Transportation Alternatives Analysis
for the
Dane County / Greater Madison
Metropolitan Area
 

Transport2020.net

What is Transport 2020?

Transport 2020 is a Transportation Alternatives Analysis for the Dane County / Greater Madison Metropolitan Area. The detailed planning study will consider and comparatively evaluate the costs, benefits and impacts of various transportation improvement alternatives.

The study will include highway alternatives such as advanced technologies to improve highway operations and highway widening options; bus rapid transit alternatives such as buses operating on dedicated lanes in existing streets and/or on exclusive rights-way; and rail alternatives using exclusive rights-of-way and/or using existing streets. See Alternatives Considered.

Two rail feasibility studies were conducted in this area: in 1992 there was a light rail transit (LRT) study, and in 1998 there was a commuter rail study. These studies determined the feasibility of providing rail transit service in the area and established that such service is worthwhile to investigate in greater detail. The current Transport 2020 study will comparatively evaluate various transportation options in the Dane County/ Greater Madison metropolitan area, including LRT and commuter rail as well as bus and highway alternatives.

High-speed passenger rail service in the Midwest, including between Madison and Milwaukee, is being examined as part of a separate study, the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative is investigating the potential for high-speed long distance passenger train service between Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. There will be coordination between the train station for the high speed passenger rail service and service to the Transport 2020 corridor area.

The study provides for extensive public involvement activities to inform residents and other interested individuals of the study progress and to incorporate the public’s ideas and concerns into the study. This web page is one component of the public involvement efforts. On-going public involvement activities include stakeholder interviews, committee meetings, newsletters, and public information meetings. See Public Meetings.

While the specific transportation improvement alternatives analyzed will focus on the study area, residents throughout Dane County could benefit. The entire map shown illustrates potential "origins" for trips, while the area inside the study area boundary could be considered origins and destinations for trips that could use the transportation improvements. Further, the transportation improvements considered in this study could be initial segments for a larger ultimate system in additional corridors (see the arrows radiating from the corridor in the study area map) to better serve the entire area.

The study is a joint effort of the City of Madison, Dane County, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Two committees advise the study sponsors: an Oversight Advisory Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee. The study sponsors have contracted with a team of consultants, headed by Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., who have extensive experience with these types of studies and have been selected to help conduct much of the technical work of the study.