East-West BRT Project

The City of Madison is working to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as part of an effort to improve its existing transit system and reduce travel times across the region.

The Madison East-West BRT Project Development process is now underway to develop the detailed design of an initial corridor that will operate east/west through Madison's downtown and the University of Wisconsin campus areas.

What is BRT? 
Why does Madison need BRT?
Study Purpose and Need

Want to Get Involved?

Community engagement is an important part of the planning and process and there will be multiple opportunities for community members to engage through public meetings, focus groups, and other events.  For the foreseeable future, all community engagement events will be virtual. 

BRT Project Development Kick-Off Meeting
A virtual public meeting was held on Thursday, October 22.

• Watch Meeting
• Presentation Slides
• Written Question & Answer (Link available soon)

Other Engagement Materials

• Press Release
• Community Engagement Plan

East-West BRT Project Overview

View Larger Map
 

The City of Madison Common Council approved a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) on March 31, 2020. The LPA will run along East Washington Ave., around the Capitol, through the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) campus, continuing west on University Ave. and Mineral Point Rd., to the West Towne Mall.

This alignment is approximately 15 miles in length and will connect key activity centers such as Madison College, Downtown Madison, the UW-Madison campus, the Capitol and government buildings, and major employers located throughout the corridor, including CUNA Mutual, University Research Park and several shopping centers.

The LPA includes 27 station locations and the 60-foot buses will run in a combination of dedicated lanes and mixed traffic with priority at traffic signals and stations.

In August 2020, the City of Madison’s proposed East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System was accepted into the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts Program.

The Small Starts Program is a competitive grant program supporting rail and other fixed guideway transit systems, including BRT. Acceptance into the program authorizes the city to proceed into Project Development, the more detailed planning process required for the implementation of the East-West BRT system.

The goal of the Madison East-West BRT Project Development process is to develop the detailed design and engineering for routes, stations, and operations.  It will also analyze a few remaining route alternatives including center running on East Washington Avenue and Mineral Point Road, as well as refine the station locations.

The process will kick off at the first community meeting on Thursday, October 22 and will be completed in 2022 with construction beginning in 2023. The targeted start date for the new line is Fall 2024.

Complete Project Timeline

Get Involved!