Fiscal Note
This policy resolution has no direct budgetary implications.
Title
AMENDED SECOND SUBSTITUTE - Supporting the creation of a Regional Transportation Authority that enables the expansion of multi-modal public transit in the Madison mMetropolitan area and supporting State legislation that would enables the formation of a Regional Transportation Authorityies.
Body
WHEREAS, the Madison mMetropolitan area has experienced marked population growth in recent years, estimated at 23 percent since 1990 by the U.S. Census Bureau, putting increased pressure on the region's transportation network and many travel corridors. ; and
WHEREAS, efficient transportation is essential if the City of Madison and Dane County are to meet their community and economic development goals and maintain the region's high quality of life; and
WHEREAS, traffic congestion affects thousands of commuters from the City of Madison and other Dane County communities who must travel to and from work and other destinations; and
WHEREAS, the travel corridor through the Isthmus, the heart of the greater Madison metropolitan area, has experienced increasing traffic congestion, safety problems and pedestrian and bicycle challenges; and
WHEREAS, almost two-thirds of the county's population lives in the area being studied by Transport 2020, 80 percent work there, and the study area also includes many of the region's largest cultural and special events destinations; and
WHEREAS, roadway expansion in the Isthmus is not feasible due to costs, impacts and neighborhood concerns; and
WHEREAS, Dane County, the City of Madison and area communities have been working cooperatively for several years on regional transportation issues; and
WHEREAS, Transport 2020 has been investigating options for improving transportation for all people who use and depend on this important regional travel corridor; and
WHEREAS, an initial route has been designated for commuter rail running from Middleton to Reiner Road in the Town of Sun Prairie; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison has made a significant investment in mass transit through the Madison Metro Transit bus system, which serves not only the city but also several of the adjacent communities, as well as users of park-and-ride services from a larger geographic area; and
WHEREAS, area communities and the County have cooperated for many years in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which is the designated policy body responsible for cooperative, comprehensive regional transportation planning and decision-making for the Madison metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, current problems with the existing structure for providing transit service include: integration of public mass transit services provided by different municipalities; coordination of city paratransit and County specialized transportation services; and coordination of Metro fixed route and shared ride taxi services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison will continue to support efforts to expand the Madison Metro Transit Bus System to outlying cities municipalities within Dane County, such as, but not limited to Monona, Sun Prairie, Waunakee, Stoughton and Cross Plains and will continue to support efforts to improve services in the existing service area; and
WHEREAS, because of the inter-relationships of many of these key transportation issues, the need to carry out planning at a regional level, and the need to develop adequate funding sources on a broader level, the County needs to create a regional transportation entity; and
WHEREAS, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Downtown Madison, Inc. and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce have expressed support for joint regional efforts for transit improvements;
WHEREAS, other communities around the state also seek to have new tools for regional transit, and the Alliance of Cities and the Wisconsin Counties Association, among others, are supporting efforts for enabling legislation for local areas;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Madison, by way of this resolution, hereby affirms our commitment to legislation at the state level that would enable the formation of Regional Transportation Authorities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison hereby supports endorses the work of the Transport 2020 Implementation Task Force, including its recent selection of a phase I corridor or minimal operating segment and urges Transport 2020 to move forward into preliminary engineering, including submitting a New Starts Application for Commuter Rail to the Federal Transportation Administration when the application is ready; with its work; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Madison recognizes that to fully serve the transit needs of the Madison Metropolitan Area, any local Regional Transportation Authority shall include participation by the City of Madison, Dane County, other local municipalities from throughout Dane County, and community partners including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organization; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Regional Transportation Authority enabling legislation shall allow for up to but no more than a half-cent sales tax, which would go to the citizens for a countywide referendum and would be contingent on receiving federal transit funds; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a Regional Transportation Authority would be a comprehensive, countywide, regional transportation system, which would provide transportation infrastructure to the entire region, with funding to be apportioned as follows; 33% for the first phase of Transport 2020, 25% for Metro Transit Busses, services 25% for town, village, city and county road maintenance, and 17% for Paratransit services, Rail and Bus enhancements, and Bicycle Facilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Madison and Dane County will work together to support Federal Transportation Administration applications for bus and rail enhancements, when those applications are ready, starting with the New Starts Application for Commuter Rail, as recommended by the Transport 2020 process, to be submitted to the Federal Transportation Administration by the end of summer 2007; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, upon adoption of a Regional Transportation Authority, the City of Madison agrees to work with neighboring communities on the expansion of Madison Metro Transit Bus service both to neighboring communities and within the City of Madison; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison Common Council hereby supports the creation of a Regional Transportation Authority that enables the expansion of multi-modal public transit in the Madison metropolitan area; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison requests, by way of this resolution, and makes a part of its legislative agenda, legislation at the state level that would enable the formation of Regional Transportation Authorities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison Common Council recognizes that to fully serve the transit needs of the Madison metropolitan area, any local Regional Transportation Authority should include participation by the City of Madison, Dane County, other local municipalities and community partners including the University of Wisconsin and the Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that critical issues relating to governance and operating structure of a Regional Transportation Authority, including member representation and detailed funding allocation mechanisms, will have to be determined after consultation with community partners participating in the Regional Transportation Authority; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to Governor Jim Doyle, Dane County's state legislative delegation, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl.