Milwaukee would need to spend more than $821 million to bring its worst streets up to acceptable condition, according to a new Department of Public Works (DPW) report presented to the Milwaukee Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee.

The June 18 briefing to the Common Council revealed that 34 percent of local streets are currently rated “poor,” while just 5 percent fall into the “excellent” category. Local and collector streets alone account for $752 million of the projected repair costs, underscoring the scale of deterioration in the residential corridors Milwaukeeans rely on every day.

“This report confirms what residents already know — our local streets are crumbling,” said Alderman Peter Burgelis, who led efforts to reverse a proposed $6 million cut to road funding in the city’s 2025 budget. “When one in three local streets is rated poor, that’s not just frustrating — it’s a quality-of-life issue.”

While arterial roads have benefited from recent federal infrastructure grants, Burgelis noted that residential streets have fallen far behind, deepening infrastructure disparities. “Safe, smooth streets aren’t a luxury — they’re a basic city service,” he said. (RELATED: Trump’s Blue-Collar Wage Boom Credited to Reduced Immigration and Revived Manufacturing)

In 2023, the mayor’s administration proposed cutting the city’s street repair investment from $18 million to $12 million. Burgelis and his colleagues voted to restore the full $18 million and override a mayoral veto, calling the move a necessary “down payment” on long-term solutions.

But funding remains an open question — not just for Milwaukee, but statewide.

Republican State Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, said on her Facebook account, the state faces a long-term road funding challenge. “There isn’t enough tax money for roads in the coming years due to EVs, hybrids, and gas-efficient cars,” she said. “All cars are paying less.”

Cabral-Guevara noted that tolling is not currently permitted under federal rules, and while a gas tax hike is on the table, it’s politically difficult. “Last session, we doubled EV registration fees to help close the gap,” she said, but emphasized the need for new solutions moving forward. (RELATED: MPS Looks to Spend More, Grow Deficit in new Schools Budget)

The DPW report outlines potential options including transportation utilities, vehicle fee adjustments, and new state or federal partnerships. Without action, officials warn the city risks allowing its neighborhood streets to crumble even further — along with the quality of life for residents who rely on them daily.