The Greater Madison MPO recently approved funding for the following bicycle/pedestrian and roadway projects through the federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) – Urban program:
- Autumn Ridge Multi-Use Path and Overpass of STH 30 (Milwaukee St. to Commercial Ave.) ($2.52 million in federal funding; estimated total cost $4.2 million)
- Mineral Point Road (Beltline Hwy. to S. High Point Rd.) – Pavement replacement and marking consistent with the planned Bus Rapid Transit project with a new multi-use path on the north side. ($1.65 million in federal funding; estimated total cost $2.75 million, excluding regional stormwater facilities cost)
- Atwood Avenue (S. Fair Oaks Ave. to Cottage Grove Rd.) – Reconstruction to a three-lane divided roadway with pedestrian crossing improvements, multi-use path on both sides, and bike lanes south of Walter Street. ($6.68 million in federal funding; estimated total cost $11.44 million)
- John Nolen Drive (Lakeside St. to North Shore Dr.) – Reconstruction of the roadway and bridges, shoreline, and path. This project is only partially funded at this time, and the city of Madison will be pursuing Federal Bridge and other funding to supplement the MPO funding. ($9.15 million in federal funding; estimated total cost $30.48 million)
The MPO will be working with the City of Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), which manages the program for the MPO, to finalize construction schedules for these projects between 2025 and 2027. The MPO also utilizes STBG-Urban funding to support its regional travel demand management program, called RoundTrip, and the City of Madison’s pedestrian and bicycle safety education program. Projects previously awarded funding by the MPO through the program and scheduled for construction in the next few years include: County Highway M (STH 113 to Oncken Rd.) reconstruction and expansion; Pleasant View Rd. (USH 14 to Timber Wolf Trail) reconstruction and expansion; University Ave. (Shorewood Blvd. to University Bay Dr.) reconstruction; and Exchange Street (Farwell St. to Sleepy Hollow Rd.).
“The federal funding the MPO provides for transportation projects is a crucial supplemental source of funding that helps local communities undertake high priority projects that in many cases would otherwise be difficult to move forward due to budget constraints”, said Bill Schaefer, MPO Director and Planning Manager. “A large percentage of the Madison area arterial roadway projects completed over the past three decades have been funded by the MPO, and all have included important pedestrian and bicycle facilities consistent with MPO policy,” he added.
The MPO receives an allocation of federal funding under three different programs for which it solicits applications and selects the projects to fund. The STBG – Urban program is the largest one. Most types of capital transportation projects are eligible for funding under the program. The MPO currently receives around $7 million annually with project applications solicited biennially. The MPO evaluates and scores projects using a set of criteria based on the goals and policies in the long-range Regional Transportation Plan 2050. The MPO requires a 40% (vs. the typical 20%) local cost share with federal funding covering 60% in order to stretch the funding over more projects. The next application cycle for STBG – Urban program funding will be held in 2023.
The MPO also administers, and is currently accepting applications for, funding through the STBG – Transportation Alternatives (TA) program. This program funds active transportation projects such as the provision of on- and off-street facilities for pedestrians and bicycles and non-infrastructure Safe Routes to School programs. Applications for STBG – TA funding are due by January 28, 2022. More information is available at https://www.greatermadisonmpo.org/planning/improvementprogram.cfm or by contacting Ben Lyman at blyman@cityofmadison.com.
About the Greater Madison MPO
The Greater Madison MPO leads the collaborative planning and funding of a sustainable, equitable transportation system for the Greater Madison region. The MPO is responsible for comprehensive planning and decision making to build agreement on transportation investments that balance roadway, public transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation needs to achieve an exceptional quality of life for all within the region. For more information, please visit: https://www.greatermadisonmpo.org/.
