​MADISON — Investments in agriculture and transportation infrastructure work together to improve Wisconsin’s economy. In the latest episode of “Transportation Connects Us,” the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) podcast, agency leaders discuss the history and future of policies to strengthen Wisconsin’s agriculture industry and move products to market.

“In Wisconsin, we have over 115,000 miles of paved roads, 90% of which are local, and that comes from our dairy farming heritage,” WisDOT Secretary-designee Thompson said. “As our diverse agricultural economy evolves, the first and last mile for farmers is still usually a town or county road. Those roads and bridges are an essential part of a strong transportation infrastructure.”

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary-designee Randy Romanski joined Thompson to talk about the road ahead for America’s Dairyland.

“Wisconsin agriculture is a $104.8 billion industry. About one in nine people in our state hold a job related to agriculture — and that’s from the farthest part of northern Wisconsin all the way to major food processors on the southern border,” Secretary-designee Romanski said. “Multimodal transportation infrastructure that makes the most of our roads, water, and rail positions us for success.”

From fixing local roads to improving the state’s harbors and building multimodal freight facilities, Thompson and Romanski look at the horizon and talk about upcoming budget priorities. 

“Transportation Connect Us” is a podcast series produced by WisDOT which focuses on transportation safety, engineering, transportation investments and DMV topics. Episodes are available to download.