A guide to preparing the - Wisconsin Department of ... Scherer Executive Director Kelly Mitchell Communications Director William White Attorney Citizens for a Better Environment Rob

A guide to preparing the transportation element of a local comprehensive plan

resourceguide

March 2001Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Division of Transportation Investment Management Bureau of Planning

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Table of contents

Letter from Ken Leonard, Chair of Advisory Committee .................................. 5

Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 6

Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................... 7

Chapter 2: Partners in development ofyour Transportation Element ........................ 11

Chapter 3: Regional and state planning perspectives .... 19

Chapter 4: Local transportation planning ....................... 25

Chapter 5: Transportation and land use .......................... 45

Chapter 6: Community and environment ........................ 55

Chapter 7: Implementation and funding ......................... 61

Appendix 1: Contact information for the .................................................... 69Regional Planning Commissions

Appendix 2: Contact information for the .................................................... 70Metropolitan Planning Organizations

Appendix 3: Contact information for WisDOT (District offices) ................. 71

Appendix 4: Resource directory: agency resources .................................... 72and information & reference list ............................................ 74

Appendix 5: Wisconsin counties in non-attainment ................................... 76and maintenance

Appendix 6: WisDOT administered local programs ................................... 77

Appendix 7: Public involvment techniques ................................................ 84

Appendix 8: Wisconsin’s adopted draft and final comprehensive plans .... 86

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Dear Transportation Partner:

I am pleased to present to you the Transportation PlanningResource Guide.

This Guide was developed in response to the Comprehensive PlanningLegislation passed under the 1999–2001 Wisconsin State Biennial budget.The Legislation requires that by January 1, 2010, all programs, actionsand decisions of a community be consistent with the adopted localcomprehensive plan. The purpose of this Guide is to provide you withbasic transportation planning related information to help you developthe Transportation Element of your community’s comprehensive plan.This Guide is designed to provide an understanding of the processesimportant to transportation planning.

The Guide was developed in partnership with a steering committeerepresenting transportation, environmental and local government interests.The committee continually provided suggestions on means to improvethe Guide and helped ensure that the Guide was designed to providean understanding of the processes important to transportation planning.

In closing, I am confident the Guide will help you in preparingyour community’s Transportation Element.

Sincerely,

Kenneth J. LeonardChairperson of Steering Committee

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AcknowledgmentsThis Guide was prepared bythe Wisconsin Department ofTransportation (WisDOT) incollaboration with a SteeringCommittee comprised of internaland external stakeholder interests.

It is the result of extensivewriting efforts that involvednumerous individuals throughoutits development. Sincere apprecia-tion is extended to the SteeringCommittee whose members arelisted here, and to the individualswho participated at the Roundtablediscussion. Additionally, specialthanks goes to the WisDOTTransportation Districts, the Officeof Policy and Budget, the Divisionof Transportation InfrastructureDevelopment, and the Divisionof Transportation InvestmentManagement for their reviewand input as the documentwas being developed.

Thanks also goes to:

n the Office of PublicAffairs for their assistancein developing theGuide; and

n WisDOT’s CreativeCommunications Servicesfor the Guide’s designand layout.

Steering Committee

Wisconsin Departmentof Administration, Officeof Land Information ServicesJeanne StormDeputy Director

Jonquil JohnstonProgram & Planning Analyst

U.S. Department ofTransportation, FederalHighway Administration,Wisconsin DivisionWilliam FungDivision Administrator

Wisconsin Towns AssociationRichard StadelmanExecutive Director

Thomas HarnischLegal Counsel

Transportation DevelopmentAssociationPhil SchererExecutive Director

Kelly MitchellCommunications Director

William WhiteAttorney

Citizens for a BetterEnvironmentRob KennedySenior Transportation &Land Use Policy Analyst

University of Wisconsin–MadisonBrian OhmAssociate Professor

Madison Area MetropolitanPlanning OrganizationRobert McDonaldTransportationPlanning Manager

East CentralWisconsin RegionalPlanning CommissionAnn SchellAssistant Director

Wisconsin CountiesAssociationJennifer SunstromLegislative Associate

Allison KujawaLegislative Associate

WisDOT:Wisconsin Departmentof Transportation

Division of TransportationDistrictsAnn MonksPolicy & Program Officer

Division of TransportationInvestment ManagementSandy Beaupre’Deputy DivisionAdministrator

Kenneth LeonardDirector for Bureauof Planning

Doug DaltonSection Chief forUrban Planning Section

Primary AuthorsJoanne LazarzProgram & Planning AnalystBureau of Planning

Bobbi RetzlaffProgram & Planning AnalystBureau of Planning

Robert SeversonProgram & Planning AnalystBureau of Planning

Aileen SwitzerProgram & Planning AnalystBureau of Planning

Ramona TaylorProgram & Planning AnalystBureau of Planning

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Wisconsin’s ComprehensivePlanning Legislation

The Comprehensive Planning Legislation,

passed under the 1999–2001 Wisconsin State

Biennial budget, requires that by January 1, 2010,

all programs, actions and decisions of a community

be consistent with the adopted local comprehensive

plan (§66.1001). In addition, the local plans are

required to have at minimum a 20-year plan horizon

and include, at a minimum, the nine elements

identified by the statute (see Figure 1), to guide

existing and future community development.

Competitive grant programs, with limited

funding, are also defined under the legislation

to help fund the development and adoption

of local comprehensive plans.

1Chapter

Introduction

8

Transportation Planning Resource Guide

For more informationon the ComprehensivePlanning LegislationThe Department of Administra-tion’s Office of Land InformationServices (OLIS) is responsible forproviding technical informationon the Comprehensive PlanningLegislation, responding to relatedquestions, and administering thecompetitive grant programs fundedunder the legislation. Additionally,OLIS can also provide informationregarding comprehensive plansalready completed by communi-ties. Appendix 8 provides a brieflist of a few communities whohave developed their comprehen-sive plans. For questions you maycontact 608.267.2707 or accessinformation on the Internet atwww.doa.state.wi.us/olis

In addition to OLIS, there areseveral other agencies that maybe able to provide you with theinformation and technical guidancenecessary to complete your trans-portation element. Several ofthese agencies are listed through-out this Guide, such as areaMetropolitan Planning Organiza-tions (MPOs) or Regional PlanningCommissions (RPC), Countyagencies, and state agencies suchas the Wisconsin Department ofTransportation (WisDOT) andWisconsin Department of NaturalResources (WisDNR). Appendix 4,the Resource Directory, providesdetailed contact informationfor a variety of agencies andinformation references.

Purpose andrecommendeduse of this GuideThe purpose of this Guide is toprovide you with basic transporta-tion planning related informationneeded to help you through thetransportation planning process asyou develop the TransportationElement of your community’scomprehensive plan, and makedecisions relative to transportation.The qualities and needs of yourcommunity will dictate whichaspects of the planning processare most applicable. It may not benecessary to address everythingoutlined in this Guide in yourtransportation element.

Further, this Guide is notmeant to replace the valuableinformation and resources avail-able to you through the varietyof agencies at the local, regionaland state level. Although prepara-tion of your transportation ele-ment may include referencingthe information in this Guide,it should also include contactingyour area MPO or RPC (Appen-dices 1 and 2 provide contactinformation), County HighwayCommissioner, WisDOT andother agencies that may beimpacted or may be ableto provide assistance.

Both MPOs and RPCs developlong-range transportation plansthat consider and incorporate thetransportation needs of all of thecommunities located within theirplanning areas. Therefore, as youbegin developing your transporta-tion element, you should considerusing the MPO or RPC plan as theframework for developing yourtransportation element, andcomprehensive plan.

Figure 1: Nineprimary comprehensiveplan elements1. issues and opportunities;2. intergovernmental;3. land use;4. utilities and community

facilities;5. economic development;6. housing;7. agricultural, natural,

and cultural resources;8. transportation; and,9. implementation.

Figure 2: Transportationelement (§66.1001(2)(c))A compilation of objectives,policies, goals, maps and pro-grams to guide the futuredevelopment of the variousmodes of transportation, includ-ing highways, transit, transporta-tion systems for persons withdisabilities, bicycles, walking,railroads, air transportation,trucking and water transporta-tion. The element shall comparethe local governmental unit’sobjectives, policies, goals andprograms to state and regionaltransportation plans. Theelement shall also identifyhighways within the localgovernmental unit by functionand incorporate state, regionaland other applicable transporta-tion plans, including transporta-tion corridor plans, countyhighway functional and jurisdic-tional studies, urban area andrural area transportation plans,airport master plans and railplans that apply in the localgovernmental unit.

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The transportationelement withinthe context of theremaining elementsTo begin drafting your trans-portation element, you must firstbe familiar with the statutorylanguage of the element andits specific requirements.(See Figure 2).

Further, as you consider howto develop your local plan andaddress each of the elements inyour local plan, you must under-stand that they are all intercon-nected. Oftentimes, your effortsto address one aspect of yourcommunity will impact otherareas as well. Due to the inter-connectivity of each of the nineelements, it is important to firstdefine your community’s overallvision by answering the question,“What do you want your commu-nity to look like over the next20, 30 and 40 years?” (The Com-prehensive Planning Legislationrequires that a local comprehen-sive plan have, at a minimum, a20-year planning horizon, however,as you consider your community’svision, goals, and objectives itmay be beneficial to consider a30- or 40-year planning horizon.)

By developing your commu-nity’s transportation policy direc-tion within the context of the otherelements (excluding implementa-tion), you will be able to answerthe question, “How can our trans-portation services and facilitiesbe maintained and developedto achieve our community’soverall vision?”

In order to answer this ques-tion, you need to consider yourcommunity’s goals, objectives andsubsequent policies for each of

your plan’s elements. As youdefine these aspects of your localplan, you need to look at howtransportation may impact eachof the goals and the decisionsidentified. The goals, objectivesand policies outlined in yourtransportation element shouldfocus on providing transportationchoices that will most efficientlyserve the selected adjacentland uses and needs withinyour community.

As you work to achieve thisgoal, you need to recognize thatthe land use decisions you makecan and will influence transporta-tion needs in your community.When making land use decisions,your community should determinehow the land use decision willimpact transportation and whetheryour community is willing and/orable to accept and/or addressthose impacts. (See Figure 3.)For example, the siting of a newindustrial park within your com-munity will impact traffic levels,particularly on those streets

Chapter 1: Introduction

land value

accessibility

transportationfacility

transportationneeds

trips

land use

Source: Statewide Land Use Task Force FinalReport (Highway Research Board), 1993.

Figure 3: How transportation and land usedecisions impact each other

providing access to the site.This may result in neededmodifications to existingtransportation facilities toaccommodate the increasedtraffic levels, and/or mayrequire increased funding tomaintain the existing facility.

Although transportationdecisions can directly influ-ence a community’s growth,it is more beneficial to acommunity’s future that itbe used as a tool to accom-modate planned growth.Although it is likely that youwill develop each elementseparately, it is important thatyou identify and address theoverlapping impacts betweeneach of the elements. This isespecially important as youdevelop your land use andtransportation elements, asthe decisions you make foreach element will directlyimpact the other.

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2Public participation is a crucial activity in transportation

planning, and early and active public involvement is vital

to conducting successful transportation planning. The public

is increasingly being encouraged to get involved in public

decision-making processes, including transportation planning,

by providing more and more input into public processes

and increasing their active participation.

This chapter discusses:

n the importance of public involvement;

n public involvement goals;

n transportation stakeholders;

n visioning; and

n incorporating public involvement in all phases

of transportation planning.

Chapter

Partners in development ofyour Transportation Element

Notes

12


Why involve thepublic in transpor-tation planning anddecision-making?Public involvement is importantfor a number of reasons:n It opens up decision-making

processes to everyone, includingthose who may be positively ornegatively affected and thosewho traditionally have notparticipated in the process.

n It strengthens relationshipsbetween the providers andthe users of a service.

n It supports and lends credibilityto an agency’s transportationdecision-making process byengaging the public earlyand often.

n It serves as a venue forinformation exchange betweentransportation providersand users.

The importance of publicinvolvement in transportationdecision-making is reflectedin federal and state legislation.In addition to public outreachefforts already conducted at alllevels of government, Wisconsin’snew Comprehensive PlanningLegislation recognizes the signifi-cance and value of public partici-pation. Figure 4 outlines the statu-tory requirements of public partici-pation in preparing a local com-prehensive plan (§66.1001(4)(a)).

What does publicinvolvement seekto accomplish?Public involvement includes anumber of clearly defined goals.One goal of public involvement iseducation. Education is invaluable

in fostering mutual understandingand seeking consensus. A well-informed public will likely under-stand the process better and asa result will feel more comfor-table participating.

Additionally, a well-informedpublic will foster the success ofyour next goal—attaining activeparticipation from the public.Achieving this goal of keepingthe public informed, engaged, andinterested will entail some efforton your part. You will not onlyneed to inform and involve thepublic, but most importantly youwill need to listen to and seriouslyconsider the comments heard frommembers of the community.

Figure 4: Procedures foradopting comprehensiveplans (§66.1001(4)(a))The governing body of a localgovernmental unit shall adopt writtenprocedures that are designed to fosterpublic participation, including opendiscussion, communication programs,information services and public meet-ings for which advance notice has beenprovided, in every stage of the prepa-ration of a comprehensive plan. Thewritten procedures shall provide forwide distribution of proposed alter-natives or amended elements of acomprehensive plan and shall providean opportunity for written commentson the plan to be submitted by mem-bers of the public to the governingbody and for the governing body torespond to such written comments.

A significant aspect of theplan development process includesdetermining how you will considerand/or incorporate the commentsyou receive from the public. Forexample, during WisDOT’s statehighway planning activities, thepublic’s comments indicatedthat WisDOT needed to address

Notes

13

issues concerning local roads.In response, a discussion ofthis issue was included in theplan. A more recent exampleconcerns WisDOT’s state railplanning activities. In responseto suggestions offered by stake-holders, additional passenger railroutes are being studied beyondthe routes that have been pro-posed in the Midwest RegionalRail Initiative. Active participationwill also require you to be pre-pared to respond to inquiries and/or comments from the public.

Another goal of your publicinvolvement strategy should beto conduct an extensive publicoutreach effort. The first stepin achieving this goal includesdetermining who you wantand need to reach.

Publicity and promotion…is key to involving thetotal community forsuccessful efforts.North Central Regional Center for RuralDevelopment, Transportation Action:A local input model to engage communitytransportation planning

Who are yourtransportationstakeholders?

There are a number of trans-portation stakeholders you shouldensure are part of your compre-hensive planning process. Stake-holders are generally defined asindividuals, groups and/or entitieshaving an interest in a specificactivity. Stakeholders can includemembers of the general publicsuch as individuals and/orgroups who:

n are directly involvedin transportation,

n depend upon the transportationsystem for the movementof goods and/or services,

n influence and/or carry outoverall community design plans,

n are transportation professionals,n are community decision-makers,n use the transportation system

for daily activitiesi, and/orn are impacted by transportation

projects.

Specific stakeholdersmay include:n Transportation planning/

government decision-makers,n RPCs (Appendix 1),n MPOs (Appendix 2),n Local businesses,n Economic development

agencies,n Chambers of commerce,n Environmental interests

(e.g.,WisDNR),n Interest and/or advocacy

groups and associations,n Transit agencies,n Citizens, including those

traditionally under-representedin transportation planning, suchas minority, low-income groups,and people with disabilities,

n Wisconsin Native AmericanIndian Tribes (as applicable),

n WisDOT, District Offices(Appendix 3), and

n Other county andstate agencies.

Each of these potential stake-holders should be considered aspotential partners in the develop-ment of your community’s trans-portation element. Including thesedifferent interest groups early inthe process will enable you toidentify potential resources ofinformation and data. Additionally,they will help to answer the ques-tion “how does our community fitinto the region and the state?” and

Chapter 2: Partners in development

Notes

14


“how do the decisions we makeaffect them, and how do theirdecisions impact us?” (See Chapter3 for more discussion.)

Some stakeholders may notalways be apparent. After you haveidentified stakeholders you thinkshould be involved, you shouldbe prepared to expect additionalstakeholder participation. Adver-tising your process using a varietyof media available is one way thatadditional stakeholders can beidentified. (See Appendix 6 fora brief list of media techniques.)

Partnering withyour area MPO, RPC,and WisDOT

Metropolitan PlanningOrganizations and RegionalPlanning CommissionsWisconsin has 11 MetropolitanPlanning Organizations (MPOs)which are responsible for the long-range planning of the state’s 14urbanized areas. Some of theMPOs are located on the state’sborders and therefore work withthe neighboring state’s planningagencies to resolve inter-stateplanning issues. Additionally,although the Dubuque MPO isprimarily located in Iowa, theMPO is considered in the planningefforts for Wisconsin’s southwestregion. Appendix 2 providesgeneral contact information anda map indicating the planningareas for each MPO.

MPOs are designated toprepare and adopt long-rangetransportation plans and improve-ment programs for their respectiveplanning areas to meet Federalrequirements and qualify for

federal and state funding. Develop-ment of the transportation plansinvolves extensive efforts to inven-tory and analyze data to determineboth short- and long-term trans-portation needs for the area. Theplans developed by the agenciesdefine the vision, goals, objectivesand policies that will guide deci-sion-making for the region. There-fore, if your community is locatedwithin an MPO planning area, itis important that you contact theMPO and invite them to participatein your transportation elementdevelopment process (see Appen-dix 2 for contact information). It isalso important that your transpor-tation element be developed usingthe MPO’s long-range plan as aframework. This will help ensurethat both plans are coordinatedand neither contradicts the other,especially if your communityanticipates receiving Federaldollars for any of yourtransportation projects.

There are nine Regional Plan-ning Commissions (RPCs) inWisconsin. They are responsiblefor providing assistance to localgovernments within their planningareas on a variety of issues. Theseinclude: providing planning assis-tance on regional issues; assistinglocal governments responding tostate and federal programs; draft-ing economic development andtransportation plans; and conduct-ing needs assessments, functionalclassification assessments, andcorridor studies.

They are also responsible fordeveloping long-range regionaltransportation and land use plansfor their areas. If your communityis located within a RPC planningarea it is important that you con-tact the RPC and invite them to

Notes

15

participate in your comprehensiveplanning efforts. Appendix 1provides general contact informa-tion and a map of each RPC’splanning area in the state.

How does theWisconsin Departmentof Transportation fitinto your efforts?The Wisconsin Department ofTransportation (WisDOT) is pri-marily responsible for the short-and long-term transportation plan-ning and programming for statetransportation facilities. As youbegin drafting your transportationelement, you should contact yourarea Transportation District Officeto discuss your plans (see Appen-dix 3 for contact information).

WisDOT can be a useful re-source of information and data,specifically relating to functionalclassification of roads within yourcommunity, average daily travel(ADT), information on the reviewof land division proposals asdefined under the WisconsinAdministrative Code TRANS 233,as well as corridor planning andaccess management. Additionally,WisDOT can also be an importantresource for technical advicerelated to development issueswithin your community and howthey might impact transportation.More importantly, if your land usedecisions have the potential ofeither directly or indirectly impact-ing a state facility (e.g., state trunkhighway), you should inviteWisDOT to provide feedback onyour proposed transportation andland use decisions. AlthoughWisDOT may not have directjurisdiction over developmentdecisions within your community,they may be able to assist you

in assessing the potential impactsand resulting needs of specificsiting decisions, the possibleramifications of providing addi-tional access onto a road, otherissues that may need to be ad-dressed, and potential strategiesto address them.

As a stakeholder, you alsohave numerous opportunities toparticipate in WisDOT’s planningefforts. These opportunities rangefrom development of long-rangestatewide transportation plans,to providing input into the devel-opment of the 6-Year HighwayImprovement Program, to specificproject scoping and planningactivities. In all of its planningefforts, WisDOT conducts outreachefforts that seek to involve thepublic and the broadest range oftransportation stakeholders in theplanning process. These effortsrange from public listening ses-sions to formal public hearings,and are conducted throughout theentire planning process. Your areaTransportation District office (seeAppendix 3) can provide you withinformation regarding WisDOT’scurrent planning efforts andhow you can participate.

Including traditionallyunder-representedgroups

As you conduct outreach tothe various stakeholders in yourcommunity, you need to ensurethat your efforts include groupswho are traditionally under-represented in planning efforts.Generally, this may include:minority populations, low-incomepopulations, the elderly andpeople with disabilities.


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It may be difficult to encouragepeople within these groups toattend public meetings. For thisreason, you may need to conductpublic outreach activities specifi-cally geared toward them. Thismay include conducting outreachefforts at non-traditional times ofthe day that are convenient forthem, such as mornings or onweekends, and/or at non-tradi-tional meeting locations such ascommunity association sites, placesof worship, and/or senior centers.

