bicycle transportation

The Greater Madison MPO – An MPO is pleased to present the Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County.

Bicycle Transportation Plan Executive Summary

Bicycle Transportation Plan Full Report

Selected Maps

What is the Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County?

The Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County is a comprehensive bicycle plan to serve as a blueprint for continuing to improve bicycling conditions and increase bicycling levels throughout Dane County. The planning horizon is 2050. It provides a framework for cooperation between state agencies, Dane County, and local governments in planning for and developing bicycle facilities and programs. It is intended to educate citizens and policy makers on bicycle transportation issues and the needs of bicyclists as well as present resources for planning, designing, and maintaining bicycle facilities. The plan is a component of the MPO's regional transportation plan.

For questions about the Bicycle Transportation Plan, please email Bill Holloway.

Defining the Madison Area Low-Stress Bicycle Network and Using it to Build a Better Regional Network

Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) is an objective, data-driven approach to evaluating traffic-related stress on bicycle routes based on roadway design, traffic volumes, traffic speeds, and other factors. This report details the methodology behind the LTS rating system and how it is being used to provide better biking directions, measure accessibility, and identify gaps and barriers in the low-stress bike network.

Low-Stress Bicycle Network Report

Updated LTS Segment Scoring Methodology (2023)

Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Study

This study identifies the common features of bicycle and pedestrian crashes to guide safety improvement efforts, measure the change in bicycle safety since the City of Madison’s 1992 bicycle crash study, and set a benchmark for future safety performance measurement in the Madison metropolitan area and Dane County.

Executive Summary

Full Report

Maps for Bicyclists

Click here for a list of bicycle maps and resources, including the Dane County Bicycle Map.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Requirements

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Requirements, Policies, and Street Standards report details locally-adopted bicycle and pedestrian facility requirements along with national recommendations and best practices to help local planning and engineering staff and elected officials make informed decisions regarding development and design standards, and to give them tools to make roadways safer for all users.

The October, 2021 Addendum to this report includes new references and recommendations from FHWA, NACTO, and the Global Designing Cities Initiative, as well as information on the new Complete Streets Toolkit.

GREATER MADISON MPO COMPLETE STREETS POLICY

The Greater Madison MPO (MPO) has required roadway projects funded through the STBG-Urban program to be designed and constructed as complete streets for many years; however, the state law referenced in the MPO’s STBG-Urban funding application was rescinded in 2015, making the MPO policy somewhat difficult to interpret. This policy updates and replaces the previous policy, providing local jurisdictions an updated and context-specific policy that can support innovative and locally-appropriate project design and construction.

“MPO policy is to support the adoption of green and complete streets policies by local communities, and to require that streets funded through the STBG-Urban program be designed and constructed as complete streets.”

- Connect Greater Madison: 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (4-18)

The intent of this policy is four-part:

1) To promote the development of complete street projects in and around the MPO’s Planning Area;

2) To be flexible enough to accommodate local preferences and needs, project context, and planned development;

3) To prioritize projects benefiting historically disadvantaged communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income populations; and,

4) To be transparent and to ensure that potential applicants for project funding subject to this policy understand the requirements of the policy.

The MPO’s Complete Streets Policy is available here.

FUNDING FOR NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The FHWA STBG Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Program (TA or TAP) is the primary federal funding program for non-motorized transportation infrastructure and Safe Routes to School programs. WisDOT solicits and selects projects for TA funding available statewide. Project solicitation is typically conducted biennially. In addition, one-half of the available statewide TA funding is allocated directly to large MPOs such as Greater Madison MPO. Greater Madison MPO selects projects for funding with that allocation. Madison area projects are still able to compete for the statewide funding. Greater Madison MPO updated its TA program policies and project scoring criteria in 2013-2014, and again in December 2019. The Madison area received a sub-allocation of $1.99 million for the FY 2016-2020 program cycle and $847,000 for the FY 2018-2022 cycle. The FY 2020-2024 cycle will be conducted during the winter of 2019-2020.

The eligible project categories under the TA program per federal law and Greater Madison MPO policy are:

• 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; and

• Safe routes to school program activities.

TA application materials and project screening and scoring criteria for projects within the Madison urban area are on the Transportation Improvement Program page.

DANE COUNTY BICYCLE WAYFINDING MANUAL

This manual provides a step-by-step process for planning for and installing wayfinding signs on bikeways in Dane County. It was developed with the expectation that the agencies and organizations who will undertake wayfinding signing plans will not have a background in traffic engineering or sign design.

The Dane County Bicycle Wayfinding Manual was developed between October 2015 and May 2016 through a planning process involving staff from Dane County Parks department, the Madison Transportation Planning Board*, and representatives from a variety of cities throughout Dane County.

*Now the Greater Madison MPO