2027–2031 Transportation Improvement Program

This coordinated listing has been prepared through a cooperative effort by state and local implementing agencies and Greater Madison MPO staff and is primarily based on state and local capital improvement programs and budgets.

Implementing agencies submit their proposed projects to the MPO's electronic TIP (eTIP) platform, providing information on scope, location, cost, funding, and timing. Following submission, MPO staff review the projects and develop a comprehensive listing of major transportation improvements, which can be viewed interactively on the eTIP website.

The listing is subject to review by the MPO Technical Coordinating Committee, MPO Policy Board, and local units of government.

The MPO strongly encourages public participation in the development of projects, including those seeking federal funding, and provides several opportunities for public involvement in the TIP process. These include a public hearing and the ability to provide comments via the interactive eTIP website.

Projects may not always proceed as scheduled due to changes in state or local budgets; delays in project development activities, such as real estate acquisition or environmental review; delays in planned land use development; changes in implementation priorities; or other factors that may be unknown at this time.

Project implementation timing is planned for many projects to coincide with major land use developments, scheduled major transit service improvements, utility work, and/or the availability of local, state, and federal funding.

The project listings include an indication of the anticipated source of funding for projects. Federally funded projects sponsored by WisDOT reflect Year of Expenditure costs/inflation rates. Federally funded transit projects reflect inflation rates referenced in their respective contracts and use WisDOT's inflationary rates for non-contracted years. Additional information will be provided in the Financial Plan included in the Final TIP.

The program schedule is based on the project schedule date. Obligation of federal funds typically occurs six weeks prior to the scheduled let date. In cases where funding will be obligated in the fall but the project will not be constructed until the following calendar year, funds are shown in the project listings in the year of obligation with a note regarding the year of construction. Project maps show the year of construction.

State- and locally funded projects and those planned, but without programmed funding, are included for information and coordination purposes. Projects are listed by primary project sponsor in each category, such as state, county, or local municipality.

Projects included in the TIP have been drawn from adopted area-wide plans and programs, including:

1. Connect Greater Madison: 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) — adopted by the MPO in May 2022 and amended in March 2025
2. 2025–2029 Transit Development Plan for the Madison Urban Area — adopted by the MPO in February 2025
3. Active Transportation Plan for Dane County — adopted by the MPO in March 2025
4. 2016 Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area — adopted by the MPO in January 2016
5. 2024–2028 Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan for Dane County — adopted by the MPO in November 2024
6. Other ongoing area/corridor transportation plans and studies

For state projects, WisDOT provides the MPO with a list of projects proposed for inclusion in the TIP using federal and state funding, including federal NHPP funding and STBG funding available to projects statewide.

The process for selecting state highway projects varies depending on the size and complexity of the project. Most state highway rehabilitation and reconstruction projects are funded through the federal NHPP and/or State Highway Rehabilitation (SHR) program. WisDOT Southwest Region staff select projects based on roadway condition, crash rates, traffic congestion, and public input.

Large projects, particularly those involving major capacity expansion, are generally funded through the State Majors Program. Projects in the Southwest Region compete with other projects statewide under this program. Major projects and studies are selected for inclusion in the state biennial budget by the state's Transportation Projects Commission based on criteria developed by the commission.

For local projects, WisDOT solicits projects for most FHWA funding programs and some FTA programs, typically every two years in conjunction with the state biennial budget process. WisDOT evaluates and recommends local projects for Bridge and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding.

For transit projects, WisDOT distributes FTA Section 5311 Non-Urbanized Area Formula Grant funding to transit systems outside urbanized areas and for some intercity bus services. WisDOT also solicits projects for FTA Section 5310 funding outside urbanized areas and distributes state transit operating funding to urban transit systems through the Section 85.20 program and to counties for specialized transportation through the Section 85.21 program.

As noted above, the MPO selects projects in the Madison urban area for funding through the STBG–Urban, STBG Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside, Carbon Reduction, and Section 5310 programs. Metro Transit programs projects using other FTA funding for the Madison area in cooperation with the MPO.