You may want to becomefamiliar with the laws that govern/mandate government agencies toensure that they do not discrimi-nate against people within thesegroups. A few examples includethe Americans with DisabilitiesAct of 1970 as amended (ADA),Title VI of the the Civil RightsAct which prohibits discrimina-tion on the basis of race, coloror national origin, and the AgeDiscrimination Act of 1975. TheCivil Rights and Restoration Actof 1987 clarified the intent of TitleVI to include all programs andactivities of Federal-aid recipients,sub-recipients and contractorswhether those programs andactivities are federally fundedor not.

Additionally, EnvironmentalJustice, defined in the 1994 Execu-tive Order 12898, Federal Actionsto Address Environmental Justicein Minority Populations andLow-Income Populations, furtherrequires that any agency or gov-ernmental unit receiving federalfunding ensure that their planningand programming efforts includeoutreach to minority and low-income populations. The Execu-tive Order reinforces severalexisting laws including the

Uniform Relocation Assistance andReal Property Acquisition PoliciesAct of 1970 as amended. Subse-quent documents were publishedto summarize and expand uponthe Executive Order, including:U.S. DOT’s DOT Order to AddressEnvironmental Justice in MinorityPopulations and Low-IncomePopulations, and the FederalHighway Administration’s (FHWA)FHWA Actions To Address Envi-ronmental Justice In MinorityPopulations And Low-IncomePopulations, 6640.23, 1998. Fi-nally, in 1999, the FHWA and theFederal Transit Administration(FTA) issued the document Imple-menting Title VI Requirementsin Metropolitan and StatewidePlanning. This document providesclarification for field offices onhow to ensure that environmen-tal justice is considered duringcurrent and future planningcertification reviews.

As you consider how to identifyand contact these different groupswithin your community, youshould be familiar with the abovedocuments. Additionally, whenidentifying low-income popula-tions it may be helpful to referencethe current poverty guidelinesissued by the Department ofHealth and Human Services whichcan be requested directly from theagency or accessed via their webpage at http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/poverty.htm

Taken more broadly, environ-mental justice and the other lawsgoverning inclusion of differentgroups into planning and program-ming, seeks to strengthen thedecision-making process byconsidering the perspectivesof all people. Therefore, eventhough you must follow these

Techniques forcontacting and includingtraditionally under-represented groupsmay include:n partnering with local

church leaders and work-ing with them to holdmeetings and obtainfeedback;

n holding meetings atcommunity centers;

n setting up an informationbooth at a grocery storeor area mall to provideinformation and obtainfeedback; and/or

n holding meetings inconvenient locationsthat offer a variety oftransportation choices.

Notes

17

requirements, incorporating theprinciples of environmental justice(see Figure 5) into your transporta-tion element development effortswill help you make decisions thatmore equitably reflect the needsof all interests in your community.

Figure 5: Principles ofenvironmental justicen to avoid, minimize, or mitigate

disproportionately high andadverse human health andenvironmental effects,including social andeconomic effects, on minorityand low-income populations;

n to ensure the full and fairparticipation by all potentiallyaffected communities in thetransportation decision-makingprocess; and

n to prevent the denial of, reduc-tion in, or significant delay inthe receipt of benefits to minor-ity and low-income populations.

U.S. Department of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationMay 2000

How do youget started?

To begin your public involve-ment planning process, you maywant to consider forming anadvisory or steering committeeto provide you with guidance and/or expertise throughout the devel-opment of your transportationelement and local comprehensiveplan. The committee will be keyin developing and/or guidingyour community’s vision, purpose,objectives, expectations andschedule of your transportationelement development effort(discussed further in Chapter 4,Community Transportation

Planning). Because this typeof committee will also permit youto forge partnerships with stake-holders, it is vital that committeemembership include a wide rangeof backgrounds and interests.

There are many phases to atransportation planning process.Public involvement in one way oranother should permeate each ofthese phases. You need to deter-mine what level of public involve-ment you want to conduct duringeach phase of your transportationelement development. However,bear in mind that successful resultsare gained from a thorough publicinvolvement process—one that isimplemented throughout theplanning process.

As previously mentioned, theComprehensive Planning Legisla-tion (§66.1001(4)(a)) requires thatyour community adopt writtenprocedures designed to fosterpublic participation throughoutthe development of your localplan. Your procedures need toinclude development of communi-cation plans and programs, andinformation services to providenumerous opportunities for opendiscussion. Part of this effortshould include holding publicmeetings (with advance noticeprovided pursuant to state statute)in every stage of developingyour comprehensive plan.

For example, during thedevelopment of your community’stransportation vision, goals andobjectives, your community mayconsider hosting several listeningsessions to obtain the community’sinput and encourage early andactive participation. The listeningsessions may provide you with abetter understanding of what theperspectives and concerns of the


18

residents in your community are.Often you will find that by “can-vassing” the members of yourcommunity—those actuallyaffected by your transportationdecisions—the effort will bringout issues that transportationprofessionals and other stakehold-ers may not have considered.

Although the ComprehensivePlanning Legislation requires, ata minimum, one public hearingto formally adopt a local compre-hensive plan (§66.1001(4)(a)), it

is important to remember that agood public involvement processincludes much more than simplyholding a hearing. As emphasizedthroughout this section, a thoroughpublic outreach effort is impera-tive. By including the public earlyand often, you are more likelyto develop a plan that will beaccepted by your community—an essential aspect of success-ful implementation.

It is to your benefit to capturethe thoughts and issues that areon the minds of your community.The level of effort you invest inimplementing a thorough publicinvolvement strategy will pay offin the long run. The result of yourhard work will be a well-informed,satisfied public that has beenincluded in the decision-makingprocess, and a communitythat has been planned in themanner that people in yourcommunity envisioned.

EndnotesiTransportation Action: A LocalInput Model to Engage CommunityTransportation Planning, North CentralRegional Center for Rural Development,April 1996.

Vision, goals & objectives-listening sessions-workshops-focus groups

Final plan adoption-public hearings-web page

Draft plan-public meeting-mailings-newsletters-web page

Analysis of current conditionsand plan alternatives-public/community meetings-open houses-focus groups-newsletter

Plan updates-media advertising-public/community meetings-web page

Plan implementation-media coverage-open houses-newsletter

Examples of public outreach methodsduring your planning process

19

Because your transportation system does not end

at your community’s borders, your efforts to develop your

transportation element should include considering how your

community’s transportation decisions can and will impact

neighboring communities, the region and the state.

This chapter describes:

n why it is important that your transportation element

be coordinated with applicable adjacent community,

regional and state level plans;

n potential regional and state transportation plans

to review and incorporate;

n how to identify inconsistencies between plans; and

n what you should do if inconsistencies are found.

3Chapter

Regional and stateplanning perspectives

Notes

20


Coordinating, comparing,and incorporatingregional and stateperspectivesThe decisions you make foryour community’s transportationsystem and adjacent land uses mayhave positive and negative impactson neighboring communities, theregion and the state. Similarly,the goals, objectives and activitiesidentified in applicable plansdeveloped at each of these levelsmay impact your community’stransportation system. As a result,conflicts and contradictions be-tween plans may develop. There-fore, as you draft your transporta-tion element, your actions shouldinclude efforts to address andminimize conflicts and contradic-tions with other applicable plans.

Figure 6: Intergovernmentalcooperation element(§66.1001(2)(g))A compilation of objectives, policies,goals, maps and programs for jointplanning and decision making withother jurisdictions, including schooldistricts and adjacent local govern-mental units, for siting and buildingpublic facilities and sharing publicservices. The element shall analyzethe relationship of the local govern-mental unit to school districts andadjacent local governmental units,and to the region, the state and othergovernmental units. The element shallincorporate any plans or agreementsto which the local governmental unitis a party under ss. 66.0301, 66.0307or 66.0309. The element shall identifyexisting or potential conflicts betweenthe local governmental unit and othergovernmental units that are specifiedin this paragraph and describe pro-cesses to resolve such conflicts.

The legislation indicates thatthe transportation element “shall…incorporate state, regional, andother applicable transportationplans…” Therefore, in developingyour transportation element youshould identify the applicableplans at each level and incorporatethe aspects of those plans intoyour element to ensure that noconflicts or inconsistencies existthat may hinder the implementa-tion of goals and objectives at eachlevel of planning within the state.Your efforts to accomplish thisshould be reflected in your out-reach initiatives and inclusion ofthe various stakeholder groupsdiscussed in Chapter 2, as well asin the development of your plan’sIntergovernmental CooperationElement. Figure 6 outlines thelegislative requirements fordeveloping that element.

Coordinating, comparing andincorporating regional and stateperspectives into your planningprocess can include:

n establishing partnerships withtransportation stakeholders andother government agencies;

n reviewing and comparing yourtransportation vision, goals,objectives and policies withapplicable plans from adjacentcommunities, regional andstate agencies; and

n incorporating, where applicable,aspects of other plans into yourtransportation element.

Partnering with transportationstakeholders from neighboringcommunities, regional and statelevel interests, such as your areaMPO or RPC, County agency,adjacent Tribal governments and/or WisDOT will help ensure thatyour transportation element

21

reflects the aspects of other respec-tive plans that can impact yourtransportation element.

As you work with neighboringcommunities, you may find itappropriate to develop a coopera-tive comprehensive plan thatwill meet both of your goals andobjectives, and potentially resultin mutually beneficial cost savings.Finally, your efforts to partner withdifferent transportation stakehold-ers will not only benefit yourlocal planning efforts, but alsofurther enhance regional and stateefforts to maintain and improvethe connectivity of the trans-portation system.

For example, assume that yourplan includes a proposal to includea bike route along the road con-necting your community and theneighboring community. Yourproposal requires that the shoul-ders of the road be expanded toprovide a safe and viable routefor bicyclists along the facility.However, the adjacent municipalityhas decided that the same roadwill provide service only to ve-hicles. Subsequently, the currentdesign of the road through itsmunicipal borders will remain thesame. Although this inconsistencymay not appear to harm eithercommunity’s transportation plan-ning efforts, the potential connec-tivity of the system will be jeopar-dized, potentially reducing thesafety and attractiveness of thecorridor for future bike travel.With coordination and planning,it is possible for both communitiesto address their needs, and meettheir goals and objectives.

In addition to coordinating withthe different transportation stake-holder interests, you will also needto compare your transportation

element’s goals, objectives andpolicies to the applicable regionaland state level plans. For example,the transportation plans completedby your area’s RPC or MPO andthe state have identified the futurelocation of a bypass route aroundyour community. Although theinitial agreements indicate yourcommunity’s support for thebypass, it is not incorporated intoyour transportation element. Ifyour community does not resolvethis inconsistency early in theprocess, potential conflicts maydelay decision-making efforts forall involved. Additionally, notaddressing this issue may result incostly delays regarding land useand transportation decisions foryour community and the region.

Similarly, assume that thereis a state trunk highway runningthrough your community. If oneof the objectives of your transpor-tation element includes allowingincreased access to that facility toaccommodate planned develop-ment, it is necessary that youensure that your plans for in-creased access are consistent withother plans affecting that facility.Your planning process shouldinclude a review of applicablestate and regional plans to identifyand correct any inconsistenciesbetween your transportationelement and the applicable plans.For this example, the plans youmay need to review include:

n WisDOT’s Access ManagementSystem Plan;

n Wisconsin State HighwayPlan 2020;

n Any relevant corridorplanning studies conductedfor the facility;

Chapter 3: Regional and state planning

Partnering with othertransportation stake-holders will help you toidentify:n potential inconsistencies or

contradictions between plans;n potential impacts of not

addressing the inconsistency;n available resources, data and

other applicable informationyou may need; and

n whether it is possible todevelop a cooperative planwith your neighboringcommunity.

Notes

22


n Any applicable countyplans and the applicableMPO or RPC land use andtransportation plans;

n Applicable Tribal Governmentplans for development withina region; and/or

n Adjacent local community plans.

If you do not conduct thisreview, your transportation ele-ment will not reflect state and/orregional policies or plans thatmanage or limit access alongthat particular state facility.

If your planning efforts donot attempt to minimize and/oreliminate inconsistencies betweenyour transportation element andthe regional and/or state plans, itis possible that you may jeopardizethe successful implementation ofyour transportation element andoverall local comprehensive plan.

Plans to compareand incorporateThere will likely be several typesof plans you will need to consideras you develop your transportationelement. These may include plansdeveloped by a variety of plan-ning agencies including the state,county, RPC or MPO. Figures 7and 8 provide a few examplesof plans you may want to con-sider as you develop yourtransportation element.

What you shoulddo if inconsistenciesare found

In order for you to develop asuccessful transportation element,you must go beyond simplyacknowledging the existence

of applicable state and regionalplans, and ensure that your trans-portation element incorporatesappropriate elements of bothregional and state levels plans.

As you review the applicableplans and/or discuss your planningefforts with the specific agencies,you will need to consider:

n how your transportationelement and policies “fit” withthe plans and policies of thestate, region, and neighboringcommunities? and,

n how their plans andpolicies impact yourtransportation element?

This can be accomplishedby comparing the strategies yourcommunity has defined to meetthe goals and objectives developedduring your visioning processto those for the neighboringcommunity, regional and stateplans. As you conduct thiscomparison, look for:

n apparent contradictionsbetween plans; and

n aspects of each plan thatappear to be complementary.

Although it is not requiredby the Legislation, it is highlyencouraged that if you find appar-ent contradictions, you addressthem as soon as possible. If youdo not include the appropriateaspects of other plan(s), or contactthe specific agency to address thedifferences, your transportationelement’s estimate of future needsand associated costs, and projec-tions of potential impacts to yourcommunity’s overall growth anddevelopment may be inaccurate.

Notes

23

State and regional plan devel-opment efforts include extensiveoutreach and review processeswith stakeholders and communityleaders. Therefore, any issues yourcommunity may have regardingaspects of a state or regional planwould likely be raised and re-solved during those respectiveplan development efforts. How-ever, if your community disagreeswith an aspect of an existing stateor regional plan and does not wishto reflect it in the local plan, it isimportant to contact and discussyour concerns with the appropri-ate agency. This will help bothsides to understand and potentiallyresolve the differing perspectivesand concerns. This is especiallyimportant for decisions specificto transportation corridors thatare significant to the regionand/or state.

Addressing and correctingcontradictions between yourtransportation element andapplicable state and regionalplans is an essential partof the planning process.

Chapter 3: Regional and state planning

Figure 7: Regional plans■ Applicable MPO or RPC

Long-range Transportationand Land Use Plans;

■ Transportation corridor plans;■ County highway functional

and jurisdictional studies;■ Airport master plans

(as applicable);■ Rail plans (as applicable);■ Harbor plans (as applicable);■ Bicycle Plans;■ County Access Plans;■ Other completed compre-

hensive plans (e.g. adjacentcommunity plans);

■ WisDNR State TrailsNetwork Plan

Figure 8: Statewideplans & programsCompleted:■ Wisconsin State Highway

Plan 2020;■ Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation

Plan 2020;■ WisDOT Access Management

System Plan;■ Wisconsin State Airport System

Plan 2020;■ Translinks 21: A Multi-modal

Transportation Plan forWisconsin’s 21st Century;

■ 6-Year HighwayImprovement Program;

■ Statewide TransportationImprovement Program (STIP)

Scheduled for completion:■ Wisconsin Pedestrian

Plan 2020 (2001)■ Wisconsin State Rail

Plan 2020 (2002)■ Wisconsin State Transit

Plan 2020 (2003)

25

Developing a transportation element involves

several steps, ranging from defining your transportation

vision within the context of the remaining eight elements,

to data collection, to analyzing existing and future needs.

This chapter describes how you can:

n define your community’s transportation vision;

n establish goals and objectives to achieve that vision;

n conduct an inventory of your current

transportation system;

n assess current and future needs of your

transportation system; and

n consider needs assessments and accommodations

for other transportation choices.

4Chapter

Local transportationplanning

Notes

26


Understanding atransportation system

The term “transportation system”is used to describe several differentaspects of transportation, includingthe different:

n transportation options used tomove people and products,

n levels of jurisdictionalauthority, and

n facilities that a user mightaccess to begin, change orswitch, and end a trip.

Figure 9: TransportationsystemA transportation system includes:

n roads,n transit services,n rail services,n bicycles lanes, paths, trails

and accommodations,n air travel,n pedestrian accommodations andn harbors.

When people hear the term“transportation system,” they oftenthink only of roads. While roadsaccount for the majority of a trans-portation system, they are not theonly component (see Figure 9).Broadly speaking, a transporta-tion system can be defined asany means used to move peopleand/or products. Taken together,these individual transportationoptions create your community’stransportation system. For thisreason, it is critical that yourtransportation element addresseach of these choices, asapplicable to your community.

Additionally, the term trans-portation system includes roadsunder different levels of jurisdic-tional authority (i.e., state, countyand local). WisDOT has jurisdic-

tion over all Interstate highways,U.S. highways and State highways.County governments are respon-sible for County Trunk highways.Local governments are responsiblefor local roads. If you have anyquestions regarding the jurisdic-tional authority of roads withinyour community, contact eitheryour County Highway Commis-sioner or the WisDOT Districtoffice (see Appendix 3).

Although your communitymay not have direct jurisdictionalauthority over a specific highway,the decisions you make regardingdevelopment around that highwaywill impact the amount and typeof traffic using the facility. Inaddition, the extent to which thelocal street system can accom-modate local travel will directlyimpact the amount of trafficthat is diverted onto stateand/or county facilities.

It is also important to under-stand that trips on a transportationsystem can involve facilities undermultiple jurisdictions. For example,a person traveling from hometo work may need to travel froma local street to a state highwaywhere the person then boards abus operated by a county transitsystem. Similarly, a trip to the mallmay include using a local street,and connecting with a countyhighway to access the facility.For this reason, you need toconsider how the decisions yourcommunity makes regardingdevelopment will impact travelon the various componentsof the transportation system.

As you develop your transporta-tion element, you should consider:

n how decisions made by yourcommunity may impact othertransportation systems, and

27

n how decisions made by otherentities may impact yourtransportation system.

In developing your transporta-tion element, you need to focus onthose aspects of the transportationsystem over which you havedirect responsibility. However,sometimes you will have torespond to changes in transporta-tion facilities over which you haveno control since they can impactyour transportation system. Forexample, a new or expanded railfacility in a neighboring commu-nity may result in increased trucktravel through your community.This increased travel can greatlyimpact your community’sroad system.

This example also highlightsthe need for your transportationelement to incorporate all trans-portation options available to themembers of your community. Asdescribed above, a transportationsystem may consist of severaltransportation choices and there-by provide several options tocomplete the same trip. For ex-ample, a transportation systemthat offers a variety of choicesallows a person the choice todrive, walk, bike or use transitto complete their trips.

Your community’sTransportation ElementBecause the transportationelement is meant to guide yourfuture transportation decisions,the element should include:

n a transportation vision;n goals and objectives;n an analysis and identification of

existing and future needs (note:you will need to examine trendsin such areas as demographics,

economic development andland use changes in additionto transportation);

n policies and recommendations(to guide you when makingdecisions regarding transporta-tion, such as, whether to accom-modate future trips or not); and

n implementation strategies.

Developing a visionOnce your community hasdeveloped its overall vision, youshould develop your community’stransportation vision. It is impor-tant to understand that land use

vision

vision

goals andobjectives

goals andobjectives

inventory

inventory

Communitytransportation

planning

Assessment of needs:

current, future

Developmentof community

policies

Figure 10: Approaches to conductingyour visioning process

Chapter 4: Local transportation planning

Notes

28


and transportation are closelyrelated. Land use decisions willdirectly influence the decisionsyour community makes regardingtransportation. Conversely, trans-portation decisions will directlyinfluence the decisions yourcommunity makes regarding landuse. Therefore, as you developyour community’s transportationvision you should at least consider,if not develop, your land usevision. This will enable you todevelop a transportation elementthat reflects your community’sfuture goals and land use vision.

Your transportation visionwill help guide the transportationplanning process. Generally, thevisioning process will address theoverall question of “what do youwant your community’s transpor-tation system to look likein 20 years?”

In addition, the visioningprocess may address otherquestions such as:

n How will future growthimpact your community’stransportation system?

n What do you like best aboutyour community’s currenttransportation system?

n What do you dislike aboutyour community’s transpor-tation system?

n What transportation areascan be improved?

