BROCHURE

The Regional Planning Commission is conducting aninterim review and update of the year 2035 regionaltransportation plan.

The interim review and update will include the

following steps:

Examine the forecasts underlying the plan

Measure transportation system performance

Assess the implementation to date of theregional transportation plan recommendations

Determine whether it remains reasonable forthe recommendations in the plan to be achievedover the next 25 years

Consider potential amendments to the adoptedyear 2035 plan

The Commission will initiate a major review andreevaluation of the regional transportation plan in 2011,after major data collection efforts (including the year2010 U.S. Census, year 2010 aerial photography, year2010 land use inventory, and regional travel surveys)are complete.

The regional transportation plan isintended to provide a vision and guide for trans-portation system development in the Region for 30years into the future. The plan consists of five principalelements:

Public Transit

Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

Transportation System Management

Travel Demand Management

Arterial Streets and Highways

The plan was adopted by the Commission in June 2006,

and was published as SEWRPC Planning Report No.

49,

. Individuals wishing to

learn more about the plan may request copies of a

newsletter summarizing the regional land use and

transportation system plans, or visit the Commission's

website at

�

�

�

�

�

A Regional Transportation System Plan for

Southeastern Wisconsin: 2035

�

�

�

�

�

www.sewrpc.org/SEWRPC/Transpor-

tation.htm

REVIEW OF FORECASTS

IN YEAR 2035 PLAN

As part of the planning effort for the year 2035transportation plan, Commission staff developed long-range demographic and economic forecasts (includingpopulation, households, and employment) and travelforecasts (vehicle-miles of travel, transit ridership, andpersonal vehicle availability). The year 2010 reviewprocess includes a comparison of these forecasts to morerecent data (for example, see Figures 1 and 2). All the

INTERIM REVIEW AND UPDATE

OF THE YEAR 2035 REGIONAL

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN

MARCH 2010

Figure 1

REGIONAL POPULATION(ACTUAL AND PROJECTED): 1950-2035

ACTUAL LEVEL

HIGH PROJECTIONHIGH PROJECTION

INTERMEDIATE PROJECTIONINTERMEDIATE PROJECTION

LOW PROJECTIONLOW PROJECTION

PO

PU

LA

TIO

NIN

TH

OU

SA

ND

S

2,600

2,400

ACTUAL LEVEL

HIGH PROJECTION

INTERMEDIATE PROJECTION

LOW PROJECTION

2,200

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2020 2030203520102000

YEAR

Source: SEWRPC.

Figure 2

NUMBER OF PERSONAL-USE VEHICLES IN THE REGION(ACTUAL AND FORECAST): 1963-2035

1963 1970 1980 1990

YEAR

CURRENTESTIMATE

FORECAST

TH

OU

SA

ND

SO

FV

EH

ICLE

S

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

2000 20352010 2020 2030

Source: SEWRPC.

2

forecasts are within reasonable range ofthe observed trends, and remain valid forlong-range transportation planning.

Trends in the measures used to assess theperformance of the transportation systemindicate little change in pavement andbridge condition, traffic congestion,vehicle traffic crashes and fatalities,arterial street and highway travel speedsand times, and transit travel times.Substantial reductions in all air pollutantemissions are estimated, particularly forozone-related emissions, with theexception being an increase in greenhousegas-related emissions and ammonia.

REVIEW OF

TRANSPORTATION

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

IMPLEMENTATION TO

DATE OF YEAR 2035 PLAN

The plan is an ambitious long-range planextending over about 30 years, and onlyabout three and a half years have passedsince the adoption of the regionaltransportation plan in June of 2006.Therefore, implementation of the planrecommendations should be expected tobe limited. Moreover, the extent of planimplementation during this short term hasbeen affected by both the economicdownturn that began in 2008, and thelingering effects of the economicdownturn that began in 2001.

