PUBLIC POLICY AND CONSTRUCTION Presented by Tom Carlsen

 Background: Civil Engineering & the DOT  Example Projects  Politics & People  Conclusion & Takeaways CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 $6.5 Billion Biennial Budget  4000 Employees  Responsible for WI Transportation Network : Highways & Bridges, Airports, Railroads, Harbors, Motor Vehicle Vehicles and State Patrol CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 “Civil” – of, pertaining to, or consisting of citizens of the commonwealth, or state.  Communication with citizens & their representatives  Formation of public policy CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Citizens (all of us) take public infrastructure for granted when we:  Turn on the faucet  Drive our cars  Ride our bikes or the bus  Take a train or plane  Flick a light switch  How was all of this infrastructure put in place and maintained? CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Early 1900’s developed a system of State & U.S Highways and farm to market roads.  I System started to be built in 1960’s CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Know the landscape  Participate in the public policy debate  Understand what your colleagues and other agencies are doing  Be near, but not at, the cutting edge  Stay current on social, political, cultural and economic forces  Public/Private Partnerships CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Marquette Interchange  40 year-old infrastructure  Total cost: ~$800M  1968 Cost: ~$50M  Public involvement  Kept major movements open CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 US Highway 12  30 years from conception to completion ▪ Controversies, environmental concerns ▪ Community & development concerns ▪ Agricultural Interests  Compromises ▪ One roadway for another CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 ATC Transmission Line  Act 89 – requires siting of transmission lines on a priority basis  Extensive public involvement  Cooperation between agencies  New technology CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Midwest Rail Initiative  Controversial  Long-range plan  Inter-modal, inter-city, inter-state CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 The role of decision makers in political environment  Get involved  Touch all the bases on high risk projects  Impact of citizen and neighborhood groups CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Wisconsin in a fiscal crisis  Affects public infrastructure  Balance new construction with maintenance / repair  Who pays? CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

 Today’s successful professionals are collaborators  Communication  Teamwork  Empathy  Sensitivity  Diversity CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction

“The engineer of 2020 and beyond will face a bewildering array of new technologies, appearing at a rate that will bring his or her professional qualifications constantly near obsolescence. The engineering community will face a world more connected than today, requiring both social and political acumen to navigate the changing world condition.” - National Academy of Engineering CEE 498 | Public Policy & Construction