You may choose to do thevisioning process either before orafter identifying your community’stransportation needs. (See Figure10.) When a visioning process iscompleted after a needs inventory,the decision-making process ismore informed because you havea better understanding of what iscurrently available and what may

need to be improved. However,completing a visioning processafter a needs inventory may alsolimit identifying unique solutionsto problems because you may feelconstrained to work with what youcurrently have. On the other hand,a visioning process conductedbefore a needs inventory mayresult in many ideas. However,these ideas may not addresscurrent needs. There is no “right”time to conduct the visioningprocess, therefore, you shouldconduct the visioning processwhenever you believe youare ready.

You can achieve yourcommunity’s transportationvision by:

n bringing together communitymembers who representa broad range of interests,

n working together withneighboring communitiesthat your transportation visionmay impact or entities respon-sible for particular typesof transportation,

n understanding how differenttypes of transportation interactwith each other, and

n understanding how differenttransportation choices positivelyand negatively impact yourcommunity.

Publications to guide youthrough the visioningprocess include:Building Our Future: A Guideto Community Visioning. Universityof Wisconsin-Extension, 2000.

Towards Managing Growth inWashington: A Guide to CommunityVisioning. State of Washington,Department of CommunityDevelopment, Growth ManagementDivision, October 1991.

29

Developing goalsand objectivesAfter creating your visionstatement, you are ready todevelop goals and objectivesto achieve your vision. Figure 11describes the differences betweengoals and objectives. Rememberthat you should develop yourgoals and objectives so theyare consistent with:

n your community’s transportationvision, and

n the goals and objectivesidentified in the other elementsof your community’scomprehensive plan.

It is important to develop goalsand objectives that are realistic.Keep in mind your community’sfunding constraints.

Figure 11: Goals vs. objectivesGoals ObjectivesBroad NarrowGeneral PreciseIntangible TangibleAbstract Concrete

ExampleGoal: To improvetransportation safety.

Objective: Develop a transportationsystem that reduces the numberof conflict points.

Potential areas for whichto develop goals and objectivesmay include:

n Providing transportationchoices:What transportation choicesare available? Are the differenttransportation choices conve-niently interconnected? Howdo the types of transportationinterrelate with each other?

Figure 12: Example of a well-connectedlocal street grid system

This grid-system pattern promotes pedestrian andbike use, while reducing auto congestion by offeringmotorists more route options.

Dia

gram

courtes

y of Citi

zens

for

a Bet

ter

Envi

ronm

ent


n Maintenance andimprovements:How will the current transporta-tion system be maintained andimproved? How will deteriora-tion be addressed as thesystem ages?

n Enhancing and improvingthe local street connectivity:What are existing street patterns?Do the patterns promote pedes-trian and bicycle travel? Do thestreet patterns accommodatesafe traffic flow? Are there anygaps in connections betweentransportation choices?(See Figure 12.)

n Safety:How will transportation safetybe maintained and improved?

Notes

30


n Economic development:How can the transportationsystem enhance economicdevelopment? How will eco-nomic development impactthe transportation system?

n Environment:How will changes to the trans-portation system impact thepreservation/protection ofenvironmental resources, suchas water quality and air quality?

n Aesthetics:How do transportation facilitiesaffect the aesthetics of yourcommunity?

n Public involvement:How will the public be includedin the transportation decision-making process?

n Accessibility:How will accessibility to thetransportation system be main-tained and/or improved forusers of the system?

n Efficiency:How will you ensure that thedecisions you make for yourtransportation system preservethe existing facilities andpotentially reduce the needfor expansion or realignment?

n Land use:What steps will be taken toensure that transportationdecisions and land usedecisions are compatible?

n Cost:How will the associated costsof the transportation element beaddressed? How can the costsbe minimized to most efficientlyuse public funds over boththe short and long-term?

Conducting an inventoryof your community’stransportation systemConducting an inventory of yourcommunity’s transportation systemis crucial to identifying current andfuture needs. As you begin thisprocess, it is important to note thatthis is separate from the inventoryand certification process conductedby WisDOT in cooperation withcommunities.

Information about yourcommunity may beavailable from:n your area RPC or MPO,n your county planning agency,n neighboring communities,

and/orn the WisDOT District Office

(see Appendix 3 for acomplete contact list)

The inventory process involvesthree steps:

1. Identifying what types oftransportation are presentin your community.

2. Consideration of regionaltransportation services thatmay impact your community’stransportation system.

3. Gathering data.

First, you need to identify whattypes of transportation are presentin your community. When develop-ing your inventory, it is importantto include all types of transporta-tion present in your community.You should not only considerthe road network, but also includepedestrian and bicycle accommo-dations, port facilities, airports,transit service and rail lines. Sincecommunities have unique needsand characteristics, your commu-nity may not have all of these

31

Table 1: Things to consider when conducting your transportation system inventory


Mode Things to considerRoads - Maps identifying:& hwys Road network

Key traffic generatorsCrash locations

- Roadway condition- Mileage by functional classification- Opportunities to develop links/transfersto other transportation choices

- Average daily traffic- Parking availability- Number of crashes by type(property, injury, fatality)

- Condition of bridges and structures- Maintenance and improvement history- Roadway characteristics (width, numberof lanes, divided, auxiliary lanes, etc.)

Rail - Maps identifying the location of:Railroad tracksLocation and type of highway-railcrossings (e.g., lights, gates, crossbucks)Intermodal connections

- Number of highway-rail crossings- Type of service (i.e., freight, passenger)- Track mileage in the community- Frequency/number of trains travelingthrough the community

- Types of crossing protection- Number of rail/highway crashes- Opportunities to develop links/transfersto other transportation choices

Transit - Map identifying transit routes- Area of service (i.e., regional, local)- Ridership- Site design/building orientation- Frequency of service- Type(s) of service (e.g., shared ride taxi, bus)- Service hours (e.g. nights, weekends)- Opportunities to develop links/transfers to other transportation choices

Harbors - Maps identifying the location of:Harbor(s)/port facilitiesIntermodal connectionsMarinas, boat ramps, and ferry docks

- Types and tonnage ofcommodities shipped

- Length of the shipping season- Number of ships annually using the harbor- Opportunities to develop links/transfers to other transportation choices

Mode Things to considerAirports - Map showing location of airport(s)

serving the community (includingnoise contours if available)

- Type of airport(s) (e.g., generalaviation, commercial service, publicor private, military, reliever)

- Opportunities to develop links/transfersto other transportation choices

- Airport classification (air carrier, transportcorporate, general utility, etc.)

- Description of airport(s): runwaylength(s), activity levels, based aircraft,enplanements, cargo (for commercialservice airports)

- Additional considerations: current zoningordinances (e.g., height limitations zoningordinances; land use zoning ordinances)

- Approach clearance considerations

Bicycles - Map identifying:Bike accommodations by type(e.g. multi-use paths, dedicatedbike lanes)Crash locations and total numberBike routesOver/under passes

- Percentage of population that bikes- Number of bicycle crashes- Suitability of current roads for bicycling- Generators of bicycle trips- Barriers to bicycling- Opportunities to develop links/transfersto other transportation choices

Pedestrian - Map identifying:Pedestrian facilities(e.g. overpasses,multi-use paths,worn paths, crosswalks, signals,sidewalk network)Crash locations

- Total miles of sidewalks- Opportunities to develop links/transfers to other transportation choices

- General condition of sidewalks- Percentage of population that walks- Number of pedestrian crashes- Site design/building orientation- Barriers such as rivers,highways, freeways

- Street crossing problems- School route barriers

32


different types of transportation.However, remember to thinkbroadly when developing yourinventory because there are timeswhen a particular type of transpor-tation may not be readily apparent.For example, even if your commu-nity does not have sidewalks,it does not mean that an inventoryof pedestrian accommodationsshould not be conducted. Insteadof sidewalks, your inventorymay include assessing the availa-bility of walking paths, and pavedand unpaved shoulders.

Second, you need to considerregional services that may impactyour community’s transportationsystem. For example, your commu-nity may not have an airport, butit may be served by a regionalairport. Your inventory shouldreflect how your community’stransportation system is impactedby these regional services.

Third, you need to gathera variety of data regarding trans-portation, demographics, land use,economic development, environ-mental issues, etc. Maps andnumbers are key to preparingan inventory. You need to knowwhere facilities are located, howmany users the facility has, howlarge the facility is, and othersimilar information. Table 1provides a partial listing of itemsto consider including in yourcommunity’s transportation systeminventory. Remember—since notwo communities are alike, all ofthe items listed in the table maynot apply to your community.

In addition to gathering dataabout your community’s transpor-tation system, you should alsoconsider the information identifiedin the other elements of yourcomprehensive plan (e.g., housing,

Table 2: Types of information, example usesand potential sources

Type of information SourcesDemographic -Local/county planning office(e.g., population, -County Land Information Officeage, income, -Area MPO or RPCminority) -Wisconsin Department of Administration

-U.S. Census Bureau

Economic -Local chamber of commercedevelopment -Local/county planning office(e.g., tourism, -Community economic development groupsbusiness -County Land Information Officedevelopment) -University of Wisconsin–Extension

-Wisconsin Department of Commerce

Environment -Local/county planning office(e.g., air quality, -County Land Information Officewater quality, -University of Wisconsin–Extensionnoise, -Wisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesendangered -State Historical Societyspecies, -U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyhistoric places) -U.S. Fish and Wildlife

-Army Corp of Engineers-Federal Aviation Administration/Airports District Office

Land use -Local/county planning officeand zoning -Adjacent community local land(e.g., agriculture, use and comprehensive plansresidential, -County Land Information Officecommercial) -RPC/MPO

-Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,Trade and Consumer Protection

-Wisconsin Department of Commerce-Wisconsin Department of Revenue-Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Transportation -Local public works/transportation office(e.g., average -County highway departmentdaily traffic, -Transit operatorsroad functional -RPC/MPOclassifications, -Railroad companiesperformance -Harbor commissionsmeasures) -Airport Owners

-WisDOT-Office of the Commissioner of Railroads-Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-Federal Aviation Administration/Airports District Office

Notes

33

specific street over the last fiveyears. You could review files fromthe last five years, however, thisprocess would be rather time-consuming. On the other hand,if you had a GIS system thatcontained data related to thelocation of streets and the locationof bicycle crashes, the systemcould quickly identify how manycrashes occurred along the streetwithin the past five years. Inaddition, the system could iden-tify each of these locationson a printable map.

Numerous governmentalagencies are making GIS informa-tion available. Examples of theseagencies include the local, countyand regional planning offices,County Land Information Offices,Wisconsin Department of NaturalResources, WisDOT, Office ofLand Information Services (DOA),U.S. Geological Survey, and theU.S. Census Bureau (see Appendix4 for contact information).

The potential uses of GIS arelimitless. When preparing yourtransportation element, you maywant to consider using GIS to storeand analyze data. This may reducethe time and resources needed toupdate your plan. In addition, theGIS information may be useful toother local agencies such as publicworks departments, emergencypersonnel, and economicdevelopment offices.

Additional notesfor conducting aninventory of yourlocal road systemRoads are typically the largestcomponent of transportationsystems. The comprehensiveplanning legislation requires

land use, economic development,etc.). Each of these elementsincludes relevant information thatcan help you develop your trans-portation element. It is also impor-tant to consult with adjacentcommunities regarding theirplanning efforts. This exchange ofinformation and ideas may simplifyyour inventory efforts and helpyou to better understand theneighboring community’s long-range planning initiatives.

In addition to data availablefrom WisDOT, MPOs, RPCs, andpossibly neighboring communities,there are numerous other sourcesof information available (seeTable 2 and Appendix 4).

Additional notes regardingGeographic InformationSystems (GIS)As planning moves into the21st century, efforts to inventoryand map various impacts to acommunity, such as current andfuture land use and/or a commu-nity’s transportation system, willincreasingly rely on mappingsoftware such as the GeographicInformation Systems (GIS). GISis computer software that canassemble, store, manipulate anddisplay geographic information.For example, a GIS system maystore information related to thelocations of streets, railroad lines,water bodies, wetlands, types ofland uses or political boundaries.Basically any information thatrefers to a geographic locationcan be stored on a GIS system.

GIS software is capable ofperforming analyses that cangreatly aid the planning process.For example, suppose that youwant to know how many bicyclecrashes have occurred along a


34


Table 3: Urban and rural functional classification system

Classification DescriptionUrban (Roads within urban areas—i.e., places of 5,000 population or more)Principal arterials Serve longer intra-urban trips and traffic traveling through urban areas.

They carry high traffic volumes and provide links to major activity centers.The urban principal arterials are connected to the system of rural principalsand minor arterials. Urban principal arterials are subdivided into1) Interstate highways, 2) other freeways, and 3) other principal arterials.

Minor arterials Provide intra-community continuity and service to trips of moderate length,with more emphasis on land access than principal arterials. The minor arterialsystem interconnects with the urban arterial system and provides systemconnections to the rural collectors.

Collectors Provide both land access service and traffic circulation within residentialneighborhoods, commercial areas, and industrial areas. These facilities collecttraffic from the local streets in residential neighborhoods and channel it ontothe arterial system. In the central business district, and in other areas of likedevelopment and traffic density, the collector system may include thestreet grid which forms the basic unit for traffic circulation.

Local streets Comprise all facilities not on one of the higher systems. They primarily providedirect access to adjacent land and access to higher order systems. Local streetsoffer the lowest level of mobility, and through-traffic movement on this systemis usually discouraged.

Rural (All roads outside of urban areas)Principal arterials Serve interstate and interregional trips. These routes generally serve all urban

areas greater than 5,000 population. The rural principal arterials are furthersubdivided into 1) Interstate highways and 2) other principal arterials.

Minor arterials In conjunction with the principal arterials, they serve cities, largecommunities, and other major traffic generators providing intra-regionaland inter-area traffic movements.

Major collectors Provide service to moderate sized communities and other intra-areatraffic generators, and link those generators to nearby larger populationcenters or higher function routes.

Minor collectors Collect traffic from local roads, and provide links to all remainingsmaller communities, locally important traffic generators, and higherfunction roads. All developed areas should be within a reasonable distanceof a collector road.

Local roads Provide access to adjacent land and provide for travel over relativelyshort distances. All roads not classified as arterials or collectorsare local function roads.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation,Facilities Development Manual, Procedure 4 -1-15.

35

communities to identify roads byfunction. A functional classificationsystem groups streets and high-ways into classes accordingto the character of service theyprovide. This character of serviceranges from providing a highdegree of travel mobility to pro-viding land access functions.

Most public roads in Wisconsinhave been classified according totheir function. You can obtainfunctional classification, mileagedata, and hard copy maps of theclassification of your community’sroads by contacting your WisDOTDistrict office (See Appendix 3for contact information). Eventhough your community mayinclude roads that are not classi-fied with WisDOT, you shouldidentify them and include anyfuture planning proposals inyour transportation element.

The current functional classi-fication system consists of fiveclassifications that are dividedinto rural and urban categories(see Table 3). Functional classifi-cations are used to determineeligibility for federal aid. Whenseeking state funding for transpor-tation projects you will need tocontact your area TransportationDistrict office (Appendix 3) todetermine what standards mayneed to be met to qualify forfunding. For example, an urbanprincipal arterial would have tobe designed to higher standardsthan a local street since thearterial would carry highervolumes of traffic.

In addition to identifying thefunctional classification and mile-age of your community’s roadnetwork, you should also deter-mine the physical conditionof your roads and bridges.

An accurate assessment of yourcommunity’s pavement mainte-nance and improvement needs isdependent on a good understand-ing of pavement conditionson your streets and highways.WisDOT maintains pavementratings for State Trunk and Con-necting Highways, and countiesare responsible for assessingthe condition of their highways.

There are several pavementcondition rating systems availablefor you to use to evaluate pave-ments on roads under your juris-diction. The one most commonlyused by communities in Wisconsinis PASER (Pavement Surface Evalu-ation and Rating). PASER is asimple method of rating asphaltand concrete roads on a scaleof 1 to 10 and gravel roads ona scale of 1 to 5, based on visualinspection. PASER manuals anda video explain how and whyroads deteriorate, and describeproper repair and replacementtechniques.

PASER ratings can be putinto PASERWARE, an easy-to-use

Example of a poor pavement condition that should be notedwhen conducting your pavement condition analysis.

Photo

: W

isD

OT


36


pavement management software.PASERWARE helps you inventoryyour roads, and keep track oftheir PASER ratings and mainte-nance histories. It also helps youprioritize road maintenance andimprovement needs, calculateproject costs, evaluate theconsequences of alternativebudgets and project selectionstrategies, and communicate thoseconsequences to the public andlocal officials. Both PASER andPASERWARE are available fromthe University of Wisconsin’sTransportation Information Centerat no charge. The Center alsooffers free training courses atvarious locations around thestate. (Call 1.800.442.4615for more information.)

PCI (Pavement ConditionIndex) is another rating systemused by some Wisconsin munici-palities. It is also a visual ratingtool, but is a more sophisticatedand time-intensive system thatrequires detailed identification andmeasurement of the various typesof pavement distress. It producesratings that range from 0 to 100(0 being the worst and 100 thebest). While it is more expensiveto use this system, PCI ratings canprovide more detailed informationfor use in the development ofcapital improvement andmaintenance programs.

WisDOT is currently workingin cooperation with local govern-ments to develop a local roadsdatabase (Wisconsin InformationSystem for Local Roads, WISLR)which will include comprehensivedata on all roads under countyand local jurisdiction. Wisconsinlegislation requires that localgovernments collect and submitcondition ratings for all local roadsby the end of 2001. The majority

This worn path is an example of a need within a community,that should be identified during the needs analysis process.

Photo

by

Kurt

Mill

er, W

isD

OT

Notes

37

of communities will submit PASERratings as described above. How-ever, PCI ratings are also accept-able, and other rating methodsmay be used if approved byWisDOT. In order to achievestatewide consistency, all ratingswill be converted to the PASERscale of 1 to 10. When completed,the database will provide a com-prehensive roadway inventorythat can be mapped using GISsoftware. (See GIS discussionin this chapter.)

In addition to looking at thephysical condition of your road-ways, it is important that you alsoassess whether they have adequatetraffic-carrying capacity and aredesigned for safe and efficienttravel. Questions you shouldask include:

n Is traffic flowing smoothlyor are the roads congested?Do increased traffic levelsoccur at all times or in pre-dictable cycles (i.e., seasonal,daily, AM or PM peak hours)?

n What are the geometricconditions of the roadway(i.e., road width, presenceof shoulders and their widths,curvatures, passing opportuni-ties, what is the type of cross-section—urban with curband gutter, or rural withno curb and gutter)?

Assessing currentand future needsAfter creating an inventoryof your current transportationsystem and gathering the varietyof related information, you areready to identify your community’scurrent and projected needs.

In analyzing the current andfuture needs of your transportation

system, you should not limit youranalysis to only those aspectsof the transportation system forwhich you have direct respon-sibility. Instead, you should alsoconsider all types of transportation(e.g., walking, bicycling, rail, air,harbors, transit). In addressingthose transportation services overwhich your community does nothave direct responsibility, youshould determine if the currentservice(s) is meeting your com-munity’s needs. In addition, youshould refer to available plansfor those transportation servicesto determine if/how theirfuture plans will:

n meet your community’sfuture needs, and

n impact your community’stransportation system.

For example, if the regionalairport facility is planning toexpand the level of freight serviceit offers, it will likely result inadditional truck traffic. Althoughyou have no control over theairport’s decisions, you will needto consider the possible impactson your community. Will thisadditional traffic impact trafficflow and roadway conditions inyour community? If yes, what willthe impacts be, and how will yourcommunity address those impacts?What will the environmentalimpacts of increased freight trafficbe to the surrounding neighbor-hood? How much public outreachshould the community conductto obtain the feedback necessaryto make decisions that meetthe community’s needs?

Similarly, does the regionalairport meet your community’sneeds in regards to passenger airservice? Are a sufficient numberof flights provided? Do the flights


38


service several different cities,or are the majority of flights to aparticular destination? If the flightsare to a particular destination, doesthis impact the number of commu-nity residents who choose to fly?

In addition to addressingeach type of transportation (asapplicable to your community)individually, you should alsoaddress the interrelationshipsbetween:

n the different modes in yourcommunity’s transportationsystem, and

n your community’s transportation

system and the transportationsystems of the state, regionand neighboring communities.

Questions to considermay include:

n Do interrelationships existbetween the different typesof transportation? If yes, whatare the interrelationships andwhere do they exist? If no,how can they be established?

n How does the state’s, and/or county’s, and/or neighboringcommunity’s transportationsystem impact your commu-nity’s transportation system?Also, how can safety bemaintained or improvedon these systems?

