MMAC: Numerous and diverse organizations endorse the Wisconsin Transportation Finance Summit

Contacts:
Kevin Soucie (414) 817-1442
Peter Beitzel, MMAC (414) 287-4140

Milwaukee, WI (May 24, 2004) – A diverse group of more than 25 state and national organizations have registered their support for the Wisconsin Transportation Finance Summit to be held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee on June 22. The purpose of the one-day summit is to raise awareness among stakeholders and decision-makers of the impending transportation funding crisis and to educate participants about real, practical and innovative ways to avert a transportation funding disaster.

“The support of these organizations illustrates growing concern for the impending transportation funding crisis,” said Kevin Soucie, of Soucie & Associates, a Milwaukee-based transportation policy consulting firm that is presenting the Summit in partnership with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC).

“These organizational sponsorships in no way imply an endorsement of any of the positions expressed at the Summit; rather, they represent an endorsement of the Summit itself, the desire to raise awareness of the funding crisis, and support for an open discussion on alternative solutions,” said Peter Beitzel, vice president of the MMAC.

The growing list of organizational sponsors includes Bay Lake Regional Planning Commission; Center for Urban Transportation Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce; Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce; Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau; Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Wisconsin; International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association; Marshfield Chamber of Commerce; Midwest Regional University Transportation Center; Milwaukee Downtown BID #21; Northwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; 1000 Friends; Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce; Reason Foundation; Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce; Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Transportation Development Association; University of Wisconsin Superior Transportation Logistics Research Center; University of Illinois at Chicago Urban Transportation Center; Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce; West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Wisconsin Alliance of Cities; Wisconsin County Highway Association, Inc.; Wisconsin Paper Council; Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council and Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association.

Summit presenters include Mary Peters, administrator of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration; Todd A. Berry, Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance; Ike Brannon, Congressional Joint Economic Committee; Robert Cook, Transportation Development Association; Dan Duff, American Public Transportation Association; Daryl Fleming, eTrans; Gary Gallegos, The San Diego Association of Governments; Mark Kennedy, U.S. Congressman, Minnesota; Imad Nassereddine, Vice President, 407 ETR, Toronto; Thomas Petri, Chair of the U.S. House Highways, Transit & Pipeline Subcommittee; Robert Poole, Reason Foundation; Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense Fund; Phillip Russell, Texas Turnpike Authority; Jeff Stone, Wisconsin State Representative; Tom Walker, Transportation Builders Association; and Dr. Harold Worrall, Transportation Innovations, Inc.

Registration and sponsorship information is available online at www.mmac.org or by calling the MMAC at (414) 287-4100.