Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Opposing the Expansion of the Beltline (US 12/14/18/151) Within the City of Madison and Supporting Improved Multimodal and Local Connectivity Across and Along the Corridor (District 1, District 9, District 10, District 11, District 14, District 16, District 19, District 20)
Body
WHEREAS, the Beltline (US 12/14/18/151) is a critical regional transportation facility that also functions as a significant barrier within the City of Madison, dividing neighborhoods and limiting safe, convenient connections for people walking, biking, using transit and driving on local streets; and
WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has completed a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study for the Beltline that recommends further consideration of corridor expansion, including the addition of general purpose travel lanes, interchange expansions, and weave configurations within the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison has adopted policies and plans-including the Comprehensive Plan, Area Plans, Vision Zero Action Plan, Complete Green Streets policy, and Climate and Sustainability Plan-that prioritize safety, climate action, equity, multimodal transportation, and compact, efficient land use over roadway widening and auto-oriented expansion; and
WHEREAS, decades of transportation research demonstrate that adding general purpose travel lanes and expanding interchanges induces additional driving, increases vehicle miles traveled, encourages sprawl, increases traffic fatalities, and ultimately fails to provide long-term congestion relief while undermining local land use, safety, and climate goals; and
WHEREAS, expansion of the Beltline within the City of Madison would increase greenhouse gas emissions, funnel more traffic onto neighborhood streets, and exacerbate noise, air quality, and negative safety impacts on nearby neighborhoods, including historically underserved communities; and
WHEREAS...
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