Commission reviews four TAP grant bids; staff asks to prioritize BeltLine frontage and Garver-Path connections

City transportation staff briefed the Transportation Commission on four proposed Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant applications on June 11 and asked for feedback on prioritization as applications are compiled for the Madison area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

What staff proposed

Kevin Lucky, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle coordinator, presented four candidate projects that the city intends to submit to WisDOT (via the MPO):

- BeltLine / Frontage Road shared-use path: Extend an existing path on the south side of the BeltLine east to Landmark Place to fill a gap where there is currently no pedestrian facility. - Garver Path extension (Starkweather/Marsh View connection): Extend paths that a private developer will construct so the Marsh View underpass of Highway 30 connects to new off-street paths north of Milwaukee Street. - Odana Road side path: Build a side-path adjacent to Odana Road to link the Southwest Path spur to neighborhood streets; staff noted a lower-cost on-street alternative that had been discussed in prior planning but said a shared-use path would provide a higher-comfort connection. - Autumn Ridge Path extension: Tie the recently completed Autumn Ridge bridge and path to the Marsh View and other path networks; staff noted the Stoughton Road north project would eventually extend a path in this area but that connection is years away.

Staff recommendation and commission feedback

Kevin said the BeltLine / Frontage Road path should be the top priority because it had been previously approved in an earlier TAP round but lost funding when WisDOT reduced MPO allocations; it fills an existing sidewalk gap and scored well in prior MPO review. The Garver Path extension came next in his suggested ranking because that project will connect to developer-funded paths under construction soon and would greatly increase the utility of an existing underpass of Highway 30.

Odana Road was presented as a mid-term project; staff said building a full off-street path is costlier because it requires moving curb and modifying storm and drainage features, though a lower-cost, on-street-design option exists. The Autumn Ridge extension ranked lower in staff’s order because the longer Stoughton Road work needed to tie it into the broader path network is not yet scheduled.

Commissioners provided input and endorsed staff’s suggested order. Several members emphasized the BeltLine and Garver extensions’ ability to deliver low-stress, off-street connections that link neighborhoods to retail and job-access routes. One commissioner flagged Odana’s higher cost if curb shifts are required and suggested staff keep the lower-cost option on the table.

Next steps

Staff will submit grant applications with the proposed project rankings to the MPO/WisDOT window. Staff explained TAP is an 80% reimbursement program for eligible capital costs; the city would need to provide the local match. Kevin said he would return with application results when awards are announced.

Ending

Commissioners supported staff’s prioritization and asked the transportation team to preserve lower-cost alternatives where feasible for high-cost corridors. The city will resubmit the BeltLine frontage path and pursue the Garver Path extension as high-priority TAP applications.