—The plan recom-mended increasing transit servicelevels beginning in 2008 by 2percent annually through the year2035, and limiting the increase in transit fares to thegeneral rate of inflation. Since adoption of theregional transportation plan in 2006, transit servicehas declined by about 6 percent (measured in vehicle-miles of fixed route bus service), and transit fares haveincreased faster than inflation. The reduction in theareal extent of transit service is shown on Map 1. Theplan recognized that the transit recommendations mayonly occur upon achieving State legislation fordedicated funding and a regional transit authority.State legislation was enacted in mid-2009 creating acommuter rail authority with dedicated local funding,and State legislation for a regional transit authoritywith dedicated local funding is being considered bythe State legislature.

� Public Transit

� Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities—The planproposed that, as each segment of the surface arterialstreet system in the Region was resurfaced andreconstructed, the provision of bicycle accom-modation be considered. Since the plan adoption, theWisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)now require consideration and provision of suchbicycle accommodation on all Federally-fundedState, county, and municipal street and highwayprojects, unless demonstrated to be prohibitive. Theplan also recommended a 575-mile system of off-street bicycle paths throughout the Region. About203 miles of this system existed in 2006, and another35 miles have since been constructed.

Map 1

CHANGES IN FIXED-ROUTE PUBLICTRANSIT SERVICE PROVIDED IN THE REGION: 2005 AND 2008

Source: SEWRPC.

YEAR 2008 TRANSIT SERVICE

YEAR 2005TRANSIT SERVICE

RAPID BUS ROUTE

COMMUTER RAIL

STREET WITH EXISTING LOCALBUS ROUTE--PROVIDED PRIORTO 2005

STREET WITH EXISTING LOCALBUS ROUTE--NEW SERVICE IN2008

EXISTING FIXED-ROUTETRANSIT SERVICE AREA--PROVIDED PRIOR TO 2005

EXISTING FIXED-ROUTETRANSIT SERVICE AREA--NEWSERVICE IN 2008

YEAR 2005 FIXED-ROUTE TRANSITSERVICE AREA--NOLONGER SERVED

3

�

�

�

�

�

Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S y s t e m s M a n a g e m e n t

Travel Demand Management

Arterial Streets and Highways

—Recommendations that have been implemented sinceplan adoption for freeway traffic management includeadditional freeway ramp-meters, variable messagesigns and closed circuit television cameras, and a 511travel information system. On the arterial street andhighway system, additional traffic signalinterconnection and coordination has occurred.

—Plan recom-mendations that have been implemented to dateinclude the expansion of park-ride lots, vanpoolprograms, transit system internet trip planners,automatic bus location systems, and the developmentof site specific transit-oriented developmentneighborhood plans for the nine proposed KRMcommuter rail station areas.

—About 23 miles, or 5percent, of the recommended 448 miles of arterialcapacity expansion have been completed and are opento traffic. With respect to freeway reconstruction,there are four major freeway-to-freeway interchangesin Southeastern Wisconsin: the Marquette, Zoo,Mitchell, and Hale interchanges. The largest and mostcomplicated, the Marquette Interchange, has beenreconstructed. The Zoo Interchange is nearingcompletion of preliminary engineering. The MitchellInterchange is being reconstructed as part of thereconstruction to be completed in 2016 of 30 miles ofIH 94 between the Mitchell Interchange and theWisconsin-Illinois state line.

The interim review and update process will consider severalpotential amendments to the adopted year 2035 regionaltransportation plan:

A set of jurisdictional highway system planningamendments for Washington and Walworth Counties,as a result of the jurisdictional highway systemplanning efforts in those counties.

The City of Milwaukee has asked that an amendmentto the plan be considered which would remove fromthe 2035 plan the widening to eight lanes as part of thereconstruction of IH 94 between the Zoo andMarquette Interchanges in the City of Milwaukee, andof IH 43 between the Mitchell Interchange and SilverSpring Drive in the City of Milwaukee. Under thispossible amendment, the regional transportation planwould continue to recommend that during thepreliminary engineering for the reconstruction of thesefreeway segments, alternatives which would notprovide additional traffic lanes would be evaluated,along with alternatives which would provideadditional traffic lanes. If the preliminary engineeringconcluded that additional traffic lanes not be pro-

UPDATES TO THEYEAR 2035 PLAN

vided, the plan under this amendment would not bechanged. If the preliminary engineering concluded thatthese freeway segments should be widened, then theregional plan with this proposed amendment wouldrequire an amendment to include the additional lanes.

