Economic development, Scenic Byways - Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The purpose of the national scenic byways program is to recognize and promote some of America's memorable roads for the enjoyment of the traveling public. The goal of the Wisconsin Scenic Byways program is to identify, designate, promote and preserve a system of State Trunk Highways recognized for their outstanding scenic views and ability to offer travelers an exceptional travel experience. These byway corridors highlight the best scenic resources along with the natural, historic, archeological, cultural and recreational opportunities available in Wisconsin. It is anticipated that this program will promote tourism and economic development by encouraging people to visit the route and spend money at the local motels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

Scenic Byways serve as a catalyst for economic development

The National Scenic Byways Program is funded and administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). A state's participation in the national program is voluntary. States join by creating their own state scenic byways program. An economic benefit of participation is the ability for routes designated as state or national scenic byways to compete for National Scenic Byways Discretionary Grant funds for certain byway projects.

Wisconsin has one nationally designated byway: the Great River Road which runs primarily on WIS 35 for approximately 250 miles from Prescott to Kieler in western Wisconsin. Since 2000, the Great River Road Corridor has been awarded approximately $5.1 million in competitive Scenic Byway Discretionary Grant Funds.

These national grant funds serve as a catalyst for economic development for the corridor since they are a direct infusion of funds into a defined geographic area. These funds are enhancing and strengthening the travel experience for tourists on this route. Projects approved for funding include interpretive or visitor centers such as the Prescott Learning Center and the Rieck's Lake visitor facilities. Also, promotional activities have been approved, such as the Audubon birding maps, and Tourism's Birding, Boating, and Biking media campaign.

Scenic Byways grant funds also serve as a catalyst for the engineering and construction industries that will design and build the new visitor centers. These visitor centers will also serve as marketing centers, directing visitors to the local businesses. In the longer term, designated scenic byways grants will help to sustain the travel and tourism industry by encouraging more people to visit the area and providing them with new or enhanced places to visit.

Case studies

In 2003, WisDOT, using federal funds, commissioned the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to conduct a four-season marketing and economic impact study of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. The purpose of the study is to describe the recreational users of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, including their activities on and their satisfaction with the Byway, and to estimate the dollars spent by these visitors and the economic impact those dollars have on the communities in the counties along the Great River Road. Economic impact is expressed as full-time equivalent jobs; wages, salaries and proprietary income; and state and local government revenues.

This report is supportive of economic development because it provides quantitative data on who is the typical byway traveler, why the person says they came, what they actually do, and how much and where they spent their discretionary dollars. Having this information will enable more informed decisions to be made about what the travelers are looking for in a vacation experience. With good marketing analysis, promoters of the scenic byways are able to better target their promotional efforts to yield the maximum number of visitors to various areas and activities along the scenic byway.

Also in 2003, WisDOT and the Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission prepared an Advisory Report of Operations for the Cassville Ferry Service. The Village of Cassville is located in Grant County on the southern portion of the Great River Road across the river from Guttenberg, Iowa. The nearest bridge crossing to the north is Prairie du Chien, and the nearest bridge crossing to the south is Dubuque, Iowa. While the average distance between bridge crossings on the Great River Road is 30 miles, the distance between Prairie du Chien and the Dubuque bridge crossing is approximately 70 miles. Having a viable ferry crossing would provide Cassville with greatly improved access as well as increase the number of people traveling in this remote region of the state.

Increased accessibility and promoting the ferry as a tourist attraction would have a positive impact on tourism in the region. Stonefield village, Nelson Dewey State Park, and Wyalusing (Iowa) are important to Cassville. Having a viable ferry would substantially increase the number of travelers that have access to these attractions by providing a more convenient transportation connection with northern Iowa. The ferry service provided travelers with a broader selection of activities by effectively tying the Great River Road National Scenic Byway together on both sides of the River. Visitors could then easily visit both sides of the River in one day.

The study was able to verify some of the economic impacts of the ferry service. Based on the survey results of the passengers using the Cassville Ferry in 2001, and the economic impact of the employment and wages generated from the operations of the ferry service, approximately $172,000 in regional spending can be attributed to the ferry service. These expenditures were related to purchases such as lodging, meals, retail shopping, recreation and personal services. It is estimated that 4.6 jobs were created from the tourism spending and operations of the ferry service. Personal income for the wage earners that benefited from the spending of the passengers and expenditures of the ferry service operation increased by $83,000 during 2001.

Wisconsin designated byways

The Lower Wisconsin River Road is a recently designated Wisconsin scenic byway that travels 100 miles along WIS 60 following the Wisconsin River from Lodi to Bridgeport/Prairie du Chien. At Prairie du Chien there is an intersection of the Great River Road National Byway and the Lower Wisconsin River Road state scenic byway. More information can be found on the Web site: http://www.lowerwisconsinriverroad.com/

The Lower Wisconsin River Road is a roadway that captures the essence of rural Wisconsin, the scenic qualities of the driftless region and the splendor of the lower Wisconsin River valley. The Lower Wisconsin River Road often threads between the bluffs and the river or its backwaters. The Byway has thousands of acres of public lands to explore and a variety of recreational opportunities including canoeing, angling, hunting, hiking and wildlife watching. There are numerous river towns with their own unique history and flavor. A number of effigy and other mounds, dating back 1000 or more years ago, are scattered throughout the corridor on public, private and tribal lands. The byway visitor will also find history relating to the European-American exploration and settlement eras. For example, several skirmishes during the Black Hawk War of 1832 were fought in the valley and Wisconsin Historical Markers along the route recount the foiled escape route utilized by Black Hawk and his followers. The Lower Wisconsin River Road has something for everyone and in all seasons.

For additional information about the Scenic Byways program, contact Jane Carrola, Bureau of Planning and Economic Development, (608) 266-0649.

Recreational vehicle traveling on a scenic road

Related information:

WisDOT Scenic Byways information

The Economic Value of Bicycling along Wisconsin's Great River Road