The relationship is rather obvious, but somehow it escapes the thinkers at the Department of Transportation, who con- tinue to maintain they build roads only to meet safety concerns. Other interesting stats, courtesy of the RPC' s Regional Trends report. The city of Madison's population continues to drop as a share of the overall county population, down to 50.7 percent from 52.0 percent five years ago. Even more telling, in 1970 almost 60 percent of Dane County residents lived in Madison. At that rate, Madison will be a ghost town in another 50 years.
Agricultural lands continue to be converted to non-farming uses at a disturbing rate.
On the positive side, efforts to improve the water quality of lakes and streams in Dane County appear to be paying off. The Yahara Lakes summer water clarity figures show the lakes are rebounding. Secchi Disc readings, a measurement of the depth you can see into the water, has improved each year since 1988. While water quality can change from year to year due to weather, the numbers are encouraging. Norquist predicted the DOT would be lobbying for a gas tax increase in the next state budget and vowed to beat it down again.