Finally, you should documentyour analysis and any assumptionsyou used. For example, if someof your projected future needsare based on the assumption ofa 1% increase in population, thisassumption should be stated inyour Issues and Opportunities(§66.1001 (2)(a)) and Transporta-tion Elements. Additionally, whencompleting your analyses, youshould try to use informationthat is measurable (quantitative),such as measuring the numberof people using the transit systemin your community, or the numberof vehicles traveling along a stretchor road, rather than speculative/non-measurable (qualitative).However, as discussed previously,when you measure the pavementcondition in your community,a visual assessment is sufficientto meet the needs outlinedin state statute.

Current needsThe assessment of your trans-portation system’s current needsis related to the inventory informa-

Example of a curb cut design along a pedestrian facility thatprovides improved accessibility for pedestrians using the facility.

Photo

: K

urt M

iller

, W

isD

OT

Notes

39

tion you gathered. You needto define the point at which anexisting or forecasted transpor-tation need warrants an improve-ment. For example, if your inven-tory identified a roadway segmentwith severe congestion, you havea current need to address trafficflow along this roadway eitherby making the existing roadwayoperate more efficiently, by addinglanes to increase its capacity, or byreducing traffic on the roadway.For example, if the congestion isdue to a number of employeeshaving the same work hours, youmay want to work with the em-ployers and ask if they would bewilling to stagger their employee’swork hours. Or, if your inventoryidentified a highway-rail crossingthat has had a greater number ofcrashes over the last five yearsthan other crossings in yourcommunity, you may haveidentified a potential safetyimprovement need.

The majority of yourinventory research andneeds assessments mayhave already been completedby county, regional and/orstate agencies. Thereforeas you begin this processconsider contacting theapplicable agencies iden-tified in the ResourceDirectory (Appendix 4)to discuss your efforts.

When assessing the currentneeds of your transportationsystem, you should considersuch items as:

n Condition of thetransportation system:What is the condition of theexisting system? Are improve-ments needed (e.g., repaving,

reconstruction, etc.—refer backto your pavement analysis anduse of PASER or the PCI indexdiscussed in this chapter)?

n Capacity:Are any areas of the systemexperiencing traffic volumesthat exceed the system’s design?

n Traffic flow:Does traffic flow smoothly? Arethere engineering improvementsthat could improve traffic flow(e.g., coordinating traffic signals,installing traffic control devices,and realigning intersections)?

n Traffic calming:Would any neighborhoodsof your community benefit fromtraffic calming measures suchas extending curbs, addingmedians, and installing mini-roundabouts? Where are theseareas located? Why would theseareas benefit from traffic calm-ing measures?

n Safety:Do any areas of your transpor-tation system experience highcrash rates as compared withthe rest of the system? What maybe some of the reasons? Whatstrategies may improve safety?

n Accessibility:Is the transportation systemaccessible to all potential users?Does it reflect the Americanswith Disabilities Act (ADA)guidelines? (See Appendix 4 forcontact/Internet information.)(Note: Accessibility includesaccess for all persons regard-less of race, income, disability,and age; and includes accessfor residential areas andbusinesses.)

n Other modal considerations:Does the system accommodatenon-auto users such as transit


40


riders, bicyclists and pedestri-ans? Are adequate facilitiesavailable for these users? Arethe facilities in sufficiently goodcondition? What, if any, facilities(e.g., additional transit routes,sidewalks, bike lanes, etc.)are lacking?

When identifying current needs,you should also determine if theseneeds are the result of temporaryfluctuations in traffic volumes suchas rush hour or seasonal variations.For example, a particular road inyour community may be adequateto carry traffic volumes fromNovember to May, but may havehigh traffic volumes in June toOctober due to an influx of tour-ists. Or the road may be adequateat all times except from 7:00–9:00A.M. and 4:00–6:00 P.M. on week-days when the rush hour trafficoccurs. You will need to decideif the facility should be improvedto handle the peak traffic volumesor if the road should simplyhandle the average trafficvolumes it experiences.

Future needsThe inventory will also providea base for addressing the futureneeds of your transportationsystem. Assessing future needsinvolves looking at how well thesystem is operating today, andprojecting what must be done toensure adequate operation in thefuture. The other elements (e.g.,land use, economic development,housing) that you have developedfor your comprehensive plan willhelp you identify future travelneeds that your transportationsystem will have to meet. Impor-tant factors to consider includesuch things as:

n planned development (e.g.,residential, commercial, etc.);

n trends in demographics, trafficflow, development patterns andeconomic development; and

n actions of neighboringcommunities, the region orthe state, including new devel-opments and transportationprojects.

When considering these factors,you need to determine how theywill influence your transportationsystem’s:

n condition,n traffic volumes,n capacity needs,n safety,n accessibility, andn other modal considerations.

For example, if your commu-nity’s population has been growingat a consistent rate and futureprojections continue to show anincrease, this will result in moreusers of your transportationsystem. You need to determinewhat changes and/or additionalfacilities may be needed to accom-modate the additional users. Forexample, will more parking beneeded? Will additional bikewaysneed to be constructed? Shouldnew transit service be started oradditional transit routes be added?Will new arterial and collectorstreets be needed to serve the newdevelopment associated with thegrowing population? Will therebe a need for separated crossings(e.g., overpasses/underpassesfor bicyclists, pedestrians orvehicles) for heavily traveledfacilities such as freewaysor rail lines?

Pedestrian andbicycle resources:Wisconsin PedestrianPlanning Guidance—Guidelines for MetropolitanPlanning Organizations& Communities in Planning& Developing PedestrianFacilities, Translinks 21,WisDOT, 1993.(http://www.dot.state.wi.us/dtim/bop/ped_design.htm)

Wisconsin State PedestrianPlan 2020, WisDOT,tentative release date 2001.(http://www.dot.state.wi.us/dtim/bop/planning-index.htm)

Wisconsin BicyclePlanning Guidance—Guidelines for MetropolitanPlanning Organizations& Communities in Planning& Developing Bicycle Facilities,Translinks 21, WisDOT, 1993.(http://www.dot.state.wi.us/dtim/bop/planning-transl.htm)

Wisconsin State BicyclePlan 2020, WisDOT, 1999(http://www.dot.state.wi.us/dtim/bop/planning-index.htm)

Guide for the Developmentof Bicycle Facilities, AmericanAssociation of State Highwayand Transportation Officials,1999. (http://www.aashto.org)

Notes

41

Needs assessments andaccommodations forother transportationchoicesAs you consider your community’sneeds, you also need to addresshow to promote and maintain theconnectivity and viability of yourtransportation system. Part of thiseffort should include decisionsregarding how to accommodateother transportation users andfacilities such as bicycles,pedestrians, and transit. Addition-ally, decisions to address transpor-tation along a roadway will alsoimpact parking needs, therefore,your assessments should includehow or whether to incorporateparking management optionsinto your decisions. Those effortsshould focus on all aspects ofyour community. For example,sidewalks or bike paths locatedalong one segment of a streetthat abruptly end do not providea continuous system for the user,and may undermine your effortsto provide greater pedestrianand bike access.

There are several additionaltechniques that your communitycan use when planning for thepreservation, enhancement and/orconnectivity of a corridor. Thesestrategies may include:

n Providing and/or improvingtransit service;

n Reducing travel demand byplacing services closer to users;

n Providing accommodations forbike and pedestrian travel; and

n Managing parking along thefacility. (Note: It is importantthat decisions to limit parkingreflect the area business needs.)

It is important to understand,however, that although you mayincorporate these initiatives intoyour planning efforts, it may notreduce vehicle travel demand.

Transit serviceThere are a variety of transitservices that your community canuse to preserve the corridor andpotentially reduce reliance onsingle occupancy motor vehicles.These may include providing:

n shared ride taxi services;n paratransitii services for the

elderly and disabled;n inter-city bus service; andn intra-city bus service.

If your community decidesto provide and/or enhance transitservices within your area, youshould consider the location andaccessibility of the transit stopsfor potential users. By providingtransit services where appropriate,and pedestrian accessible stopsat reasonable intervals withinand between community centers,you can improve existing servicesand potentially provide a moreconvenient and efficient serviceto the users of your transpor-tation facilities.

Transportationdemand managementTransportation Demand Manage-ment (TDM) is one of severalmeasures that can be used to helpaddress congestion and air qualityissues in an area TDM measuresinclude the use of incentives,disincentives, and market devicesto shift travel to non-motorized orhigher-occupancy transportationchoices, reduce or eliminate theneed to travel, and/or shift travelonto less congested routes. Ex-amples of TDM strategies may


42


include providing or enhancingservices for transit, walking,biking, and/or providing ride-sharing opportunities. It may alsoinclude incentives to employers toprovide alternative work schedulesthrough staggered work hours,flextime, and compressed workweeks. Another TDM method is toallow employees to telecommutefrom home or an alternative worksite to minimize the amountthey have to travel.

Bike and pedestrianaccommodationsBy providing bike and pedestrianaccommodations along the facility,corridor users will have othertransportation choices which maypotentially reduce vehicular traveldemand on the corridor. Bikeaccommodations may includemarked facilities such as bikelanes on the roadway, and wideroutside lanes. In rural areas theymay include paved shoulders.Pedestrian accommodations mayinclude sidewalks in urban areas,or generally wide shouldersin rural areas.

Guidelines to accommodatepedestriansn Sidewalks should be located

on both sides of urban andsuburban streets, especiallyarterial and collector streets.

n Shoulders may be usedin rural areas, but are notconsidered a walkway asdefined by Wisconsin StateStatute. Therefore, shortsegments of sidewalks mayneed to be installed in devel-oped portions of rural areas.

n The width of roadways andintersections should be consid-ered for their “barrier impact”on pedestrian crossing timesand overall crossing difficulty.The narrower the roadway orintersection, the easier it is tocross. Enhancements such asmedians or splinter islandsshould be considered formulti-lane roads.

Guidelines to accommodatebicyclistsn Arterial and collector streets

should include bike lanes orwide curbside or parking laneswhenever possible. Theseroadways provide key accessfor bicyclists and help movebicyclists over barriers such asfreeways, rivers and rail lines.

n Most neighborhood streetswith existing low speeds andauto volumes generally donot require bike lanes or otherspecial accommodations, asthey already provide goodbicycle access.

n Bicycle or multi-use paths arebest located adjacent to riversand lakes or within green-waysor abandoned rail line corridorsso that crossing conflictsare minimized.

Example of a road that provides transportation facilitiesfor bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

Photo

by

Kurt M

iller

, Wis

DO

T

43

Parking management optionsManaging the cost and availabilityof parking along a corridor is alsoan option that your communitymay consider when exploringcorridor planning and preservationoptions. Managing parking caninclude limiting parking along thefacility to allow for free flow trafficat peak periods during the day,or eliminating parking along afacility. If you incorporate thisoption in your planning efforts,your decisions should reflect theneeds of your community.

Additional note regardingalternatives analysesAs your community developsstrategies to address current andfuture needs, you may wish toevaluate different alternatives foryour transportation system. Ananalysis of alternatives is notrequired by the comprehensiveplanning legislation. However,the development of alternativescenarios allows you to assess theimplications of different policies,programs and expenditure levels.Additionally, it allows you to assessdifferent options and how wellthey will reasonably accommodatethe trips generated. In addition,public evaluation of alternativesallows members of your commu-nity to play a more active role indetermining the direction of yourtransportation element, which inturn may increase public supportfor the transportation componentof your comprehensive plan. If youincorporate alternative approachesinto your transportation elementdevelopment process, it is impor-tant to understand that they maybe difficult to implement. Ingeneral, the preference for vehicu-lar travel is high and increasing. Asa result, people may be reluctant

to use another form of transpor-tation. For this reason, it is notguaranteed that these approacheswill be successful in encouragingpeople to select other formsof transportation.

There are different typesof alternatives that can beanalyzed. These include:n Alternative land use scenarios,n Alternative levels of funding, andn Alternative transportation choices.

One approach is to look atalternative land use/developmentscenarios for your community andpredict what your transportationsystem needs would be for eachscenario. For example, how wouldyour transportation needs changeif a particular area of your commu-nity was zoned for commercial useinstead of residential use, or ifyour town allowed the creationof small residential lots rather than35-acre minimum parcels? Gener-ally, applying this alternative toland use decisions within yourcommunity can result in higherdensity development patterns,likely resulting in increased bikingand walking as a transportationchoice. Providing an analysis usingthis approach helps the publicunderstand the connection be-tween land use and transportationand how land use and transporta-tion decisions impact each other.

A second approach is toaddress different levels offunding. This option allows youto assess the number and typeof projects that could be made toyour transportation system basedon different levels of investment.For example, how much fundingwould be required if all ofyour transportation needs


were addressed, or if yourcommunity was willing toaccept higher levels of con-gestion? How would fundingvary if only the most urgentneeds were addressed? Thisoption assists the publicin understanding the truecosts of the improvements,and allows you to makedifferent assumptionsabout future revenues.

The third approach isto address alternative trans-portation choices for travelin your community. Forexample, you may chooseto expand available transitservices and bicycle andpedestrian accommodations.By developing alternativetransportation elements thatincorporate differing typesand amounts of transportationchoices within your commu-nity, you will be able toevaluate each option anddetermine the approachthat best fits your commu-nity’s goals and objectives.Although expansion oftransportation alternativeshas not been shown toreduce the demand forvehicular travel, it doesprovide transportation userswith more options as theyconsider their trip needs.

EndnotesiA transport classification identifiesthe basic type of service the airportis intended to provide, such aslight general, corporate, commuterand others.iiPara-transit services generally areprovided to members of the commu-nity who require vehicles that provideincreased accessibility, as well asmore “enhanced” and flexible routingthan are provided by fixed-route,main-line transit services.

45

5Chapter

Transportationand land use

Transportation and land use decisions are

closely connected. Decisions to address either

can and will impact the other.

This chapter provides a brief overview of:

n direct, indirect and cumulative impacts

of transportation;

n examples of indirect impacts of transportation

projects and how they may influence land use

and development within your community;

n Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter TRANS 233;

n access management and related techniques; and

n the importance of transportation corridor planning,

and methods of corridor preservation.

46


As you consider how toaddress your community’s needsover the short- and long-term, youwill need to consider the entirearray of factors that can influencethe growth and development ofyour community. For example, ifyour community wants to attractindustrial businesses then goodconnections to the regional andstatewide transportation networkswill be necessary. Additionally,decisions regarding lot sizes fora new subdivision can have animpact on travel choices—smallerlot sizes with mixed land useswill make the option to travelby a means other than a vehiclemore attractive, while larger lotsizes with separated land uses willlikely increase individual decisionsto rely on vehicles for travel.

Although transportationcan impact land use, it is notthe only factor. There are manyother factors that influence landuse decisions, such as economicconditions and individual prefer-ences (see Figure 13). Therefore,it is important that your decisionsemphasize balancing these factorsand their influences on yourcommunity.

Direct, indirect andcumulative impactsof transportation

Although transportation isnot the only influence on landuse, it is important for you to beaware that the decisions you makeregarding your community’s trans-portation system may affect landuse both directly and indirectly.You should also be aware of thecumulative or overall effects ofyour transportation decisions onyour community. Understandingthese concepts will help youmake informed decisions forboth your transportation and landuse elements. (See Figure 14for the Land Use Elementstatutory language.)

Direct impacts are impactsthat are directly caused by theconstruction of a new transporta-tion facility, changes to an existingfacility, and/or decisions to changethe traffic patterns along a facility.These may result in both positiveand negative impacts. For ex-ample, positive impacts mayinclude the diversion of trucktraffic from a downtown area, orthe creation of a safer walkingenvironment in the area by reduc-ing the high incidence of crashes.Additionally, decisions to recon-struct or expand a facility mayhave a positive direct impact ofimproving the storm water man-agement practices at the time ofreconstruction to better controlrun-off into nearby waterways.Potentially negative direct impactsresulting from transportationdecisions may include loss ofnatural resources such as agricul-tural land, forests, and wetlandsto accommodate the new facility,as well as the fragmentationof habitats and threats toendangered resources.

land markets

technology

public utilities(e.g. sewer

& water)

environmental regulations

population

individual preferences

economicconditions

geopraphy/topography

transportation

ownership

planning and zoning

land use

Figure 13: Factors affecting land use

Source: Indirect and cumulative effects analysis for projectinduced development, Technical Reference, WisDOT

47

Figure 14: Land UseElement (§66.1001(2)(h))

A compilation of objectives,policies, goals, maps andprograms to guide the futuredevelopment and redevelopmentof public and private property.The element shall contain a listingof the amount, type, intensity andnet density of existing uses ofland in the local governmentalunit, such as agricultural, residen-tial, commercial, industrial andother public and private uses.The element shall analyze trendsin the supply, demand and priceof land, opportunities for rede-velopment and existing andpotential land-use conflicts. Theelement shall contain projections,based on the background infor-mation specified in par. a, for20 years, in 5-year increments,of future residential, agricultural,commercial and industrial landuses including the assumptionsof net densities or other spatialassumptions upon which theprojections are based. Theelement shall also include a seriesof maps that shows current landuses and future land uses thatindicate productive agriculturalsoils, natural limitationsfor building site development,floodplains, wetlands and otherenvironmentally sensitive lands,the boundaries of areas to whichservices of public utilities andcommunity facilities, as thoseterms are used in par. d, willbe provided in the future, consis-tent with the timetable describedin par. d, and the general locationof future land uses by net densityor other classifications.

Indirect impacts of transpor-tation decisions may also influenceland use patterns but are notdirectly related to the project andtherefore, may not be as easily dis-cernible. For example, a capacityexpansion project designed toaccommodate increasing trafficlevels along a facility may havean impact on future land usepatterns in the area by makingthe adjacent land either more orless attractive for development.At the same time, however, deci-sions regarding the location ofdifferent land uses, through thepromotion of mixed use and/orhigh density developments, canlead to increased transportationoptions by users in the area.

In addition to consideringindividual indirect and directimpacts of transportation deci-sions, it is important for you toconsider the “big picture” orcumulative impacts and howdecisions for one area of yourcommunity may impact otherareas locally and/or regionally.For example, the location of anew public street intersectionwith a highway will often leadto increased development in thevicinity of the new access. Thenew development may result inincreased jobs for the community,which may, in turn, result inpopulation growth, potentiallyresulting in the need for newservices such as new schoolsand extended public utilities.

Examples ofindirect impactsof transportationAs your community considershow to address both short- andlong-term transportation needs,it is important to consider how

the transportation facility andproposed design will impactdevelopment patterns. There arefive general design strategies orcharacteristics of transportationfacilities that can influence landuse, either separately or in combi-nation. These include: location,capacity, travel patterns, trafficcontrol, and access management.

The location of a transporta-tion facility(ies) (e.g., new roads,airports, bypasses, and/or inter-changes) can significantly influ-ence the present and future devel-opment patterns for commercial,industrial, residential, and centralbusiness districts within yourcommunity. Because the locationof a facility can influence futuregrowth and development withinyour community, you may wantto consider a range of alternativesregarding the new facility prior tomaking a final decision. Conduct-ing an alternatives analysis willallow you to consider not onlythe actual alignment of the facility,but also the range of transportationand land use impacts that mayresult. An equally importantactivity, when considering alocation decision, is ensuringthat the public is involved. Thedecisions regarding locatinga new facility or relocating anexisting road will impact every-one using and situated adjacentto the corridor. Therefore it isimportant that the public hasan opportunity to comment onthe alternatives developed anddecisions made. (See Chapter 2for more information regardingpublic involvement.)

Decisions to add capacitymay include new traffic lanes(including high occupancy vehiclelanes), increased rail service, and

Chapter 5: Transportation and land use

48


/or accommodations for othertransportation choices such asbike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, orpedestrian over/underpasses.Capacity decisions can also impactland use patterns depending onthe amount and type of accessavailable to the adjacent land,as well as the amount of traffictraveling along the facility. Expand-ing capacity is an important optionwhen traffic levels alonga facility have reached a levelthat is no longer safe or tolerableto users of the facility. However, itis important to understand thatproviding the added capacity willfacilitate a greater flow of trafficalong the facility potentiallyresulting in increased use of thefacility by motorists, and furthercontributing to potential capacityissues in the future. Therefore,as your community considerswhether to add capacity for motor-ists, you may also wantto consider providing accommo-dations along the road for otherpotential users. These mayinclude a dedicated lane forbicyclists and buses, and/ora sidewalk on one or bothsides of the roadway.

