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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 343

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: requiring bicycle and pedestrian facilities in highway projects and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

Bicycle Road — Construction and repair Street Summons Transportation department of — Roads

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to ensure, with exceptions, that bikeways and pedestrian ways are established in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded from state or federal funds (a policy commonly known as “complete streets”).

Under current law, DOT generally must give due consideration to establishing bikeways and pedestrian ways in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded from state or federal funds. However, DOT may not establish a bikeway or pedestrian way as part of a highway project if bicyclists or pedestrians are prohibited from using the highway. DOT is also prohibited from establishing a bikeway or pedestrian way as part of a state-funded project unless the governing body of each municipality in which a portion of the project is located authorizes the creation of the bikeway or pedestrian way.

Under the bill, DOT must ensure that bikeways and pedestrian ways are established in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded from state or federal funds. DOT must promulgate rules identifying exceptions to this requirement, but the exceptions may be based only on one of several specified criteria.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Carpenter (D) , Dassler-Alfheim (D) , Hesselbein (D) , L. Johnson (D) , Larson (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Roys (D) , Smith (D) , Spreitzer (D)

20 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Andraca (D) , Bare (D) , Brown (D) , Clancy (D) , DeSmidt (D) , J. Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Madison (D) , Mayadev (D) , Miresse (D) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Neubauer (D) , Palmeri (D) , Phelps (D) , Roe (D) , Sinicki (D) , Snodgrass (D) , Subeck (D) , Vining (D)

Registered lobbying interests · 2

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Full history

  1. Jun 27, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Larson, Carpenter, Roys, Hesselbein, Smith, Spreitzer, L. Johnson, Ratcliff and Dassler-Alfheim; cosponsored by Representatives Snodgrass, Vining, Andraca, Palmeri, Joers, Mayadev, Anderson, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSmidt, Madison, Miresse, Moore Omokunde, Neubauer, Phelps, Roe, Sinicki and Subeck

  2. Jun 27, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government

  3. Jul 23, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 9, 2026 · Senate

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  5. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1