Nothing beats public transportation like a subway system. It is fast, efficient, and never has the kind of traffic problems that streets have above. It is very common on the East Coast, but not so much everywhere else. Even the state of Wisconsin looked into a subway or state-wide train system at one point, but it failed miserably. Here is why.

Publicized and Planned, Not Estimated

Everyone in Wisconsin got excited over the whole train/subway system idea. It was highly publicized in order to gain support and momentum. The problem was, as they began to look at places to tunnel and take trains underground, they lost sight of something really important; the tunnel cost estimate.

Tunneling Costs

When the governor of Wisconsin found out how much tunneling costs would be, he began to shuffle past the plan. It was too much for the intended budget for the project. If he had actually gotten the estimate for tunnels prior to creating the budget for this public transit system, he could have done a better job planning for the tunneling costs.

Expansion Costs

Once the tunneling costs were revealed, it was quickly realized that a statewide system of trains and subways was impossible. It could not be fit into the state budget. There was no room for it. At best, the system could be built locally in the capital or another major city, such as Milwaukee. Unfortunately, that did nothing for the majority of the constituents that were willing to support and back the system, and no one was willing to back the costs to build and expand the system outward.

How to Avoid Wisconsin's Mistakes If You Want a Subway System in Your State

The biggest mistake here, of course, is not getting the estimate for tunneling costs right off the bat. The second biggest mistake was getting the public amped up and willing to back something that no one knew the real cost of creating. The third mistake was in thinking that the project could go statewide and provide great train transportation for everyone using many of the rails that already criss-cross the state without realizing the costs or the inability of passenger trains and subway trains to use the same rails.

To avoid these mistakes, make sure your state's government keeps this project idea under wraps. Then get the total estimate and costs for tunneling and extra rails, trains, etc. Then make the project public to get support. For more information or assistance, contact companies like Wirthlin Consulting Group.