Decisions that change travelpatterns affect traffic volumesand/or traffic mix and can impactthe desirability of adjacent landfor existing and new development.As your community considers itsgoals and objectives, decisions toattract or encourage developmentwithin the area need to recognizethat travel patterns will changeas a result. For example, if yourcommunity has decided to allowthe siting of a retail developmentin an area of the community thatis relatively undeveloped, youshould expect that traffic levels

and patterns will change in re-sponse. Therefore, in addition todetermining the site for the newdevelopment, you will also need toconsider whether to accommodatethe increases in travel or not.Similarly, if your community isconsidering new housing develop-ment, then decisions must considerthe width of residential streetsand how important providingon-street parking is.

Traffic control devices mayinclude divided highways, place-ment of median openings, trafficsignals, stop signs, and left/rightturn lanes. The addition of thesedevices will impact land usepatterns depending on whetherit improves access or makes itmore difficult. For example, atraffic signal at a busy intersectionwill likely improve the interactionof pedestrians and motoriststraveling through the intersection.Additionally, the traffic controldevice may also result in indivi-duals choosing to capitalize onthe increased access to adjacentland, since traffic flow improved.Similarly, the placement of amedian can serve several needssuch as providing a refuge forpedestrians crossing the street,and controlling the traffic flowof vehicles traveling into or outof an adjacent development.

The degree of access ontoand off of a transportation facilitycan also impact the desirabilityof developing the adjacent land.Access control characteristics canrange from full access control suchas grade separated interchanges,to partial access control, to noaccess control. Generally the morestringent the access control, themore likely that development willonly occur in the vicinity of the

For more informationon secondary impactsand recommendedanalysis techniquesrefer to:

Indirect and CumulativeEffects Analysis for Project-Induced Land Development,Technical ReferenceGuidance, WisDOT.

Notes

49

allowed access points. As youconsider the future growth of yourcommunity, this is an importantaspect of transportation planningto keep in mind.

Wisconsin StateAdministrative Code,Chapter TRANS 233As you consider how to accom-modate access to developmentsadjacent to State Trunk Highways,you should be familiar with therequirements mandated underTRANS 233 of the Wisconsin StateAdministrative Code. TRANS 233specifies the requirementsa developeri must follow whendividing land abutting a StateTrunk or Connecting Highway.Under this rule, all land divisions(and assemblagesii) of abuttingproperties must be reviewed byWisDOT (through the Transpor-tation District Offices) for compli-ance with the requirements.

TRANS 233 was establishedto manage the effects of landdevelopment on adjacent statehighways by:

n managing the number ofaccess points onto the facilityfrom the new development;

n ensuring that the developmentis appropriately set back fromthe highways; and

n requiring reliance on internalpublic streets rather thanprivate driveway accessonto the highway.

If your community’s compre-hensive plan includes the devel-opment of land abutting a StateTrunk Highway, it is necessary tofollow the requirements outlinedunder TRANS 233. In general,private access to the highwayis not allowed. Developers are

required to use existing localroads, an internal street system,and/or joint driveways to provideaccess to the highway. Promotingthe safe and efficient travel ofpeople and goods on the state’stransportation system is one ofWisDOT’s primary goals. If numer-ous access points are proposedalong a highway to serve a singledevelopment, WisDOT will workwith the developer to makemodifications that will benefitthe community, highway,and development.

TRANS 233 review processFor more information on specificTRANS 233 application require-ments, refer to the AdministrativeCode and/or contact your area’sWisDOT District Office.(See Appendix 3.)

Access management,and corridor planningand preservationThe land use decisions that yourcommunity makes to accommo-date growth and economic devel-opment will directly impact yourtransportation system. Addressingyour community’s land use andtransportation needs separately,without considering the impacts tothe other, may result in undesiredor unwanted patterns of commu-nity growth and development,heightened safety concerns, in-creased congestion, and a poten-tially greater reliance on vehiclesrather than other travel choices.Therefore, it is important thatas you develop your land useand transportation elements youshould consider how they interactand impact each other. Accessmanagement practices and corridorplanning and preservation are two


Notes

50


management techniques that willhelp you to consider the impactsof your transportation decisionsand further maintain the efficientand safe operation of the trans-portation facilities.

Access managementAs previously discussed, thedegree of access control ontoand off of a transportation facilitycan impact the type and amountof development that will occuralong that facility. Incorporatingaccess management techniquesinto your planning process isone way that your community canhelp preserve the efficient opera-tion of a transportation corridor.

The goal of access manage-ment is to limit the number ofand control the spacing of accesspoints (ideally before developmentoccurs), thus reducing the numberof potential conflict points a user(i.e., a pedestrian, bicyclist, ormotorist) may encounter. Addition-ally, access management tech-niques balance the need to pre-serve the safe and efficientflow of traffic, while allowing foradequate, safe, and reasonablyconvenient access to adjacentland and land uses.

Access managementtechniquesThere are several techniques thatyou may consider using as youincorporate access managementprinciples into your planninginitiatives. They can generallybe divided into two categories:1) development related, and2) roadway related.

Development related tech-niques address the potentialimpacts associated with decisionsmade for land abutting a roadway.These may include:

n Avoiding planning narrow,commercial strips alongroadways;

n Requiring developers toprovide a connected andsufficient local road systemto minimize using the mainarterials for short trips(e.g., connected bikeand pedestrian facilities);

n Requiring master planningfor large tracts of land;

n Planning and designingtransportation improvementsthat fit with the characterof your community; and

n Requiring developers to providetraffic impact analyses for largedevelopments.

Roadway-related techniquesconsider how traffic flow maybe managed on the facility, andinclude design considerations,such as:

n Location, design and spacingof driveways, streets,and medians;

n Location, design, andopenings of medians;

n Providing turn lanes;n Considering proper spacing

and timing of traffic signals;n Protecting intersections and

interchanges from increasesin traffic;

n Investigating the potentialfor shared access points alonga facility, and for inner-connec-tivity between parcels; and

n Providing for local traffic in thecommunity’s road network,instead of relying on the stateor county highway facility.

As you consider implementingthese techniques, it is importantto remember that access manage-ment should vary by the functionalclassification of the highway.Arterials should have the fewest

Notes

51

access points since they are inten-ded to move traffic through anarea. Collectors and local functionroads, on the other hand, shouldbe permitted to have more accesspoints since they function moreto provide access to adjacent land.For more information regardingaccess management you maycontact WisDOT’s central office(see Appendix 4) and requesta copy of the WisDOT AccessManagement System Plan.

Ideally, access managementtechniques are applied to transpor-tation corridors just beginning toexperience development pressures.In developed areas, opportunitiesto manage access may be limitedto redevelopment opportunities,planned future developments,and/or roadways that involvereconstruction projects.

If the transportation corridorsin your community are alreadydeveloped, your efforts shouldfocus on identifying redevelop-ment opportunities. As you con-sider these opportunities it isimportant to review yourcommunity’s goals for growth,economic development and theanticipated changes in land usepatterns. Once areas for potentialredevelopment are identified, youshould consider access manage-ment techniques including:

n limiting the number ofaccess points such as drivewaysaccessing the redevelopment;

n requiring shared drive-ways between adjacentdevelopments; and

n providing for the circulationof traffic so that it is notnecessary to use the arterialto get from one part of thedevelopment to another.

Transportationcorridor planningAn important concept in trans-portation planning is the consider-ation of an entire transportationcorridor, with associated goals tointegrate land use planning andaccess management, and ensurethat all transportation choices areaccommodated as appropriate.Transportation corridors arebroadly defined as connectionsbetween communities or regions,or as major links between travelorigins and destinations within acity, village, or town. They can beexisting or new facilities. Becausetransportation corridors will likelyextend beyond your community’sborders, it is important that yourplanning efforts include devel-oping intergovernmentalpartnerships.

IntergovernmentalpartnershipsWhile there may be some trans-portation corridors that lie totallywithin a single jurisdiction (espe-cially in larger cities), most will cutacross jurisdictional boundaries.The corridors you identify assignificant to your community mayalso be important to travel needsfor a neighboring community, theregion and/or statewide travel.If your community has identifieda corridor that falls into this cat-egory, it is important that youpartner with the appropriateparties to discuss how to preserveand enhance the entire corridor.For example, a road that beginsin the center of a city might extendinto the adjacent town and thenenter a nearby village. Becausethat road is important to eachjurisdiction, all three communitiesshould be involved in the corridorplanning process.


Notes

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Similarly, a corridor that con-nects your community to theneighboring community has beenidentified as significant to bothcommunities. However, no effortshave been made to coordinateinitiatives between the communi-ties to accommodate the futuretransportation needs along thecorridor, while preserving theexisting facility. Your communityhas decided that the road shouldbe expanded from a 2-lane facilityto a 4-lane facility, while theneighboring community’s long-range plans indicate that thecorridor will not be expanded.If the communities do not worktogether to resolve the discrepan-cies between their seeminglydisparate transportation goals,the future safe movement of usersalong the corridor, the potentialconnectivity of the corridor, andaspects that made it significantto both communities maybe jeopardized.

If you choose to address onlythat portion of the corridor thatruns through your community, youmay impair the connectivity of thecorridor between communities, aswell as reduce the attractivenessof future development opportu-nities in the area.

If your community is locatedwithin an MPO or RPC planningarea, it is essential that yourcorridor planning efforts includerepresentatives from the MPO orRPC, as well as WisDOT. Yourefforts to plan for the needs ofexisting and/or future corridorsshould include discussions withthe planning agency to understandwhat its long-term goals are and toplan within the framework of therespective MPO or RPC long-rangetransportation plan.

Once decisions addressingshort- and long-term needs alongthe facility have been made, it maybe useful to have all impactedparties sign an intergovernmentalor interagency agreement ormemorandum of understanding tominimize or avoid future changesto the agreed upon decisions. (SeeChapter 3 for more information.)

Benefits of corridor planningThere are several reasonsto conduct corridor planning.These may include:

n identifying desired landuses for the adjacent property,including the type andscale of developmentto be encouraged;

n specifying points of accessalong the roadway;

n identifying ways to maintainthe efficient operationof an existing corridor;

n ensuring adequate space toexpand a roadway on its exist-ing alignment if additionalcapacity becomes necessary;

n establishing intergovernmentalpartnerships and agreementsfor the future developmentof a specified corridor;

n identifying the location ofa new corridor and taking stepsto preserve the land so it isavailable when needed; and

n identifying needed transpor-tation improvements alongexisting corridors.

Your corridor planning effortsshould include components suchas land use planning, accessmanagement, traffic operationsmanagement, the considerationof other modes and corridorpreservation techniques. In addi-tion to addressing the current andfuture infrastructure improvements,

Notes

53

you should also consider howthe transportation services alongthe corridor will be impactedby your community’s planneddevelopment, estimated populationgrowth, and current and plannedchanges in land use.

Corridor planning processThere are several steps involvedin planning for existing and futurecorridors. These steps may include:

n Defining the corridor andidentifying why it is importantto your community, and whetherit is important to a neighboringcommunity, region and state;

n Linking your corridor planningefforts to the land use elementof your local plan to identifythe vision and goals for existingand future land uses alongthe facility;

n Identifying issues to beassessed, such as safety,congestion, and accommodatingother transportation choices;

n Implementing steps necessaryto preserve the land neededfor possible future expansionof the corridor on its currentalignment, to prevent needingto relocate it to a newlocation; and

n Identifying and partneringwith transportation stake-holders impacted by theplanning process.

The transportation corridor(s)you identify should be given thehighest priority in your transporta-tion element and planning efforts.However, before you make deci-sions regarding the short- andlong-term needs of the corridor,it is important that you contactyour area MPO or RPC, WisDOT,WisDNR and applicable Countyoffices (e.g., the land informationoffice, and the County Highway

Commissioner) to discuss yourplans. Additionally, you need toreview, compare and incorporatepolicy recommendations, asappropriate, from other applicableplans as previously discussed.

As your community developsits short- and long-term corridorplans, you need to consider:

n how to address anticipatedincreases in traffic alonga facility;

n how to address the changingmix of personal vehicles, trucks(e.g., semi-trucks, communitywaste vehicles, and delivery)and other large vehicles, suchas school buses using a facility;

n how to incorporate other modesinto the corridor (e.g., dedicatedtransit lanes, bike lanes, side-walks or multi-use side paths,transit stop-waiting areas,and transit pullouts);

n how to preserve the landneeded for future corridorexpansion or relocation;

n whether your corridor plan(s)will result in undesirable landuse impacts, such as increaseddevelopment along a trans-portation facility; and

n how to address any relatedenvironmental issues, such asavoiding impacts to sensitiveareas/resources, preservinggreen space, and managingstorm-water runoff.

Several of these issues maybe addressed by incorporatingcorridor preservation techniquesinto the process. This will ensurethat your community considerswhat aspects of the corridor areneeded to accommodate futuretransportation. There are severalcorridor preservation techniquesyour community may want toconsider including:


Notes

54

Transportation planning resource guide

n Purchasing land for futureright-of-way needs;

n Officially mapping a futurecorridor to limit the amountof development in the neededright-of-way (see Chapter 7,Implementation and Monitoringfor more information);

n Establishing setbacksiii in orderto guarantee sufficient roomfor roadway expansion, providevision clearance at intersections,and provide a buffer againstnoise and traffic—which maybe accomplished by requestingdevelopers and individualsto set-aside land for futuretransportation needs;

n Implementing local controlsthrough zoning to manage landuses, growth, and developmentalong the facility.

It is important to understandthat each of these options limitsthe use of the land adjacent toa roadway. If your communitydetermines that preservation ofland adjacent to an existing corri-dor is an appropriate option, thenyou will need to compensatethe existing land owners.

Land acquisition issuesIt is important to understandthat even with efforts to managefuture land use along the facility,corridor expansion may becomenecessary as demand on thesystem increases. In order toensure the future availability ofland needed to accommodate thechanging demands on the system,strategies should be in place topreserve the needed land. Forexisting corridors, it may be likelythat the land adjacent to the roadis privately owned, therefore,outright purchase of the landwill be necessary. For plannedcorridors, ensuring setbacks are

properly established and/or offi-cially mapping the corridor maybe appropriate options to ensurelimited growth and land uses.If your transportation element doesnot include strategies to preservethis land, future efforts to addressincreased congestion, heightenedsafety concerns, and/or otherfacility issues may require youto consider relocating the facility.Facility relocation can have con-siderable social, environmen-tal and financial impactson your community.

EndnotesiA developer is usually a private contractor,however, it is important to note that a localunit of government can also be thedeveloper of a parcel of land.iiiAn assemblage is also considered a landdivision for the purpose of this rule.iiiSetbacks are used to preserve futureright-of-way along a roadway to accom-modate potential future expansion needsalong the existing corridor.

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Each transportation decision impacts economic

and community development, and the natural and built

environment. Even the decision to “do-nothing” has

both negative and positive impacts. It is important

that you understand these impacts before you make

your transportation decisions.

This chapter provides a brief overview of things

you should consider when determining the impacts

your transportation decisions may have on:

n community/economic development, and

n environmental issues.

6Chapter

Community and environment

56


Ideally, your local comprehen-sive planning efforts will includedevelopment of each elementwithin the context of the remain-ing elements. Because transporta-tion can be used as a tool toaccommodate the future growthand development of your commu-nity, the policies you identify ineach of the eight elements shouldbe reflected in your transportationdecisions. If these elements havenot yet been developed, theimpacts you identify in yourtransportation element shouldbe reflected in these elements.

You should also rememberthat the impacts of your transporta-tion element do not necessarilyend at your community’s borders.Oftentimes, impacts are felt ona regional basis. For example,development decisions madewithin your community to attractmore industrial interests may resultin increased trucking traffic notonly through your communitybut also in communities locatedseveral miles away. Your trans-portation element should seekto minimize the negative impactson both economic developmentand environmental quality.

Economic/communitydevelopmentProviding a quality transportationsystem is important to the successof every business in Wisconsin.Businesses need to be able toefficiently access the transporta-tion system to ship and receivegoods, and also to provide goodaccess and visibility to customers.Therefore, it is important that yourtransportation element develop-ment efforts consider whetheryour decisions to address transpor-tation will meet your community’s

development needs. For example,a regional shopping center has thepotential to greatly improve thevitality of a community. However,if customers cannot easily accessthe shopping center due to aninadequate transportation system(e.g., traffic back-ups, lack ofpedestrian accommodations, lackof transit service), they maychoose to shop elsewhere. Simi-larly, manufacturers and commer-cial businesses may experiencedelays in shipping and receivingproducts as a result of transporta-tion system problems. As youmake these determinations youshould be familiar with the re-quirements of the EconomicDevelopment Element identifiedwithin the Comprehensive Plan-ning Legislation (see Figure 15).

Just as businesses need goodaccess, employees also want tobe able to efficiently access theirplaces of employment. Lack ofaccess to employment opportuni-ties may affect individual decisionsto seek employment or live inyour community. For example,an individual may choose onejob offer over another becauseshe can easily commute to workin a minimal amount of time asa result of less congestion ormore transportation choices(e.g., transit, bicycling, walking).

For these reasons, it is impor-tant that you consider how yourcommunity’s transportation systemcurrently serves the needs of yourbusiness community, and how itwill accommodate future economicgrowth. When making your deter-minations, you must rememberthat different businesses havedifferent transportation require-ments. For example, a papermill may value easy access to

Figure 15:Economic developmentelement (§66.1001(2)(f))A compilation of objectives,policies, goals, maps and pro-grams to promote the stabiliza-tion, retention or expansion, ofthe economic base and qualityemployment opportunities in thelocal governmental unit, includ-ing an analysis of the labor forceand economic base of the localgovernmental unit. The elementshall assess categories or particu-lar types of new businesses andindustries that are desired bythe local governmental unit.The element shall assess thelocal governmental unit’sstrengths and weaknesseswith respect to attracting andretaining businesses and indus-tries, and shall designate anadequate number of sites forsuch businesses and industries.The element shall also evaluateand promote the use of environ-mentally contaminated sitesfor commercial or industrialuses. The element shall alsoidentify county, regional andstate economic developmentprograms that apply to thelocal governmental unit.

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roads and rail lines, while a retaildistribution center may valueaccess to the interstate and four-lane highways. Likewise, retailbusinesses located along a mainstreet may value on-street parkingand pedestrian and bicycle accom-modations more than businesseslocated in a strip mall. Types ofaccess to consider include:

n Bicycle accommodation(e.g., bike racks, wide lanes,paved shoulders)

n Pedestrian accommodations(e.g., sidewalks, crosswalks,lighting)

n Transit service(e.g., fixed bus routes,service hours and frequency,bus stops, shelters)

n Parking(e.g., adequate availability)

n Traffic flow(e.g., traffic signals,dedicated turn lanes)

n Rail service(e.g., proximity of nearestrail line, frequency of trains)

n Air service(e.g., proximity of nearestairport, type of serviceprovided, highway access)

n Truck access(e.g., weight limits, clearanceheights, street widths)

n Recreational/specialtransportation(e.g., snowmobiles,horses, ATVs)

You should also determinehow businesses are likely to beimpacted by your community’stransportation needs. For example,if traffic flow on your community’smain street is high and you decideto re-route some of the traffic toa different street, you shouldconsider the potential impacts(e.g., increased pedestrian access

to street shops, and/or decreasedvisibility to motorists who nor-mally would travel along thecorridor) this decision may haveon businesses located alongyour main street.

Some questions to considerwhen evaluating how your trans-portation element impacts busi-nesses may include:

n How do your community’splans for accommodatingtransportation for retail areasimpact the safe and efficientuse by vehicles, pedestriansand bicyclists?

n How does your transportationelement impact the numberof vehicle parking spaces?

n How visible and recognizablewill the retail area be to passingmotorists once your transporta-tion element is implemented?

n Does your transportationelement physically divideyour business community?

EnvironmentalconsiderationsLike economic development,transportation decisions canimpact environmental qualityeither positively or negatively.You should develop your trans-portation element to enhancethe positive impacts and avoidor minimize any negative impactswhenever possible.

When you consider environ-mental impacts of your transpor-tation decisions, you should notonly consider the natural environ-ment (e.g., air, water, land), butalso the built environment (e.g.,aesthetics, existing residential andcommercial areas). Both of theseenvironments influence the qualityof life within your community.

Figure 16: Agricultural,natural and culturalresources element(§66.1001(2)(e))��

Chapter 6: Community and environment

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As you consider these issues, youshould be familiar with legislativerequirements for developing theAgricultural, Natural and CulturalResources Element. (See Figure 16)

When determining the potentialimpacts your transportation deci-sions may have on the environ-ment, you should consider thefollowing areas, as applicableto your community:n Air qualityn Water quality/storm

water runoffn Wetlandsn Noisen Endangered and/or

threatened speciesn Historical and/or

archeological sitesn Agriculturen Parks, natural areas and

other open spacesn Coastal and shoreline resources

The Wisconsin DNR hascompiled data that may help inidentifying and predicting projectimpacts. (See Appendix 4.)

