Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Brt Transit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North–South BRT: staff outline 30% design, public meetings and potential Park Street reconstruction limits
Summary
City staff presented 30% preliminary designs and public-outreach plans for the North–South Bus Rapid Transit project, seeking feedback on running-way layouts, station locations and Park Street reconstruction limits as the team advances toward final design.
City staff updated the Transportation Commission on the North–South Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project on April 23, presenting 30% preliminary designs, several small changes to the locally preferred alternative (LPA), and a schedule of public outreach meetings.
Project staff said the route, commonly called Rapid Route B, would add about nine miles of BRT running way and 23 stations, completing gaps in the core BRT network after the East–West line. Core BRT features would include higher-frequency service (approximately every 15 minutes most of the day), raised platforms for level boarding, real-time station information, signal priority and dedicated running way where feasible.
Staff described several minor LPA updates developed during preliminary design: reversing the Troy/School Drive loop, converting two low-ridership Green Avenue/Troy Drive locations to regular local stops rather than full BRT stations, and small changes to running-way layouts and center-running vs. side-running station placement where needed for safety and right-of-way constraints.
On the south side, design work and funding scenarios mean the project as currently scoped would reconstruct Park Street between Fish Hatchery Road and about Winder Creek, rather than the full earlier limit to Badger Road. Staff said they are still studying alternatives and seeking options to restore the full reconstruction limit if additional funding becomes available. The project will retain a side path for bikes and pedestrians on Park Street under the current plan.
Staff addressed federal funding status: the project team is proceeding with the assumption that a federal Small Starts grant application remains in the pipeline but noted the federal funding environment could change; alternative approaches and scope adjustments have been developed as contingency planning.
A public outreach schedule was announced: a virtual open house April 30, a UW open house May 1 (midday), a northern outreach at Warner Park on May 1 (evening), a May 13 session on Park Street (Labor Temple) and a May 15 meeting at Fitchburg City Hall. Staff said 30% design boards (about 43 boards divided into three geographic sections) will be posted on the project website (madisonbrt.com) for review and comment.
Staff also updated commissioners on a parallel project to build a route-charger facility at Northport and Kennedy (to support electric 60-foot buses and operations) that is expected to be designed and built in 2025–26.
Commissioners asked about traffic modeling, left-turn removals and station signalization; staff said they have conducted modeling with Dane County and WisDOT and expect small traffic-capacity impacts overall, though several left-turn restrictions and four new traffic signals are included in the design to increase pedestrian safety. One Fitchburg speaker, Graeme Mason, called the outreach and materials “really great information” and encouraged the team to share updates on Route D changes separately.
