The Redline Coalition is made up of the Township of La Grange, City of Elkhorn, Lauderdale Lake and Pleasant Lake Management Districts, Greater Whitewater Committee, Inc., Walworth County, the City of Whitewater and Walworth County Economic and Development Alliance.
The coalition’s mission is three-fold: one, Governor Walker and legislators direct the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to complete the Highway 12 Environmental Impact Study; two, look for a long-term solution to sustainable transportation funding, and; three, ask the Federal Highway Administration to work with the state to loosen the regulatory restraints that cause expenses to the tier one EIS.
To accomplish this goal, the Redline Coalition circulated a petition to send to Governor Walker and state legislators. The petition is online at gopetition.com/petitions/highway-12-eis-petition.html.
In less than a month signatures on the petition reached 1,199 and as of press time, remained open for continued support.
The Redline Coalition has hand delivered letters asking for support from Governor Walker; Co-Chairs of the Joint Finance Committee, Senator Darling and Representative Nygren; Assembly Speaker Vos; Senate Majority Leader Fitzgerald; Representatives August, Horlacher, Loudenbeck, Vruwink; and Senators Nass and Ringhand.
“The Walworth County Board has passed and sent to our legislators and the Governor two resolution supporting the EIS completion,” Walworth County Board Chair Nancy Russell said. “Its completion is essential to maintain and grow our economy sectors of manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.”
Russell also said the Walworth County Highway Jurisdictional Committee, comprised of all towns, cities and villages in Walworth County, earlier voted to support the redline route of Highway 12. She went on to say the Pleasant Lake District, Lauderdale Lake District, City of Whitewater and the Town of LaGrange have unanimously adopted the same resolution supporting the Highway 12 EIS completion.
In May, the coalition conducted a Highway 12 Transportation Forum, an organized event for community members in the surrounding Highway 12 area to speak on the Highway 12 EIS the WisDOT canceled. Numerous local, county and state representatives were in attendance at the forum.
“The citizens of Elkhorn need a four-lane highway and I support the Redline Coalition’s goals,” Elkhorn Mayor Howie Reynolds said. “The forum held in May was successful in learning everyone’s thoughts on the situation and I look forward to the continuation of everyone’s efforts.”
The Highway 12 route between Elkhorn and Whitewater, was officially mapped out by the WisDOT in 1967, according to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. However, no progress has been made on the purposed route, according to the coalition.
The preparation of the EIS was included in the 2013-15 Wisconsin biennial budget and approved by legislators and the Governor. After a purpose and needs evaluation, the Highway 12 EIS was brought to a halt by the WisDOT.
According to SEWRPC, in 2016 the average annual daily traffic volumes between the end of the four-lane segment to Highway 12 and Highway ES have historically exceeded the 14,000 capacity.
“It was clearly approved in the budget years ago,” Greater Whitewater Committee President/CEO Jeffery Knight said. “Our hope is for the Governor and legislators will direct the DOT to complete the EIS.”
Traffic continues to grow annually and causes congestion on the current Highway 12 route. Walworth County is the sixth largest tourist county in Wisconsin, and growth in congestion can lead to increased accidents on Highway 12, the update states.
Between 2011 and 2015 there were 404 crashes on Highway 12 between Elkhorn and Whitewater. Fifty-nine of the 404 crashes were fatalities, and 60 percent of the two-lane Highway 12 exceeds the average state crash fatality rate. These numbers are expected to increase as the tourism industry in Walworth County continues to grow, the update states.
“Residents living on the current two-lane Highway 12 route have waited 50 years for answers about some sort of expansion,” LaGrange Town Board Supervisor Marcia Sahag said. “Everyone on Highway 12 and people living on the 1967 purposed route deserves answers from the DOT.”
For more information on the progress of the Highway 12 EIS and petition contact Jeffery Knight at (920) 728.0662 or at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com