Although you may strive toavoid, minimize and mitigateimpacts to both the natural andbuilt environments, some negativeimpacts may still occur. For ex-ample, even the installation of asidewalk may have minor negativeimpacts. While it may positivelyimpact air emissions by encourag-ing people to walk instead ofdrive, it also increases the amountof impervious surface which inturn increases the amount of stormwater runoff. When a negativeimpact cannot be avoided, youshould try to minimize theseverity of the impact.

In addition to addressing theimpacts on the natural environ-ment, you should also try tominimize the negative impacts

on your community’s built andsocial environment. Some of theactivities you can undertake toreduce the negative impact of yourtransportation project on the builtand social environment include:

n Enhancing the aestheticsof a transportation project,

n Using traffic calming measuresto minimize some of the nega-tive aspects of vehicular trafficsuch as noise and speed, and

n Avoiding, when possible, thecreation of barriers betweenneighborhoods.

AestheticsAesthetics refer to the “appearanceand character” of an area. Gener-ally speaking, a transportationproject should reflect the aestheticsof your community. In rural areas,this may mean preserving scenicareas using easements, designingthe project to fit into the naturallandscape by following the con-tours of the land, and landscapingthe project. In urban areas, thismay include amenities such asspecialized lighting, landscaping,and special pedestrian facilities(e.g., raised/contoured crosswalks,benches). It can also includedesigning bridges and transporta-tion buildings (e.g., transit transferpoints, rail depots) to reflect thecharacter of the community usingarchitectural styles that are similarto nearby buildings.

Avoiding the creationof barriersTransportation facilities cancreate significant barriers withina community. Often times, thegreatest barriers are faced bypedestrians and bicyclists. Forexample, pedestrians and bicyclistsare generally more wary of cross-ing multi-lane streets than 2-lane

When evaluating thepotential impacts on theenvironment, you shouldconsider the followingquestions:n How will the transportation

decision affect the particularresource?

n What actions can be takento avoid, minimize and/ormitigate any negative impacts?

n What (if any) will bethe regional impacts?

n How can our actions helpto avoid, minimize or mitigatethe impact?

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roads, particularly when no medi-ans are provided. Similarly, theconstruction of a new or expandedstreet can divide a neighborhood.When a significant barrier iscreated, people may be lessinclined to walk or bike to aparticular location because theyfeel the trip will not be safe.Additionally, a greater numberof vehicles will likely use thefacility which in turn can resultin increased air emissions andpossibly the need for anexpanded facility.

Accommodating a greaternumber of transportation choiceson the facility can avoid thecreation of a barrier. Theseaccommodations may include:

n Sidewalks and/or bikepaths/lanes as part of thetransportation project;

n Providing a continuouslocal street grid across majorbarriers to serve local motorvehicle traffic, bicyclistsand pedestrians (See Figure11 in Chapter 4);

n Underpasses/overpasses forbicyclists and pedestrians; and

n Medians on multi-lane streets toprovide a refuge for pedestriansand bicyclists crossing the road.

Incorporating the principlesof environmental justiceFinally, you should considerhow your community’s transpor-tation decisions might impactgroups that are traditionallyunder-represented in planningand programming initiatives.As discussed in Chapter 2, thesegroups may include minoritypopulations, low-income popula-tions, the elderly, and people withdisabilities. As you make transpor-tation decisions for your commu-

nity, you need to ensure that nodisproportionately high and ad-verse impacts are imposed on anyone person or group. Dispropor-tionately impacted includes notonly those who experience morenegative impacts than others, butalso anyone who experiencesmore benefits than others.

Incorporating the conceptsof environmental justice into yourplanning efforts improves transpor-tation decision making in severalways. As the Federal HighwayAdministration notes, environ-mental justice contributes to:

n Better transportationdecisions that meet theneeds of all people,

n Transportation facility designsthat fit more harmoniouslyinto communities,

n Improved public involvementprocesses and community-based partnerships,

n Improved needs and impactassessment on minority andlow-income populations,

n Partnerships with other publicand private agencies to achievea common community vision,

n Avoiding disproportionatelyhigh and adverse impactson minority and low-incomepopulations, and

n Minimizing and/or mitigatingunavoidable impacts by identify-ing concerns early in the plan-ning process and providingmeasures to benefit/enhanceaffected communities andneighborhoods.

Regulatory issues to noteThere are several laws atboth the state and federal levelsthat you should be awareof as you develop your transporta-tion element and comprehensive

Chapter 6: Community and environment

60

plan. As you consider howto address the transportationneeds within your community,it is important that you arefamiliar with the laws thatmay be associated with yourdecisions. These may include:historical and cultural re-sources preservation, wet-lands and other environmen-tally sensitive areas protec-tion, land acquisition lawsand requirements, as wellas any public notice require-ments identified under statute.The following provides abrief overview of just a fewof the major laws that affecttransportation.

The National Environmen-tal Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969(42 U.S.C. 4332, as amended)directs all federal agenciesto assess the environmentalimpacts of proposed majorfederal actions. This assess-ment requires the detaileddocumentation of the possibleenvironmental impacts of amajor proposed action, thelocal short term uses of theenvironment, the enhance-ment of long-term productiv-ity, and any irreversible andirretrievable commitmentsof resources.i This processof developing a detailedenvironmental impact analysisensures that the public isaware of any impacts beforedecisions are made andactions taken.

The Wisconsin Environ-mental Policy Act of 1972(WEPA), Wisconsin Statutes§1.11, contains Wisconsin’senvironmental policies and ispatterned after the national

environmental policies incorpo-rated in NEPA. WEPA requires stateagencies to study, describe andconsider environmental impactsin their actions. If the action isconsidered a “major action signifi-cantly affecting the quality of thehuman environment,” the lawrequires the agency to initiateseveral steps including: developingan environmental impact analysis(generally an EnvironmentalImpact Statement or EIS) tocirculate to other agencies andthe public for review and com-ment; contacting other agencies todiscuss the potential environmentalimpacts; and, holding a publichearing. WisDOT is responsiblefor developing environmentaldocumentation for projects on theState Trunk Highway system (allnumbered highways) and thosetransportation projects adminis-tered by the Department or fundedwith State and Federal funds. Localunits of government may haverequirements similar to WEPAthat would require them to assessimpacts on transportation facilitiesthey develop without State orFederal assistance.ii If you haveany questions relating to this lawyou should contact the WisDOTDistrict office in your area(see Appendix 3 for contactinformation).

The Clean Air Act regulates theemissions of a variety of pollutionsources ranging from utilities todry cleaners to landfills to motorvehicles. Under the Clean Air Act,the United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency (U.S. EPA) hasestablished national ambient airquality standards (NAAQS). Com-munities that do not meet a spe-cific NAAQS are considered to bea non-attainment area and must

follow specific procedures outlinedin regulation. If your communityis located within a non-attainmentarea (see Appendix 5 identifyingWisconsin Counties currently innon-attainment), you shouldcontact your County HighwayCommissioner, MPO or RPC, theWisDNR or the WisDOT Districtoffice to discuss how these airquality issues may impact yourtransportation element andoverall local plan.

The Clean Air Act also requiresStates to prepare State Implemen-tation Plans (SIPs). SIPs documenthow the State will bring non-attainment areas within the Stateinto compliance with NAAQS.The U.S. EPA approves each SIP.

For more informationon the Clean Air Act:n contact the Wisconsin Department

of Natural Resources (Appendix 4),the U.S. EPA (appendix 4), and/or

n review The plain English guideto the Clean Air Act. U.S. EPA,EPA-400-K-93-001, April 1993.http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaain.html

EndnotesiWisconsin Department of Transportation,Facilities Development Manual,National Environmental Law,20-5-1, February 15, 1998.iiWisDOT, Facilities DevelopmentManual, State Environmental Statute,20-20-1, February 15, 1998.

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7Implementation and funding

Development of your transportation element should

include defining your implementation strategies and mecha-

nisms for monitoring the progress and success of your

element. As you consider strategies to implement your

transportation element, you should continually refer

back to your community’s transportation vision,

goals and objectives.

This chapter discusses:

n the implementation element of your local

comprehensive plan;

n implementation strategies and tools that may

be used for your transportation element;

n funding considerations; and

n monitoring your plan and transportation element.

Chapter

Implementation & funding

62


ImplementationElementThe Implementation Elementrequires that you identify strategiesand actions your community willtake to implement your local planover the planning period. (SeeFigure 17.) The planning andimplementation process shouldnot be considered as occurringin a linear or consecutive pattern.Very often steps to address aspectsof one element will need to betaken concurrently with stepsneeded to address issues foranother element.

Although your community’sefforts will be directed towardimplementing your entire localcomprehensive plan, some ofthe individual strategies will beelement specific. As a result, someof your strategies will addressyour community’s existing andfuture transportation needs. How-ever, because transportation andland use are closely connected,you should consider strategiesto implement both elementssimultaneously. It is also importantthat the strategies you developto implement each of the elementsdo not contradict or conflictwith strategies implementinganother element.

Implementationstrategies and toolsOnce you have drafted your visionstatement, identified the relatedgoals and objectives, and assessedyour community’s needs, youshould prepare written implemen-tation strategies or action stepsfor your community to referenceas transportation-related questionsare raised and decisions are made.

Your implementation strategiesshould:

n reflect your vision, goalsand objectives defined forthe other planning elements;

n reflect your transportationvision statement, goalsand objectives; and

n be consistent (as applicable)with state, regional and/orneighboring communitytransportation policies, andstate/federal environmentalregulations.

Examples of implementationstrategies may include:

n fostering a comprehensiveapproach to promote andpreserve a safe transportationsystem within the contextof the three E’s—engineering,enforcement, and education;and/or,

n encouraging pedestrianand bicycle travel by maintain-ing and enhancing the connec-tivity of related transportationfacilities on the local streettransportation system.

There are several tools thatyou may wish to use and/orconsider as you develop strategiesto implement your transportationelement. The following providesa brief discussion of a few ofthe tools (indicated in bold text)your community may considerto implement your transportationelement. Although each of thesemethods can be used separately,combining them will likely resultin a more comprehensive imple-mentation effort.

As discussed previously, educa-tion and outreach are critical tothe successful implementation ofyour transportation element. It isimportant that both the members

Figure 17:Implementation element(§66.1001(2)(i)A compilation of programs andspecific actions to be completedin a stated sequence, includingproposed changes to any appli-cable zoning ordinances, officialmaps, sign regulations, erosionand storm water control ordi-nances, historic preservationordinances, site plan regulations,design review ordinances,building codes, mechanicalcodes, housing codes, sanitarycodes or subdivision ordinances,to implement the objectives,policies, plans and programscontained in pars. (a) to (h).The element shall describehow each of the elements ofthe comprehensive plan will beintegrated and made consistentwith the other elements of thecomprehensive plan, and shallinclude a mechanism to measurethe local governmental unit’sprogress toward achieving allaspects of the comprehensiveplan. The element shall include aprocess for updating the compre-hensive plan. A comprehensiveplan under this subsection shallbe updated no less than onceevery 10 years.

63

Figure 18: Example of a traditional neighborhooddevelopment design (TNDs)

TNDs generally have a center and include a mix of neighbor-hood uses. They are designed to make walking and bicyclingattractive while offering motorists many route optionswithin the local grid system.

SF=single family dwellings MF=multi-family dwellings

of your community and decision-makers are aware of your compre-hensive planning initiative andunderstand how the goals andobjectives within the plan areto be achieved.

In addition, it is importantthat your community define itsstandards for future developmentpatterns specific to subdivision,land division, lot layout standards,location of driveways, and otherland uses. Zoning ordinancesand subdivision and land divisionregulations can help you to imple-ment these strategies. Both meth-ods are widely used to regulateland use and control communitydevelopment patterns.

Zoning is used to govern howland is used within a community.There are four basic land usecategories: agricultural, residential,commercial (business), and indus-trial (manufacturing). For eachgeneral category, there are severalsub-categories that can furtherdefine the specified land useallowed in that zone or district.Each of these types of zoningregulations can help a communityseparate land uses that may notbe compatible, such as industrialdevelopment located withina neighborhood setting.

Another option your commu-nity may consider as it definesstandards for growth and develop-ment includes adopting traditionalneighborhood development andconservation subdivision ordi-nances. While the law requires thatcommunities with populations ofat least 12,500 adopt a traditionalneighborhood development ordi-nance (§61.1027) by January 1,2002 it is not required that itbe mapped. (Note: Currently thisportion of the law is under

Dia

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courtes

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Chapter 7: Implementation and funding

review, and decisions as towhether it will continue to bea requirement are pending. As youdevelopment your comprehensiveplan you will need to be familiarwith the current legislative require-ments.) Generally, traditionalneighborhood design promotesincorporating mixed use develop-ment concepts into neighborhooddesign. This means that a varietyof uses may be incorporated intoone area such as business, residen-tial, and civic spaces which mayhelp to decrease VMT and increasethe viability of travel options suchas bicycling and walking. (SeeFigure 18.)

64


As you consider how toaccommodate future traffic alongspecific corridors within yourcommunity, it is also importantto plan for land acquisition needsfor both the short- and long-termcomponents of your transportationelement. As discussed in thecorridor preservation section,preserving the right-of-way alonga corridor is important to preserv-ing the facility for potential futureexpansion. Therefore, you willneed to develop strategies toacquire the needed land forfuture development.

A tool that your communitymay consider when preservingland for future right-of-way isofficial mapping. Official mappingallows villages, cities, counties andthe state to prepare plans andmaps showing the approximatelocation and width of future streetsand highways. The purpose of anofficial map is to inform the publicthat identified land areas may berequired for future rights-of-way.By officially mapping transporta-tion corridors in advance of theirneed, public agencies can limitdevelopment in the corridor.i

This prevents/limits developmentfrom taking place in designatedareas of the corridor, and notifiesarea land owners of futuretransportation plans.

Inter-governmental and inter-agency agreements are anothertool your community may wantto consider when implementingyour plan and each element.Agreements can be developedwith different interests that maybe affected by your local planningefforts, such as local governmentalunits, regional and state agencies,and neighboring communities.By developing these agreements,

future conflicts or disagreementsmay be minimized or avoided.Similarly, establishing these agree-ments may help to identify barriersand subsequently find solutionstoward implementing your plan.These agreements should buildupon the IntergovernmentalCooperation element (§66.1001(2)(g)) of your local plan, that re-quires you to include joint plan-ning and decision making withother jurisdictions for siting andbuilding of public facilities, andsharing of public services.

Funding considerationsIn order for your transportation

element to be successful, it needsto be financially achievable. There-fore, although it is not requiredunder the Comprehensive PlanningLegislation, it is important that youconduct a financial analysis tocalculate the cost of meeting yourcommunity’s identified current andfuture transportation needs, andthen compare this cost to anestimate of available resources.

This section discusses the basicelements of community financialplanning by identifying the stepsnecessary to anchor your transpor-tation element and local planwithin your community’s budget.

This analysis will guide yourimplementation strategies and helpdetermine how much your com-munity can afford now and in thefuture. Additionally, it will helpyou prioritize projects over theplanning period and furtherachieve your community’s goals.One option for conducting thisanalysis may include developinga Capital Improvement Program.The Capital Improvement Programhelps communities plan for capital

A few resources toconsider when develop-ing and implementingyour transportationelement include:Guide to Community Planningin Wisconsin, Brian Ohm,UW-Extension, 2000.

Smart Growth: CreatingCommunities for People,Citizen’s for a Better Environ-ment, Allison Semandel &Michael Kinde, availableWinter of 2000.

Notes

65

expenditures such as, roadsand highways, water and sewerfacilities and various publicbuildings generally identified ina list of proposed public projectsscheduled over a short timeframe (e.g., 4- to 6-years).

Developing an accurateassessment of your community’sfinancial status involves manysteps. You should base yourfinancial analysis on the short-and long-term transportationdecisions your community hasmade. (Projects identified for thenear term will require a moredetailed analysis than projectsscheduled in the longer term.)

As you consider how tofund and implement your trans-portation element, you may wantto consider establishing coopera-tive agreements with your neigh-boring communities to assist inthe development of your trans-portation element and variousprojects identified over theplanning period.

There are many steps involvedin transportation financial plan-ning process. These include:

n estimating the costsof implementing yourcommunity’s transportationelement and/or alternativeelements;

n developing cost estimatesthat include both capitaland operating needs;

n identifying and assessingcurrent revenue sources;

n forecasting future revenuesources; and

n developing a scheduleof projects to reflectcommunity priorities,and available revenues.

By understanding the costsassociated with your community’sentire transportation system (e.g.,bicycle lanes, pedestrian facilities,possibly transit services, and airportconnections), you will be able todevelop a more accurate estimateof your community’s fundingrequirements. This will enableyou to implement strategies toachieve your community’s goals.

Areas that should be consideredwhen developing cost estimatesinclude:

n Maintenance and operationof existing and proposedtransportation facilities;

n Designing and building new,expanded, or replacementfacilities—such as roads,terminals, sidewalks andbike lanes or paths;

n Costs associated withacquiring new transit vehiclesor transit-related equipmentand the related capitalinvestment needs (e.g.,maintenance facilities);

n Program costs for operatingyour community’s transportationservices and facilities; and

n General costs associated withadministering and planningthe transportation system.

It is important that costsassociated with the maintenanceand operation of your commu-nity’s transportation system beaccounted for before budgetingfor other transportation needs.Maintenance and operation costsare likely to require a large portionof your community’s budget.

In addition, as land use deci-sions are made for your community,it is important for you to estimatethe transportation-related costsassociated with new developments.If your financial assessment for


Notes

66


a new building, such as a schoolor large retail center, does notinclude cost estimates associatedwith the necessary transportationfacilities to access the land use,funding shortfalls may delayor prevent the successfulcompletion of the project.

The maintenance andoperation costs for yourtransportation system mustbe fully accounted for beforebudgeting for any othertransportation needs.

Once you have made the costestimates and determined whetheravailable and forecast revenueswill be sufficient to meet thoseneeds, decisions regarding yourcommunity’s financial policiesand scheduling of projects shouldfollow. By scheduling projectsbased on funding availability andcommunity priorities, the transpor-tation element is further framedwithin the context of what isachievable over the planningperiod. It is equally important toinclude the costs associated withany future plans for retrofitting afacility to ensure a more accurateestimate of future needs.

By developing yourtransportation elementwithin an achievable andrealistic fiscal frameworkyou will help to ensurethe success of yourtransportation element.

For example, your communityhas determined that a new road-way is needed, but availableresources will not cover the costsof including sidewalks at the timeof construction. Your assessment

should reflect the reality that afuture sidewalk retrofit can be andgenerally is more expensive thanconstructing it at the time theoriginal project is built.

As you consider availablefunding sources to implement thestrategies outlined in your trans-portation element, you may wantto consider the programs adminis-tered by WisDOT (see Appendix6). Each program’s availablefunding is limited, and the applica-tion process is very competitive.If your community chooses tosubmit an application for fundingunder a specific program, it isimportant that you follow thespecific requirements outlinedfor that program.

Developing a transportationelement or plan takes time andmoney. Your financial needsassessment should also includeestimates associated with thepreparation and the ongoingadministration of the trans-portation element.

Available resourcesThere are many technicalresources available to assist youas you consider the financialaspects of your transportationelement. These include your areaWisDOT Transportation DistrictOffice, the applicable MPO or RPC,and County Highway Department.

A few notes regardingplan adoptionThe Comprehensive PlanningLegislation requires that all plansbe formally adopted on or beforeJanuary 1, 2010. The Legislation(§66.1001(4)) outlines the proce-dures for adopting your compre-hensive plan. Briefly, theseinclude:

67

n ensuring that the planincludes all nine elements;

n demonstrating that the plandevelopment process wasdesigned to foster publicparticipation throughoutevery stage of preparation asrequired by §66.1001(4)(a);

n adoption of a resolution bya majority vote of the entireplan commission or otherbody of a local governmentalunit authorized to prepare oramend a comprehensive plan(§66.1001(4)(b));

n enacting an ordinance toformally adopt the plan(§66.1001(4)(c)) by a majorityvote of the members elect asdefined under §59.001(2m); and

n holding at least one publichearing to discuss the proposedordinance before it may beenacted (§66.1001(4)(d)).A Class 1 notice under ch. 985must be published at least 30days prior to the date of thehearing. (See Figure 19.)

