October 29, 2007 … Volume 8, Issue 14
WisDOT Web site has new look
People viewing WisDOT’s Web site (www.dot.wisconsin.gov) will notice it has
a newer, cleaner look. One new feature is a direct link to any significant
traffic incident reported to the State Traffic Operations Center. One click
on the link provides travelers with information about any major incidents
that may impact their travel plans. Along with keeping the site
customer-friendly, a key goal of the home-page re-design is the ability to
make updates easier and faster. The layout is the same size as the previous
design but includes more information and photographs.
Fox Valley conference to focus on managing traffic incidents
A statewide conference in Appleton October 30-31 will focus on the latest
techniques to enhance safety for emergency responders at traffic crashes and
similar incidents. The Statewide Traffic Incident Management Conference will
gather fire, law enforcement, transportation officials and others to discuss
challenges and strategies for handling highway incidents. To kick-off the
two-day conference, a media event is planned to highlight the dangers
emergency responders can face when responding to traffic crashes.
Fall a perfect season to enjoy Rustic Roads
Fall is an especially good time to consider a visit to any of Wisconsin’s
Rustic Roads. Hikers, bikers and motorists can now explore four new
additions to the Rustic Roads network: R-104 near the French Creek Wildlife
area in Marquette and Columbia counties; R-105 in Price County through the
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; R-106 near the Horicon Marsh in Dodge
County; and R-107 along the Chippewa River in Dunn County. Wisconsin’s 107
Rustic Roads span over 600 miles, are locally nominated and remain under
local government jurisdiction. They range from two to 37 miles long, and
have speed limits of no more than 45 miles per hour. More information on
Wisconsin’s newest Rustic Roads can be found on the WisDOT Web site
(www.dot.wisconsin.gov/opencms/export/nr/modules/news/news_0466.html_7862294
40.html).
Rail ridership remains robust
A total of 48,193 passengers boarded Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains in
September – an increase of 1.7% over September of last year and a new
ridership record for that particular month. The Hiawatha Service has seen
record ridership levels in 33 out of the past 35 months. Calendar
year-to-date ridership through September stands at 441,498 – a 1.7% increase
through the same period last year. In September, a total of 8,391 Hiawatha
passengers got on/off at the Milwaukee Airport Rail station – an average of
280 people every day. Another 4,788 riders utilized the new Sturtevant
station in July – about 160 per day. The Hiawatha makes seven daily round
trips between Milwaukee and Chicago (six on Sundays) and currently boasts
the best on-time performance of any Amtrak route in the nation.
Upcoming events
October 30 – 31 2007 Statewide Traffic Incident Management Conference,
Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton
November 14 2007 WisDOT Annual Freight Railroad Conference, Crowne Plaza
Hotel, Madison, WI.
November 16 Wisconsin State Patrol 56th Recruit Class Graduation, State
Capitol