FTA Section 5307 funding is available for transit operators within urbanized areas to fund transit capital or capitalized maintenance projects. FTA annually announces the amount of Section 5307 funding allocated to urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more, including the Madison urbanized area.

Metro Transit is the designated recipient of this funding and is responsible for selecting projects in cooperation with the MPO. The MPO has worked with Metro in the past to distribute some funding to municipalities outside the Metro service area, such as Stoughton and Sun Prairie (now in the service area). Projects selected by Metro Transit are provided to the MPO for review and approval, and the MPO also solicits input on the projects from local transit providers and others on behalf of Metro.

FTA annually announces the amount of Section 5337 funding available to assist transit operators in maintaining their fixed-guideway transit systems, such as rail or buses operating in dedicated lanes. The State of Good Repair Grants Program (49 U.S.C. 5337) provides capital assistance for maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation projects for high-intensity fixed-guideway and bus systems to help transit agencies maintain assets in a state of good repair.

Section 5337 grants are also eligible for developing and implementing Transit Asset Management plans. Metro Transit is the recipient of FTA Section 5337 funds.

FTA annually announces the amount of Section 5339 funding available for capital bus and bus facility projects statewide and for urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more, such as Madison.

The program provides funding for capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses, vans, and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including technological changes or innovations for low- or no-emission vehicles or facilities.

Metro Transit is the recipient of formula funding under this program and has also applied for discretionary funding, including funding for the purchase of low- or no-emission vehicles.

The purpose of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program is to enhance mobility for older adults and people with disabilities by funding projects or programs that serve the needs of transit-dependent populations beyond traditional public transportation services and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit services.

FTA annually announces the amount of Section 5310 funding available to urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more, such as Madison, as well as funding available statewide. Since the enactment of MAP-21 in 2012, the Section 5310 program has required the designation of at least one recipient in large urbanized areas and a method for distributing the funding.

In 2015, Metro Transit was named the designated recipient for Section 5310 funding allocated to the Madison urbanized area. As the designated recipient, Metro Transit is responsible for administering grant agreements, applying for federal funds, and meeting documentation and reporting requirements. The MPO is responsible for selecting projects for funding.

WisDOT separately solicits, evaluates, and recommends projects for Section 5310 funding available in areas outside large urbanized areas.

Starting with the 2016–2020 program cycle, the MPO has solicited projects biennially for FHWA STBG–Urban funding. The STBG program (formerly STP) provides flexible funding that may be used for projects to preserve and improve the condition and performance of federal-aid roadways (i.e., roadways classified as arterials or collectors), bridge projects on any public road, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure or programs, and transit capital projects. Eligible recipients include Dane County and local units of government.

As a large MPO, the Greater Madison MPO receives a suballocation of funding through the program, referred to as STBG–Urban, and selects projects for funding. The MPO's annual allocation was previously $6.86 million and increased to $8.99 million under the IIJA. The MPO's estimated annual allocation for 2025–2029 was $10.319 million, and the estimated annual allocation for 2027–2031 is $10.523 million.

STBG–Urban funds can only be awarded to projects located within the approved 2020 Census urban area boundary for the Madison urban area. The MPO adopted the 2020 Census urban area boundary in February 2024 and the revised Metropolitan Planning Area boundary in November 2024. The map is available on the MPO's 2027–2031 TIP page.

The MPO approved revised STBG–Urban program policies and project screening and scoring criteria in 2023. Project applications are evaluated using seven categories:

1. Importance to the regional transportation system and support for the regional development framework
2. System preservation
3. Congestion mitigation/TSM
4. Safety enhancement
5. Enhancement of multimodal options
6. Environment
7. Local Factor Priority Areas (based on economic factors)

The STBG–Urban Project Selection Process document provides an overview of the program and outlines the process, policies, and project scoring criteria. It is available on the MPO's Funding Programs webpage. Approved STBG–Urban and STBG Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) projects are listed on the MPO's 2027–2031 TIP page.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) established the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP or TA), consolidating funding from several previously separate federal programs, including Transportation Enhancements (TE), Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and Recreational Trails, into a single funding source. As a result, WisDOT incorporated its previously separate SRTS, TE, and state-funded Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Program (BPFP) into one program and application process.