Once the plan is adopted,you must send a copy to allof the following:

n Every government withinthe boundaries of the localgovernmental unit;

n The clerk of every local govern-mental unit that is adjacent toyour community which is thesubject of the plan;

n The Wisconsin Land Council;n The Department of Administra-

tion (after September 1, 2003);n The regional planning commis-

sion in which your local govern-mental unit is located; and

n The public library that servesthe area in which your localgovernmental unit is located.

Although the legislation doesnot require it, you should alsosend a copy of your plan to theMPO, WisDOT TransportationDistrict Office in your region,and the Wisconsin DNR.

Ensuring consistentdecision-makingOnce your plan has been adopted,all programs and actions affectingland use within your communitymust be consistent with yourcomprehensive plan (§66.1001(3)pars. (a) to (s).) (See Figure 20.)The decisions you make andactions you take regarding devel-opment within your communitymust be consistent with yourcomprehensive plan. Therefore,it is important that as you considerimplementing your transportationelement, you include a discussionof both new projects and projectsrelated to existing facilities, antici-pated in both the short- andlong-term portions of yourtransportation element.

Although it is unlikely thatyou will be able to identify thespecific location of a new project,other aspects should be identified.Project information may includeany expected capacity expansionprojects, the general location andextent of new road and/or inter-change needs, and any expectedexpansions or provisions for othermodal services such as adding anew transit service or expandingexisting service, providing addi-tional bike accommodations,and/or pedestrian walkways.You should also identify projectsrelated to existing facilities thatmay include more routine activitiessuch as resurfacing and reconstruc-tion of facilities expected over thelife of your plan. As you identify

Figure 19:Minimum requirementsof a Class 1 noticen date, time and place

of hearing;n summary information related

to proposed comprehensiveplan, or amendment;

n contact information; and,n information on how

to obtain a copy of theproposed comprehensiveplan or amendment priorto the hearing.

Figure 20:Local actions mustbe consistent withadopted comprehensiveplans—(§66.1001(3)pars (a) to (s))

Beginning on January 1, 2010,any program or action of a localgovernmental unit that affectsland use shall be consistent withthat local governmental unit’scomprehensive plan…


Notes

68


these projects, you will also needto develop cost estimates forthese projects.

Monitoring yourtransportation elementYour comprehensive plan musthave at a minimum a 20-year plan-ning horizon. Therefore a criticalcomponent to the successful im-plementation of your plan is tomonitor and evaluate the effec-tiveness of the plan in meetingyour community’s goals andobjectives. The ImplementationElement of the ComprehensivePlanning Legislation requiresthat you include:n A mechanism to measure your

progress toward achieving allaspects of the comprehensiveplan; and

n A process to review and updateyour plan as necessary at leastonce every ten years.

As your community changes,your plan will need to be reviewedregularly and updated as needed.Therefore, it is important that yourcommunity incorporate mecha-nisms within your planning pro-cess to “trigger” plan reviews asnecessary. If you find that yourtransportation element is notmeeting your community’sgoals and objectives in its currentform, then you will need to amendboth your transportation elementand comprehensive plan.

To determine at what times aplan review and potential updateis necessary, you should ask thefollowing questions:n Is the plan achieving/attaining

the goals and objectives origi-nally defined?

n Is a proposed decision, actionor program consistent withour local plan?

n Does a proposed decision,action or program significantlyimpact decisions specific to oneor more of the elements?

n Is the inventory of data used toassess our community’s futuretransportation still accurate orhas new data been developed?

n Are growth trends consistentwith the forecasts used inthe plan?

n Does a recent action or programtaken by an adjacent commu-nity, region or state entityimpact our community’s localplan, or one or more of theindividual elements?

n Do any of the implementedstrategies identified in the plannow appear to conflict or inhibitattainment of our community’sgoals, or objectives?

n Is a plan update needed torespond to a recent suit filedagainst the community foractions alleged to be inconsis-tent with the local plan?

EndnotesiBrian Ohm, Guide to community planningin Wisconsin, 2.10.1, 2000.

69

Dodge

Lake

Grant

La FayetteGreen Rock

Kenosha

RacineWalworth

Crawford

Iowa

Vernon

MilwaukeeWaukeshaJefferson

Dane

Richland

La Crosse

Monroe

Trempeleau

BuffaloPepin

Sauk Columbia

Juneau

Jackson

Ozaukee

Washington

Sheboygan

Fond du Lac

MarquetteGreen

Adams Manitowoc

Pierce Eau Claire

CalumetWinnebago

Waushara

Kewaunee

Door

Brown

OutagamieWaupacaPortageWood

ClarkMarathon

Shawano

Menomonee

St. Croix Dunn

Oconto

Polk

Barron

Chippewa

Taylor

Burnett

Washburn Sawyer

Price

Douglas

Bayfield

Ashland

Iron

Vilas

Oneida

Forest Florence

Marinette

LincolnLanglade

Rusk

Dane County

unrepresented area

Southeastern

South West

North Central

East Central

Bay-Lake

Mississippi River

West Central

North West

Appendix 1: Contact information for Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs)

South West WisconsinRegional PlanningCommission426 Karrman LibraryPlatteville, WI 53818Phone: 608.342.1214www.swwrpc.orgCounties: Grant, Green, Iowa,Lafayette, and Richland

Bay-Lake RegionalPlanning CommissionSuite 211Old Fort Square211 N BroadwayGreen Bay, WI 54303Phone: 920.448.2820www.baylakerpc.orgCounties: Brown, Door,Florence, Kewaunee,Manitowoc, Marinette,Oconto, and Sheboygan

East CentralWisconsin RegionalPlanning Commission132 Main StreetMenasha, WI 54952-3100Phone: 920.751.4770www.eastcentralrpc.orgCounties: Calumet, Fond du LacGreen Lake, Marquette, Menominee,Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca,Waushara and Winnebago

Mississippi River RegionalPlanning Commission1707 Main Street, Suite 240La Crosse, WI 54601Phone: 608.785.9396www.centurytel.net/mrrpcCounties: Buffalo, Crawford, JacksonLa Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, PierceTrempealeau and Vernon

North CentralWisconsin RegionalPlanning Commission210 McClellan St, Suite 210Wausau, WI 54403Phone: 715.849.5510www.ncwrpc.orgCounties: Adams, Forest,Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln,Marathon, Oneida, Portage,Vilas and Wood

North West RegionalPlanning Commission1400 S River StreetSpooner, WI 54801Phone: 715.635.54801www.nwrpc.comCounties: Ashland, Bayfield,Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Price,Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, andWashburn

West Central WisconsinRegional Planning Commission800 Wisconsin Street, Mail box 9Eau Claire, WI 54703-3606Phone: 715.836.2918http:/webpages.charter.net/wcwrpcCounties: Barron, Chippewa,Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Polk,and St. Croix

Dane County RegionalPlanning Commission217 S Hamilton, Suite 403Madison, WI 53703-3238Phone: 608.266.4137www.co.dane.wi.us/rpc/rpc.htmCounties: Dane

Southeastern WisconsinRegional Planning Commission916 N East AvenuePO Box 1607Waukesha, WI 53187-1607

Phone: 262.547.6721Counties: Kenosha, Milwaukee,Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth,Washington and Waukesha

70


Appendix 2: Contact information for the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)

Marathon CountyMetro Planning Commission

Chippewa-Eau Claire MPO

Dodge

Lake

Grant


Kenosha

RacineWalworth

Crawford

Iowa

Vernon


Dane

Richland

La Crosse

Monroe

Trempeleau

Buffalo

Pepin

Sauk Columbia

Juneau

Jackson

Ozaukee

Washington

Sheboygan

Fond du Lac

MarquetteGreen

Adams Manitowoc

Pierce

Eau Claire

Calumet

Winnebago

Waushara

KewauneeDoor

Brown


Clark

Marathon

Shawano

Menomonee

St. Croix Dunn

Oconto

Polk

Barron

Chippewa

Taylor

Burnett

Washburn Sawyer

Price

Douglas

Bayfield

Ashland

Iron

Vilas

Oneida

Forest Florence

Marinette

Lincoln

Langlade

Rusk

La Crosse AreaPlanning Committee

State Line AreaTransportation Study(Beloit)

Duluth/SuperiorMetro InterstateCommission

Janesville AreaTransportation Study

Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study

Madison Area MPO SoutheasternWisconsinRegional Planning Commission

East Central WisconsinRegional Planning Commission(Appleton-Oshkosh)

Brown CountyPlanning Commission(Green Bay)

Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission(Sheboygan)

East CentralWisconsin RegionalPlanning Commission(Appleton-Oshkosh)132 Main StreetMenasha, WI 54952-3100phone: 920.751.4770fax: 920.751.4771email: [email protected]://www.eastcentralrpc.org

State Line AreaTransportation Study(Beloit)100 State StreetBeloit, WI 53511phone: 608.364.6690

Dubuque MetropolitanArea Transportation Study(Dubuque)P.O. Box 1140Dubuque, IA 52004email: [email protected]://www.iarcog.com/ecia.htm

Janesville AreaTransportation StudyJanesville Planning Department18 North Jackson Street, P.O. Box 5005Janesville, WI 53547-5005phone: 608.755.3084fax: 608.755.3196

La Crosse AreaPlanning Committee400 La Crosse StreetLa Crosse, WI 54601phone: 608.789.7512email: [email protected]

Madison Area MPOCity of Madison217 S. Hamilton, Suite 217Madison, WI 53703phone: 608.266.4137fax: 608.266.9117

Bay-Lake RegionalPlanning Commission(Sheboygan)Old Fort Square, Suite 211211 North BroadwayGreen Bay, WI 54303-2757phone: 920.448.2820fax: 920.448.2823http://www.baylakerpc.org/index.htm

Marathon County MetroPlanning Commission(Wausau)Marathon County Planning Department210 River DriveWausau, WI 54403-5449phone: 715.261.6043fax: 715.261.6016email: [email protected]

Southeastern WisconsinRegional Planning Commission(Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine)Old Courthouse916 N. East Avenue, P.0. Box 1607Waukesha, WI 53187-1607phone: 414.547.6721fax: 414.547.1103email: [email protected]://www.wisrep.org/SEWRPC/sewrpc.html

Brown CountyPlanning Commission(Green Bay)City Hall, Room 608100 North Jefferson StreetGreen Bay, WI 54301-5026phone: 920.448.3400fax: 920.448.3426

Chippewa-Eau ClaireMetropolitan PlanningOrganizationWest Central WisconsinRegional Planning Commission800 Wisconsin Street Mailbox #9Eau Claire, WI 54703-3606phone: 715.836.2918fax: 715.836.2886email: [email protected]://webpages.charter.net/wcwrpc

Superior-Duluth MetroInterstate CommissionArrowhead RegionalDevelopment Commission221 West 1st StreetDuluth, MN, 55802phone: 218.529.7506fax: 218.529.7592

71

Dodge

Lake

Grant


Kenosha

RacineWalworth

Crawford

Iowa

Vernon


Dane

Richland

La Crosse

Monroe

Trempeleau

Buffalo

Pepin

Sauk Columbia

Juneau

Jackson

Ozaukee

Washington

Sheboygan

Fond du Lac

MarquetteGreen

Adams Manitowoc

Pierce Eau Claire

CalumetWinnebago

Waushara

KewauneeDoor

Brown


Clark

Marathon

Shawano

Menomonee

St. Croix Dunn

Oconto

Polk

Barron

Chippewa

Taylor

Burnett

Washburn Sawyer

Price

Douglas

Bayfield

Ashland

Iron

Vilas

Oneida

Forest Florence

Marinette

Lincoln

Langlade

Rusk

12

78

6

4

3

5

Appendix 3: Contact information for WisDOT (District offices)

District 12101 Wright StreetMadison, WI 53704-2583Phone: 608.246.3800Fax: 608.246.3843

District 22000 Pewaukee Road, Suite AWaukesha, WI 53187-0798Phone: 262.548.5902Fax: 262.548.8836

District 3944 Vanderperren WayGreen Bay, WI 54324-0080Phone: 920.492-5643Fax: 920.492-5640

District 41681 2nd AvenueP.O. Box 8021Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-8021Phone: 715.421-8300Fax: 715.423-0334

District 53550 Mormon Coulee Rd.LaCrosse, WI 54601-6767Phone: 608.785.9022Fax: 608.785.9969

District 6718 W. Clairemont Ave.Eau Claire, WI 54701-5108Phone: 715. 836-2891Fax: 715 .836-2807

District 7Hanson Lake RoadRhinelander, WI 54501-0777Phone: 715. 365.3490Fax: 715.365-5780

District 81701 N. 4th St.Superior, WI 54880-1068Phone: 715.392.7925Fax: 715.392.7863

72


Appendix 4: Resource directory: agency resources,information & reference list

Agency resourcesThe sources listed beloware not all-inclusive. Instead,the list provides a sampleof agencies that may haveinformation you could usein preparing your transporta-tion element. Other sourcesof information (e.g., countygovernment, neighboringcommunities, MPO/RPCs)are not listed.

The State of Wisconsinand the U.S. Federal Govern-ment both provide generalweb pages that offer linksto a variety of state andfederal agencies and localgovernments. The webaddresses are:

Wisconsinwww.wisconsin.gov

United Stateswww.firstgov.gov

U.S. Geological SurveyState Representative Office8505 Research WayMiddleton, WI53562-3581608.821.3801 www.usgs.gov

Natural ResourceConservation Service–Wisconsin State Office6515 Watts RdMadison, WI 53719-2726608.276.8732www.nrcs.usda.gov

Wisconsin Departmentof Natural Resources101 S. WebsterP.O. Box 7921Madison, WI 53707-7921608.266.2621www.dnr.state.wi.us

State Historical Society816 State St.Madison, WI 5306-1482608.264.6400www.shsw.wisc.edu

Wisconsin AgriculturalStatistics ServiceP.O. Box 8934Madison, WI 53708-8934608.224.4848 or 800.789.9277www.nass.usda.gov/wi/

University ofWisconsin–Extension432 N. Lake St.Madison, WI 53706608.262.3980http://www1.uwex.edu/(Note: Extension offices are locatedin every Wisconsin county. You shouldcontact your county extension officebefore contacting the main office inMadison. Contact information shouldbe listed in your local telephone book.)

Land use, mapping,and zoningWisconsin Departmentof Administration101 East Wilson St.Madison, WI 53707608.266.1741www.doa.state.wi.us

DemographicU.S. Census BureauWashington, DC 20233301.457.4608www.census.gov

Wisconsin Departmentof Administration101 East Wilson St.Madison, WI 53707608.266.1741www.doa.state.wi.us

Economic developmentWisconsin Departmentof Commerce201 W. Washington Ave.Madison, WI 53703608-266-1018www.commerce.state.wi.us

University of Wisconsin–Extension432 N. Lake St.Madison, WI 53706608.262.3980http://www1.uwex.edu/(Note: Extension offices are locatedin every Wisconsin county. You shouldcontact your county extension officebefore contacting the main officein Madison. Contact informationshould be listed in your localtelephone book.)

EnvironmentU.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (Region 5)77 W. Jackson Blvd.Chicago, IL 60604312.353.2000 or 800.621.8431www.epa.gov

U.S. Fish & WildlifeService Region 3Federal DriveBHW Federal BuildingFort Snelling, MN 55111612.713.5360 or 800.657.3775www.fws.gov

Notes

73

Wisconsin Departmentof Commerce201 W. Washington Ave.Madison, WI 53703608.266.1018www.commerce.state.wi.us

Wisconsin Departmentof Agriculture, Tradeand Consumer Protection2811 Agriculture Dr.PO Box 8911Madison, WI 53708-8911608.224.5001datcp.state.wi.us/static/

Wisconsin Departmentof Revenue2135 Rimrock Rd.Madison, WI 53713608.266.2772 www.dor.state.wi.us

Wisconsin StateCartographer’s Office160 Science Hall,550 N. Park StreetMadison, WI 53706-1491608.262.3065http://feature.geography.wisc.edu/

University of Wisconsin–Madison School ofNatural Resources,College of Agriculturaland Life SciencesLand InformationCenter and ComputersGraphics Facility550 Babcock Drive, Room B102Madison, WI 53706608.263.5534www.lic.wisc.edu

TransportationU.S. Departmentof Transportationwww.dot.gov

Federal HighwayAdministration(Wisconsin Division Office)Highpoint Office Park567 D’Onofrio Dr.Madison, WI 53719608.829.7500www.fhwa.dot.gov/widiv/

Federal Transit Administration(Region 5)200 W. Adams St., Ste. 2410Chicago, IL 60606312.353.2789www.fta.dot.gov

Federal Railroad Administration1120 Vermont Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20590202.493.6024www.fra.dot.gov

Federal Aviation Administration(Minneapolis Airport District Office)6020 28th Avenue, SouthMinneapolis, MN 55450608.713.4350www.faa.gov/arp/app600/5054a/landuse.htm

Federal Aviation Administration(Great Lakes Region)4301 International Ln.Madison, WI 53704608.244.7774www.faa.gov

Maritime Administration(Great Lakes Region)2860 S. River Rd., Ste. 185Des Plaines, IL 60018847.298.4535www.marad.dot.gov

Wisconsin Departmentof Transportation4802 Sheboygan Ave.Madison, WI 53702608.266.3581www.dot.state.wi.us(Note: This address is to the centraloffice in Madison. See Appendix 3 forcontact information for District offices.)

Office of the Commissionerof Railroads610 N. Whitney WayMadison, WI 53702608.266.7607

Transportation DevelopmentAssociation of Wisconsin22 N. Carroll St., #102Madison, WI 53703608.256.7044www.tdawisconsin.org

74


Information& reference list

Note that the materialsincluded below are notall-inclusive, but onlya sample of materialsavailable. In addition,the web site addresseslisted in the InformationResources can provideadditional references.

Access management& corridor planningCorridor Preservation& Access ManagementGuidance, Guidelines toAssist Metropolitan PlanningOrganizations in AddressingCorridor Preservation andAccess Management Concernsin their Communities.WisDOT, January 1994

WisDOT Access ManagementSystem Plan, WisDOT

Idaho Corridor PlanningGuidebook, Idaho TransportationDepartment, February 1998http://www2.state.id.us/itd/index.htm

Airport planningLand use Compatibility AroundAirports, A Guide for EffectiveLane Use PlanningFAA, September 1993

Wisconsin State AirportSystem Plan 2020WisDOT, February 2000

A Guide for Land Use PlanningAround Airports in WisconsinWisDOT, 2001

Wisconsin AirportDevelopment HandbookWisDOT, March 2000

Bicycle planningWisconsin Bicycle PlanningGuidance—Guidelinesfor Metropolitan PlanningOrganizations & Communitiesin Planning & DevelopingBicycle Facilities,Wisconsin Departmentof Transportation, 1993

Wisconsin State Bicycle Plan 2020WisDOT, December 1998

Guide for the Developmentof Bicycle FacilitiesAmerican Association of StateHighway and TransportationOfficials, 1999http://www.aashto.org202.624.5800

Community planning: generalGuide to CommunityPlanning in WisconsinBrian Ohm, Universityof Wisconsin–Extension

Smart Growth: CreatingCommunities for PeopleAllison Semandel and MichaelKinde, Citizens for a BetterEnvironment, 2000http://www.cbemw.org414.271.7280

Environmental justiceAn Overview of Transportationand Environmental JusticeFederal Highway Administration,FHWA-EP-00-013, May 2000

FHWA EnvironmentalJustice Internet Libraryhttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov(key word searchenvironmental justice)

Highway planningWisconsin State Highway Plan2020, WisDOT, February 2000

6-Year Highway ImprovementProgram, WisDOT.

