport in Columbia County, which is classified as a “medium general aviation” airport serving small general aviation single and twin-engine aircrafts. There is another “medium general aviation” airport in the Wisconsin Dells area and “small general aviation” airports used for recreational flying, training, and crop dusting near Wautoma, Wild Rose and Friendship. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation in the 2010 Wisconsin State Airport Systems Plan recommended that Adams County Legion Field in Friendship be improved to “medium general aviation” standards. Air carrier and passenger facilities are located approximately an hour’s drive to the south in Madison at the Dane County Regional Airport, and to the east at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh (charter service), at the Outagamie County Airport in Appleton, and the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee. Highway Committee Review Draft #1: February 2015 Page 3 RAIL The Union Pacific Railroad runs through the southern part of Marquette County, beginning in the Town of Buffalo and running through the Towns of Packwaukee, Montello and Oxford. This rail line connects Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis and traverses Wisconsin in a roughly diagonal route. This is a freight rail route; there is no passenger rail service serving the County and none is anticipated. The nearest passenger rail service is located within the City of Portage, where the Amtrak Empire Builder rail route stops. The Empire Builder connects Chicago to Seattle. WATER AND TRUCK TRANSPORTATION Most freight shipments in Marquette County occur by truck or rail. There is no waterborne freight movement in the County, and none is anticipated. Semi-truck shipments are most prevalent along Interstate 39. The city and villages in the County have designated truck routes to guide truck traffic from the major highways and freeways into industrial parks and business areas. BICYCLE ROUTES The County’s highly scenic rural roads provide abundant opportunities for bicycling and bike touring. In recognition of this opportunity, a group made up of the Citizens Recreation Committee, County Highway Department, and Marquette County Board cooperatively identified and mapped several on-road bike route tours in the County in 1999. The ten signed routes provide approximately 140 miles of bike touring opportunities (see Map 8). The shortest of these routes is the Mecan River Circuit (9 miles) and the longest is the Germania Jaunt (19 miles). No off-road recreational trails for bicyclists are available in the County at the present time. ATV ROUTES Between 2011 and 2014, Marquette County, local towns and the Marquette County ATV Club identified, designated and appropriately signed over 300 miles of County and municipal roads as an on-road ATV Route. The ATV routes connect area population centers to commercial businesses and serves as an important transportation and recreational amenity for Marquette County residents and visitors. WALKING AND HIKING Marquette County’s city and villages have pedestrian facilities that include sidewalk systems of various extents and capacities.