County transit planning revs up

Planning for future transportation needs in Dane County and Madison is going into high gear.

Transport 2020, the long-range study jointly sponsored by Madison, Dane County and the state, will concentrate on refining its initial recommendation over the next 16 months, hoping to come up with a final recommendation in summer 2007.

The "Conceptual Engineering and Draft Environmental Impact Statement" will look at specific transportation improvements in the east-west corridor from the Greenway Station shopping center in Middleton to East Towne Mall, as well as the environmental impact that new modes of travel will have, and what will happen to the region if the improvements aren't made.

The report issued after the first phase of the project was completed in 2002 recommended a multi-faceted system of commuter rail, electric streetcars, express bus service, park and ride lots, and local bus service improvements.

"Madison and Dane County are growing communities whose residents enjoy a high quality of life," said Transport 2020 project manager David Trowbridge, in announcing the second phase of the project Friday.

"As the region continues to grow, growth management, traffic congestion, safety and job creation will become increasingly important issues," he said.

The public will get a chance to comment on the Transport 2020 options at a public information meeting from 5 to 8 p.m. April 26 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

The second phase of the Transport 2020 project has five components:

• Developing a concise and accurate statement of purpose and need for transit improvements to deal with existing and future transportation problems in Dane County.
• Defining several alternative transportation improvements, including the "locally preferred alternative" from the first phase of the study.
• The alternatives will have a high degree of detail, including information on vehicles, station and stop location and design, projected ridership, complete operating plans, travel speeds and times, numbers of vehicles, integration with existing freight rail, bus transit and road traffic.
• Evaluating alternatives for social, economic and environmental impacts, estimated capital and operating costs, effects on existing transportation, the region's financial capacity to construct and operate the system, and impacts on Dane County's land use and economy.
• Evaluating options for funding and managing an improved transit system.
• Completing a draft Environmental Impact Statement to satisfy federal requirements.

"The region will be well-positioned to act on implementing this long-range vision," Trowbridge said.