A new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Wisconsin a "C" grade on infrastructure.
This means things are adequate for now, but improvements need to be made.
Roads and transit need the most work, according to ASCE Wisconsin chapter president Ken Mika.
"A combination of vehicles, bus systems, air modal systems, biking, there's a lot more biking going on these days," he said.
The report grades states based on the condition and operation of different categories, assigning a letter grade to each. Roads and transit received a D+.
Mika said part of the problem could be that Wisconsin is short on funding for roads.
"We could use another $180 million per year over the next ten years to keep our roads in proper condition," he said.
The state did excel in other areas, mainly the protection of natural resources. It got a B- in the hazardous waste category, meaning the state is a leader in cleanup and protection from contaminants.
This also includes clean energy, and the elimination of greenhouse gases.
"The state of Wisconsin has really taken care of the natural environment," Mika said.
So what does this mean for our area? Mika said to improve the grade for the next report, more investment in the problem areas of transportation and road conditions is needed.
"Here in the Wausau area there's a lot of transportation for tourism and the logging industry and other parts," he said. "So that's going to be a big push in a couple of years."
