Section 233.01. Purpose.

  Dividing or developing lands, or both, affects highways by generating traffic, increasing parking requirements, reducing sight distances, increasing the need for driveways and other highway access points and, in general, impairing highway safety and impeding traffic movements. The ability of state trunk highways and connecting highways to serve as an efficient part of an integrated intermodal transportation system meeting interstate, statewide, regional and local needs is jeopardized by failure to consider and accommodate long-range transportation plans and needs during land division processes. This chapter specifies the department's minimum standards for the division of land that abuts a state trunk highway or connecting highway, in order to provide for the safety of entrance upon and departure from those highways, to preserve the public interest and investment in those highways, to help maintain speed limits, and to provide for the development and implementation of an intermodal transportation system to serve the mobility needs of people and freight and foster economic growth and development, while minimizing transportation-related fuel consumption, air pollution, and adverse effects on the environment and on land owners and users. Preserving the public investment in an integrated transportation system also assures that no person, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any transportation program or activity. The authority to impose minimum standards for subdivisions is s. 236.13 (1) (e) , Stats. The authority to impose minimum standards for land divisions under ss. 236.34 , 236.45 and 703.11 , Stats., is s. 86.07 (2) , Stats. The authority to impose minimum standards for land divisions to consider and accommodate long-range transportation plans and needs is ss. 1.11 (1) , 1.12 (2) , 1.13 (3) , 20.395 (9) (qx) , 66.1001 (2) (c) , 84.01 (2) , (15) , and (17) , 84.015 , 84.03 (1) , 85.02 , 85.025 , 85.05 , 85.16 (1) , 86.31 (6) , 88.87 (3) , and 114.31 (1) , Stats.

A "connecting highway" is not a state trunk highway. It is a marked route of the State Trunk Highway System over the streets and highways in municipalities which the Department has designated as connecting highways. Municipalities are responsible for their maintenance and traffic control. The Department is generally responsible for construction and reconstruction of the through lanes of connecting highways, but costs for parking lanes and related municipal facilities and other desired local improvements are local responsibilities. The Department reimburses municipalities for the maintenance of connecting highways in accordance with a lane mile formula. See ss. 84.02 (11) , 84.03 (10) , 86.32 (1) and (4) , and 340.01 (60) , Stats. A listing of connecting highways with geographic end points is also available in the Department's "Official State Trunk Highway System and the Connecting Highways" booklet that is published annually as of December 31.

A "business route" is an alternate highway route marked to guide motorists to the central or business portion of a city, village or town. The word "BUSINESS" appears at the top of the highway numbering marker. A business route branches off from the regular numbered route, passes through the business portion of a city and rejoins the regularly numbered route beyond that area. With very rare exceptions, business routes are not state trunk highways or connecting highways. The authorizing statute is s. 84.02(6) , Stats. This rule does not apply to business routes.