Fiscal Note
The 2020 Capital Budget includes $128.5 million for planning, design, and construction costs to implement the first leg of Bus Rapid Transit. The proposed resolution establishes the route for the anticipated first leg. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Adopting the recommendations of the Transportation Policy and Planning Board for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Downtown Routing and West Side Routing and incorporating the recommendations into the BRT east-west corridor Locally-Preferred Alternative (LPA), and recommending that LPA enter into project development and the next phases of planning, preliminary engineering, design and environmental evaluation.
Body
WHEREAS the Madison area continues to create employment and draw residents, and that growth creates significant transportation demands; and,
WHEREAS the Madison area geography makes it difficult to address the significant transportation demands with conventional roadway expansion; and,
WHEREAS Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a critical component in addressing Madison’s future transportation needs, enabling the continued prosperity of the region; and,
WHEREAS the Phase 1 BRT East-West corridor project included a detailed evaluation of potential routes and street alignments, including a thorough evaluation of BRT routes through the downtown and the west side; and,
WHEREAS the route evaluation used criteria to determine recommended streets, including ability to serve employment centers and key destinations, ability to provide dedicated running way, ability to provide access to BRT for other users of the Metro local system (including disabled persons or other underserved communities), ridership potential, and impacts on traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists; and,
WHEREAS, the City will need to identify its Locally-Preferred Alternative and request permission from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to enter the project development phase, eventually leading to submittal for evaluation into the Small Starts program; and,
WHEREAS, the City aims to select routing that will incentivize future ridership amongst residents, visitors, and tourists, with convenient, accessible, and responsive service, while improving service for current riders; and,
WHEREAS, the City recognizes the importance of thriving brick and mortar businesses and special events to the vibrancy, culture, and success of our overall community; and,
WHEREAS, transit routing accommodations would continue to be made for existing special events; and,
WHEREAS, transit routing accommodations would be considered for future visiting premier events; and,
WHEREAS, the City will need to identify its Locally-Preferred Alternative and request permission from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to enter the project development phase, eventually leading to a future Small Starts application; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council adopts the recommendations contained in the BRT Downtown Routing and West Side Routing reports and incorporates them into the Locally Preferred Alternative for the east-west corridor;
Specifically for the downtown, Alternative 1, which incoporates BRT routing on the Capital Square with stops near Wisconsin Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd, acknowledging that detours will occur for some events.
And specifically for the west side, Alternative 3, which incorporates BRT routing down Whitney Way to Tokay Blvd and the current West Transfer Point, and then north through an extension of Rosa Road, and then west on Mineral Point Road.
AND THAT the project enter into project development and the next phases of planning, preliminary engineering, design and environmental evaluation;
AND THAT Department of Transportation staff continue to provide updates and project status to the Transportation Policy & Planning Board.