Pedestrian planningWisconsin Pedestrian PlanningGuidance—Guidelines forMetropolitan PlanningOrganizations & Communitiesin Planning & DevelopingPedestrian FacilitiesWisDOT, 1993

75

Wisconsin State PedestrianPlan 2020, WisDOT, 2001(tentative release date)

Main Street…when a highwayruns through it: A handbookfor Oregon communitiesOregon Department ofTransportation and OregonDepartment of Land Conservationand Development (DLCD), 1999

Public involvementTransportation Action: A LocalInput Model to Engage CommunityTransportation PlanningNorth Central Regional Center forRural Development, April 1996

The NeighborhoodCharrette HandbookDr. James A. Segedy and BradleyE. Johnson. http://ww.louisville.edu/org/sun/planning/char.html

Public InvolvementTechniques for TransportationDecision-makingFHWA and FTA, 1996.http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/pittd/cover.htm

Rail planningWisconsin State Rail Plan 2020WisDOT, 2002(tentative release date)

Secondary impactsIndirect and CumulativeEffects Analysis for Project-InducedLand Development, TechnicalReference DocumentWisDOT

Community ImpactAssessment: A Quick Referencefor TransportationFederal Highway Administration,FHWA-PD-96-036,September 1996

Community Impact Mitigation:Case StudiesFederal Highway Administration,FHWA-PD-98-024, May 1998

Transit planningWisconsin State Transit Plan 2020WisDOT, 2003(tentative release date)

Transportationplanning: generalTranslinks 21: A Multi-modalTransportation Plan forWisconsin’s 21st CenturyWisDOT, February 1995

Your Community’s TransportationSystem: A TransportationElement GuidebookState of Washington, Departmentof Community Development,Growth Management Division,June 1993. 206.753.2222

VisioningBuilding Our Future: A Guideto Community VisioningUniversity of Wisconsin–Extension, 2000

Towards Managing Growthin Washington: A Guide toCommunity VisioningState of Washington, Departmentof Community Development,Growth Management Division,October 1991. 206.753.2222

76


Appendix 5: Wisconsin counties in non-attainment and maintenance

Dodge

Lake

Grant


Kenosha

RacineWalworth

Crawford

Iowa

Vernon


Dane

Richland

La Crosse

Monroe

Trempeleau

Buffalo

Pepin

Sauk Columbia

Juneau

Jackson

Washington

Sheboygan

Fond du Lac

MarquetteGreen

Adams Manitowoc

Pierce

Eau Claire

Calumet

Winnebago

Waushara

Door

Brown


Clark

Marathon

Shawano

Menomonee

St. Croix Dunn

Oconto

Polk

Barron

Chippewa

Taylor

Burnett

Washburn Sawyer

Price

Douglas

Bayfield

Ashland

Iron

Vilas

Oneida

Forest Florence

Marinette

Lincoln

Langlade

Rusk

Kewaunee

Ozaukee

attainment areasevere non-attainment areamoderate non-attainment area

rural transport non-attainment areamaintenance area

Notes

77

Appendix 6: WisDOT administered local programs

The following provides a briefdescription of funding programsadministered by WisDOT. Theyare divided into two categories:1) competitive funding programs;and 2) formula driven programs.

Competitive fundingprograms availableto communities

Statewide Multi-modalImprovement Program(SMIP)This program is designedto fund projects that enhancetraditional highway facilities andpromote multi-modal activities.There are two programs that makeup SMIP: Local TransportationEnhancements (TE) Program,and Surface TransportationProgram Discretionary (STP-D).

1. Local TransportationEnhancements (TE) program

The enhancements programprovides funding to local govern-ments and state agencies forprojects that enhance a trans-portation project. There are12 eligible project categories:

n providing facilities for bicyclesand pedestrians;

n providing safety and educationalactivities for pedestriansand bicyclists;

n acquiring scenic easementsand scenic or historic sites;

n sponsoring scenic or historichighway programs, includingthe provision of touristand welcome centers;

n landscaping and otherscenic beautification;

n preserving historic sites;

n rehabilitating and operatinghistoric transportation buildingsand structures;

n preserving abandonedrailway corridors;

n controlling and removingoutdoor advertising;

n conducting archaeologicalplanning and research;

n mitigating water pollutiondue to highway runoff orreducing vehicle causedwildlife mortality; and

n establishing transportationmuseums.

Federal funds will cover upto 80% of the project, while theproject sponsor is responsiblefor providing at minimum theremaining 20%.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of Transporta-tion Investment Management,Bureau of Transit and Local Roads,608.264.8723 or 608.266.1535.

2. Surface TransportationProgram Discretionary(STP-D)

This program encourages projectsthat foster alternatives to singleoccupancy vehicle trips, such asrehabilitation and purchase ofreplacement vehicles for transitsystems, facilities for pedestriansand bicycles, system-wide bicycleplanning, and a wide range oftransportation demand manage-ment (TDM) projects. Communitiesover 5,000 are eligible to apply forthe funds through the competitiveapplication process.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of TransportationInvestment Management, Bureau ofTransit and Local Roads, 608.264.8723or 608.266.1535 and 608.266.1379for transit projects only.

Notes

78


Transportation DemandManagement ProgramsTransportation Demand Manage-ment consists of policies andprograms designed to reduce thenumber of single occupant vehicle(SOV) trips in a region, especiallyduring peak travel periods.

There are two grant pro-grams: TDM Grant Program;and the Wisconsin EmploymentTransportation AssistanceProgram (WETAP).

1. TDM Grant ProgramThe TDM grant program providesfunding to successful grant recipi-ents to implement projects thatencourage innovative solutionsand alternatives to reducing SOVtrips. WisDOT accepts applicationsannually. Eligible applicants mayinclude local governments, cham-bers of commerce, and othersas defined by the program. Therequired local match is 20%of the project cost.

2. Wisconsin EmploymentTransportation AssistanceProgram (WETAP)

As a joint program between theWisconsin Department of Work-force Development (DWD) andWisDOT, it provides funding tohelp low-income people access,retain or advance in employmentwith the goal of meeting the entirepopulation’s transportation needs.This program is funded withcombined federal and state dollars,and requires a local match.

Application requirementsinclude the development ofregional job access plans thatidentify the need for transportationservices and illustrate the alterna-tives proposed for the program.Plans should be developed

between public transit providers,local units of government, trans-portation planners, human serviceagencies, low-income individualsand other interested parties.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of Transporta-tion Investment Management,Bureau of Transit and LocalRoads, 608.266.1379.

Transportation EconomicAssistance (TEA) ProgramThis program provides 50%state grants to governing bodies,private businesses, and consor-tiums for road, rail, harbor, andairport projects necessary to helpattract employers to the state, orto encourage business and indus-try to remain and expand.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Divisionof TransportationInvestment Management, Bureauof Planning, 608.266.3488.

Congestion Mitigation andAir Quality Program (CMAQ)This program provides fundingfor transportation projects thatimprove air quality and reducetraffic congestion. Funding isonly available in counties thatare classified as air quality non-attainment or maintenance areasfor ozone under the criteria estab-lished at the federal level. Wiscon-sin counties that currently meetthis criteria include: Milwaukee,Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha,Washington, Ozaukee, Walworth,Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Kewau-nee, and Door. (See Appendix 5)Applicants are required to provideat minimum a 20% match of thetotal project cost.

Notes

79

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of Transporta-tion Investment Management,Bureau of Transit and Local Roads,608.264.8723 or 608.266.1535,

Federal AirportImprovement ProgramThe Airport ImprovementProgram provides funding forairport improvement projectsin two ways: block grants, andindividual grants to primarycommercial service airports.

The grants may be madeeither as entitlement grants ordiscretionary grants. Entitlementgrants are awarded as annual lumpsum awards to qualifying primarycommercial service airports basedon the airport’s number of annualenplanements. Discretionary grantsare another competitive sourceof funds that a primary commer-cial service airport may applyfor. Discretionary grants areawarded using the nationalpriority rating system.

For more information,contact WisDOT, Divisionof Transportation InfrastructureDevelopment, Bureau ofAeronautics, 608.266-3351.

Federal DiscretionaryCapital Assistance Program:Section 5309Funds under this program areawarded through the Congres-sional earmark process. Capitalassistance includes 80% of thecosts of the project equipment,or up to 90% of the costs of equip-ment or modifications requiredby the Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA) or the Clean Air Act.


State Urban Mass TransitOperating AssistanceProgramThis program has an annualapplication cycle that providesfunds for eligible project costs to65 public bus and shared-ride taxisystems. Eligible public transporta-tion services include transportationby bus, shared-ride taxicab, railor other conveyance, either pub-licly or privately-owned that pro-vides the public with generalor special service on a regularand continuing basis.

Funds are distributed usinga four tier system (each tier hasa separate appropriation):

n Tier A1 includes fundingfor the Milwaukee CountyTransit System;

n Tier A2 includes fundingfor the Madison MetroTransit System;

n Tier B: Systems in urbanizedareas with populations between50,000 and 200,000, plusWaukesha City and Countysystems;

n Tier C: All systems in urbanareas with populations between2,500 and 50,000.

Eligible applicants includea local public body (e.g., counties,municipalities, towns or transitor transportation commissionsor authorities) in an urban area(i.e., city or village of 2,500 ormore that is appropriate, in thejudgment of WisDOT, for an urbanmass transit system) served byan urban mass transit systemincurring an operation deficit.

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Elderly and DisabledTransportation CapitalAssistance ProgramThis annual grant programprovides capital funding forspecialized transit vehicles usedto serve the elderly and personswith disabilities. State and federalfunds provide 80% of the eligibleequipment costs.

Eligible applicants may includeprivate non-profit organizations,local public bodies that do notalready have a private non-profitorganization readily available toprovide transportation service, andlocal public bodies that are ap-proved as the coordinator ofelderly and disabled transportationservices in their service area.


Harbor AssistanceProgram (HAP)This is a grant program designedto assist harbor communities alongthe Great Lakes and MississippiRiver to maintain and improvewaterborne commerce. Applica-tions are accepted on a semi-annual basis on August 1and February 1.

To be eligible for funding,the port facility must be publicly-owned; the project must benefitfacilities that are used for cargotransfer, ship building, commercialfishing or regular ferry service; theapplicant must be a local unit of

government; the projectmust pass a rigorous benefit-cost analysis; and the projectmust have been identified ina current Three-Year HarborDevelopment Plan.

Project selection criteria arespelled out in an administrativerule (TRANS 28) and they includethe following: 1. economic impactof the project, 2. type and urgencyof the project, and 3. priority ofthe project. Port projects typicallyinclude dock reconstruction,mooring structure replacement,dredging, and the construction offacilities to hold dredged material.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of Transporta-tion Infrastructure Development,Bureau of Rails and Harbors,608.267.9319.

Freight Railroad Programs:Grant & Loan ProgramWisDOT administers two programsto help preserve and improveWisconsin’s freight rail service:1) the Freight Railroad PreservationProgram (FRPP); and 2) the FreightRailroad Infrastructure Improve-ment Program (FRIIP). Bothprograms provide local units ofgovernment, industries, and rail-roads with financial assistanceto preserve essential lines andencourage improvementsof existing lines.

The FRPP provides grantsfor up to 80% of the costs topurchase abandoned lines tocontinue freight rail service orto preserve the opportunity forfuture rail service. The programalso provides grants for substituteservice projects and to rehabilitatefacilities such as tracks and bridgeson publicly-owned lines.

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The FRIIP provides up to 100%loans for projects that accomplishline rehabilitation, help developthe economy, connect an industryto the national railroad system,and/or make improvements toenhance efficiency, safety, andintermodal freight movement.

For more information, contactWisDOT, Division of Transporta-tion Infrastructure Development,Bureau of Rails and Harbors,608.267.3710.

Competitive/FormulaFunding Source

Local TransportationFacilities ProgramThe Local TransportationFacilities Program is comprisedof two programs: the SurfaceTransportation Program-Urban(STP-U) and the Surface Trans-portation Program-Rural (STP-R).

1. Surface TransportationProgram-UrbanThe Surface Transportation

Program-Urban provides fundingfor projects designed to improvefederal aid eligible highwayswithin urban areas. Projects mustmeet federal and state require-ments. Communities are eligiblefor funding on roads functionallyclassified as higher than “local”.Counties, towns, cities, villagesand certain public authoritieslocated within urban and urban-ized areas are eligible for fundingof projects that meet federal andstate requirements. Urban areaswith populations of more than200,000 (Madison and Milwaukee)receive designated funding byfederal law. Urban areas withpopulations of 5,000 to 200,000receive funds based upon MPOpriorities or statewide formularequirements.

2. Surface TransportationProgram-RuralThe Surface Transportation

Program–Rural provides fundingfor projects designed to improvefederal aid eligible highwaysoutside of urban areas (generallycounty trunk highways). Projectsmust meet federal and state re-quirements. Communities areeligible for funding on roadsclassified as rural minor collectorsor higher. Counties set prioritiesfor funding requests within theirarea, with projects funded ona statewide formula basis.

STP-U and STP-R projects aresolicited by the local WisDOTTransportation District Office staffin winter of the odd numberedyears, with program approvalin summer of the odd numberedyears. The programs havea three-year cycle.

For more information regardingeither program, contact WisDOT,Division of Transportation Invest-ment Management, Bureauof Transit and Local Roads,608.266.1535 or 608.264.8723

Formula drivenlocal governmenttransportationassistance programs

General TransportationAids (GTA)Funding from this programrepresents a partial reimburse-ment for transportation-relatedexpenditures made by local unitsof government. Payments aredivided among all local govern-ments based on either a percent-age of eligible highway-relatedexpenditures or a per-milepayment, whichever resultsin a higher payment.

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Connecting Highway AidsThis program pays local govern-ments for maintaining streets andhighways within their jurisdictionsthat provide connections to theState Trunk Highway system.Municipalities receive quarterlypayments on a per lane milebasis, with rates varying accordingto population, and the numberof lanes or segments of streets.


Lift Bridge and ExpresswayPolicing AidsThis program provides stateaid to specific local governments(Cities of Milwaukee, Racine,Green Bay, Manitowoc, and TwoRivers) for costs associated withtheir lift bridges and with thepolice patrolling of expresswaysin Milwaukee County.


County Forest Road AidThis program provides assistanceto counties that have eligibleroads located within countyforests. It is intended to defraythe costs for the improvementand maintenance of public roadswithin a county forest.


Flood Damage AidsThis program provides localgovernments with financial assis-tance for replacing or improvingroads or roadway structures thathave had major damage causedby flooding.


Local Roads ImprovementProgram (LRIP)This program provides fundingto local units of government forthe costs associated with improv-ing seriously deteriorating countyhighways, town roads, and munici-pal streets in cities and villagesunder the authority of the localunit of government. Projects arerequired to have a minimal designlife of 10 years. This is a biennialprogram and all funds are distrib-uted the first year. Applicationsare submitted through the countyhighway commissioners byNovember 15 of the oddnumbered years.

There are three entitlementcomponents for funding roadimprovements: 1) County HighwayImprovement component (CHIP);2) Town Road Improvementcomponent (TRIP); and 3) citiesand villages under Municipal StreetImprovement component (MSIP).

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In addition, LRIP funds threestatewide descretionary programs:1) CHIP-D County Highway Dis-cretionary Improvement Program;2) TRIP-D Town Road Discretion-ary Improvement Program; and3) MSIP-D Municipal Street Dis-cretionary Improvement Programfor cities and villages.

All LRIP projects are locallylet, with up to 50% of the costsreimbursed by WisDOT uponcompletion, and the remaindermatched by the local unit ofgovernment. Eligible projectsinclude, but are not limited to:design and feasibility studies,bridge replacement or rehabilita-tion, reconstruction, and resurfac-ing. Ineligible projects include,but are not limited to: new roads,seal coats, ditch repair, and/orcurb and gutter construction.


Local Bridge ProgramThis program funds 80% ofproject costs to replace andrehabilitate structures on theFederal Bridge Register, in excessof 20 feet. Bridges with sufficiencyratings less than 50 are eligiblefor replacement and those withsufficiency ratings less than 80are eligible for rehabilitation.

Counties set priorities forfunding within their area, withprojects funded on a statewideformula basis.

Local bridge projects are solic-ited by local WisDOT Transporta-tion District Office staff in winterof the odd numbered years, withprogram approval in summer

of the odd numbered years. Theprogram has a three-year cycle.


Federal Formula GrantProgram for UrbanizedAreas: Section 5307This is a federal formula programbased upon population, populationdensity, and revenue miles ofservice. It is organized intothree funding tiers:

A. urbanized areas withpopulations over one-million(Milwaukee);

B. urbanized areas withpopulations between200,000 and one-million(Madison); and

C. urbanized areas withpopulations between 50,000and 200,000 (twelve inWisconsin).

Tiers A and B can use fundsfor capital purchases only (includ-ing capital maintenance costs).These are funded directly fromthe Federal Transit Administration.

Program funds for urbanizedareas under 200,000 populationare allocated to the Governor whois responsible for determining thedistribution to individual transitsystems. Systems in Tier C canuse funding for either capitalor operating assistance.


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Rural and Small UrbanArea Public TransportationAssistance Program:Section 5311Allocations to the State are setat the federal level. Funds maybe used for operating assistance,and capital assistance. Eligiblepublic transportation servicesinclude public transportationservice operating or designed tooperate in non-urbanized areas(less than 50,000 population).


Rural TransportationAssistance Program (RTAP)This program funds projectswith the following qualities:furthering the developmentof skills and abilities of personsinvolved in providing passengerservice to the state’s rural andsmall urban areas; encouragingdevelopment of professionalnetworks among Wisconsin trans-portation providers; and offsetingsome of the costs of attendingnational, state and local transittraining and educational programs.


Specialized TransportationAssistance Programfor CountiesAllocations under this formulaprogram are based upon theproportion of the state’s elderlyand disabled population locatedin each county, subject to twominimums: no county can receiveless than a ½-percent of the totalannual appropriation; and nocounty can receive an allocationsmaller than they received in1992. A local match of 20-percentis required.

Eligible expenditures include:

n directly provided service;n purchase of transportation

service from any publicor private organization;

n a user-subsidy for elderly ordisabled passengers for their useof the transportation service;

n volunteer driver escortreimbursement;

n performing or purchasingplanning or managementstudies on transportation;

n coordinating transportationservices;

n performing or purchasingin-service training relating totransportation services; and/or

n purchasing capital equipmentfor transportation services.


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Appendix 7: Public involvement techniques

How can you reachthe public?There are a number of waysyou can reach the public. Thesemay include using mass media,implementing two-way communi-cation techniques and employingother avenues to provide andreceive information. It is notnecessary to utilize all of thetechniques indicated in Figures21 and 22. Instead, you canselect and tailor the methodsyou believe will best suit yourpublic outreach needs.

Utilizing the media (e.g.,newspapers, radio, television)to advertise your planning effortwill facilitate participation in yourpublic involvement process. Waysto conduct outreach through themass media may include:

n ads in community calendarsn display ads in newspapersn newspaper articlesn news coveragen radio call-in showsn public service announcementsn meetings with reporters

The people interested in yourtransportation planning processwill expect to be kept informedand updated regularly. A usefulmethod to start this process is todevelop and maintain an inclusivemailing list. One of the ways inwhich you can assemble and/orrefine your mailing list during theinitial stages of your plan develop-ment is to inform your communitythat you are starting a transporta-tion planning process. This maybe communicated by circulatingbrochures, pamphlets or othermaterials to the general publicand organizations throughout

your community or by postingthem in libraries and otherpublic spaces. The brochure/pamphlet can be used as aneffective two-way communicationtool to not only introduce yourplanning initiative, but also assessthe level of interest in your com-munity. By including a built-inresponse mechanism, such as aresponse card into your brochure,you will provide a means forthe public to become part of theprocess by indicating their interestin receiving updates and learningmore about the initiative.

As you develop an approachto meet the goals of your publicinvolvement process, your com-munity involvement toolbox willlikely contain a variety of strate-gies. You will not only want tohave opportunities to conveyinformation to the communitybut you will also want to listento what the public has to say.Each of the methods highlightedin Figures 21 and 22 can be usedindividually or in combination andcan help expand and enhanceyour public involvement process.

More information on mostof these public involvementapproaches, as well as othertechniques can be found in theFederal Highway Administration/Federal Transit Administrationpublication, Public involvementtechniques for transportationdecision-making, dated September1996. This publication is availableon the Internet at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/pittd/cover.htm

Figure 21: Otherinformation vehiclesn mailing listsn brochures/pamphletsn newslettersn informational flyersn web siten surveys/questionnairesn information hotline

Figure 22: Two-waycommunicationtechniquesn public meetingsn symposiumsn public forumsn workshopsn listening sessionsn focus groupsn open housesn present information at

community meetingsn public hearings

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Appendix 8: Wisconsin’s Adopted Draft andFinal Comprehensive Plans

The following is a brief list of some Wisconsincommunities that have developed comprehensive plansin response to the Comprehensive Planning Legislation.Please note that these plans have not been reviewedor certified to ensure that they meet the requirementsof the Comprehensive Planning Legislation.

Community Counties Draft/ Dateand plan title of Jurisdiction final of planCity of Mauston Juneau draft March 00Comp Plan

Village of Cottage Grove Dane final March 00Comp Plan

City of Watertown Jefferson, Dodge draft May 00Comp Plan

Town of Scott Burnett final July 00

City of Altoona Eau Claire final August 00

Belmont Comprehensive Lafayette final January 00Plan Summary

Sheboygan Comprehensive Plan Sheboygan final October 00

City of Sheboygan Sheboygan draft October 00Comprehensive Plan

Documents

A guide to preparing the - Wisconsin Department of ... Scherer Executive Director Kelly Mitchell Communications Director William White Attorney Citizens for a Better Environment Rob