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, adopted in December 2015, restructured some federal programs, replacing TAP with a set-aside of STBG program funding for Transportation Alternatives (TA). The IIJA maintained the same program structure.

WisDOT solicits and selects projects for TA funding available statewide, typically on a biennial basis. In addition, more than half of the available statewide TA funding is allocated directly to MPOs, including the Greater Madison MPO. The MPO selects projects for funding using its allocation and updated its TAP program policies and project scoring criteria in 2021.

The Madison area received a suballocation of $617,000 for the 2022–2026 program cycle, which increased to $1.24 million under the IIJA. The MPO's estimated annual allocation for 2027–2031 is $1.463 million. Approved priority projects for use of STBG Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program funds are included in the 2027–2031 TIP project listings.

Eligible Projects

Eligible project categories under the TA program, according to federal law and MPO policy, include:

• Provision of on- and off-street facilities for pedestrians and bicycles
• Provision of infrastructure and systems that provide safe routes for non-drivers
• Conversion and use of abandoned rail corridors for trails
• Safe Routes to School program activities
• ADA Transition Planning

Since the adoption of MAP-21 in 2012, bridge projects on the National Highway System have been funded through the National Highway Performance Program, while bridge projects not on the National Highway System are funded through the STBG Program (formerly STP), rather than through a separately funded bridge program. However, the state biennial budget continues to allocate a portion of the federal funding received by the state for local bridge projects.

WisDOT typically solicits local bridge projects biennially and evaluates and recommends projects for FHWA funding based on procedures specified in Wisconsin Administrative Code Trans 213.01 (04).

As part of these procedures, WisDOT rates and ranks projects using a system in which each county is credited bridge funds for the respective funding cycle based on its relative need. This need is represented by the county's proportional share of the total estimated replacement cost of eligible bridges (those with sufficiency ratings of less than 50) identified throughout the state. These need-based credits accumulate, with funds debited from each county's balance as projects are selected for implementation.

Each candidate project is rated and prioritized based on the governmental unit's credit balance, estimated project cost, and the priorities identified by each county. WisDOT provides the MPO with a list of projects within Dane County recommended for FHWA Bridge Replacement funding for review and consideration for inclusion in the TIP.

The IIJA also established a new Bridge Program.

WisDOT solicits projects twice a year for FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding available to local projects statewide. WisDOT is responsible for evaluating and recommending both local and state projects for HSIP funding.

WisDOT provides the MPO with a list of recommended local and state safety projects in Dane County for review and consideration for inclusion in the TIP.

Following approval of the annual TIP update by the MPO and WisDOT for incorporation into the state TIP, project sponsors may periodically request changes to projects listed in the TIP or the addition or removal of projects.

TIP amendments are used to add or remove projects or make changes to projects already listed in the TIP that would substantially modify project cost, scope, or timing.

The MPO, WisDOT, and Metro Transit have agreed to the following procedures for advancing projects from the approved TIP for federal funding commitment:

1. The first year of the TIP constitutes an agreed-upon list of projects for project selection purposes. No further project selection action is required by the MPO for WisDOT or Metro Transit to proceed with federal funding commitment.
2. Projects from the second, third, or fourth year of the TIP may be advanced by WisDOT or Metro Transit for federal funding commitment without further project selection action by the MPO.
3. For federal funding sources identified for individual projects in the TIP, WisDOT may interchange eligible FHWA funding program sources without requiring an amendment to the TIP, subject to the project selection authority reserved for the state and MPO under federal regulations and state and local program procedures, and subject to reconciliation under Item 4.
4. To maintain accountability and fiscal constraint as changes occur during implementation of the TIP, the MPO, WisDOT, and Metro Transit will monitor projects in the TIP and account for all significant changes in scheduled years and costs in a TIP amendment at the midpoint of the calendar year if those changes have not already been accounted for in previous TIP amendments.