Acomparison was made of the costs of implementingthe plan and existing and anticipated revenues. Thiscomparison indicated that in both current year and

�

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

TheAdvisory Committee on Regional Transportation SystemPlanning will provide guidance for this planning effort. It alsowill promote coordination, serving as a direct liaison betweenthe regional planning effort and the government entitiesresponsible for future implementation.

Fred Abadi

Sandra K. Beaupre

John M. Bennett

Scott Brandmeier

Allison M. Bussler

Shane Crawford

Brian Dranzik

Robert R. Dreblow

Jon Edgren

Thomas M. Grisa, PE

Anita Gulotta-Connelly

Richard M. Jones

William A. Kappel

Michael M. Lemens

Jeffrey J. Mantes

Bharat Mathur

Dwight E. McComb

John H. Melby, Jr.

George E. Melcher

Jeffrey Polenske, PE

David Prott

Marisol Simón

Jack Takerian

Wallace Thiel

Director of Public Works, City of Waukesha

Director, Bureau of Planning, Division ofTransportation Investment Management,Wisconsin Department of Transportation

City Engineer, City of Franklin

Director of Public Works/Village Engineer,Village of Fox Point

Director of Public Works, Waukesha County

Deputy County Administrator—CentralServices, Walworth County

Commissioner, Southeastern WisconsinRegional Planning Commission; and Fiscal &Policy Administrator, Milwaukee County Dep-artment of Transportation and Public Works

Highway Commissioner, Ozaukee County

Highway Commissioner, Washington County

Director of Public Works, City of Brookfield

Managing Director, Milwaukee County TransitSystem

Commissioner of Public Works/City Engineer,City of Racine

Director of Public Works, City of Wauwatosa

Director, Engineering Division, Public WorksDepartment, City of Kenosha

Commissioner, Department of Public Works,City of Milwaukee

Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5, U.S.Environmental Protection Agency

Planning and Program Development Engineer,Federal Highway Administration, U.S.Department of Transportation

Director, Bureau of Air Management,Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Director, Department of Planning andDevelopment, Kenosha County

City Engineer, Department of Public Works,City of Milwaukee

Director of Public Works, Racine County

Regional Administrator, Federal TransitAdministration, Region 5, U.S. Department ofTransportation

Interim Director, Department of Transpor-tation and Public Works, Milwaukee County

Village Administrator, Village of Hartland

Gloria L. McCutcheon Regional Director, Southeast Region,Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Sheri Schmit Systems Group Planning Manager, South-east Region, Wisconsin Department ofTransportation

PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

You are invited to attend the upcoming informational

meeting on the review and update of the year 2035

regional transportation plan. At the meeting, you can

learn more about the planning effort, discuss it with

Commission staff, and comment on the work performed

to date.

Milwaukee Downtown Transit CenterHarbor Lights Room909 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee

The meeting will be in an “open house” format, allowing

you to attend at any time during the two-hour timeframe.

PowerPoint presentations summarizing the plan and the

plan review and update underway will be played re-

peatedly throughout the meeting. Attendees will have

the opportunity to leave written comments, or speak to a

court reporter or Commission staff for oral comments.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 4:30-6:30 pm

Persons with special needs are asked to contact the

Commission office at (262) 547-6721 a minimum of 72 hours

before the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be

made regarding access, review or interpretation of materials, or

submission of comments.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

OR TO MAKE A COMMENT

Website: www.sewrpc.org\SEWRPC\Transportation.htmE-mail: 2010update@sewrpc.orgPhone: (262) 547-6721Fax: (262) 547-1103Mail: P.O. Box 1607

Waukesha, WI 53187-1607

year-of-expenditure dollars, the capital and operat-ing costs of both the highway and transit elements ofthe plan are reasonably consistent with existing andanticipated revenues. The anticipated existingavailable transit revenues include the attainmentwithin the next few years (as proposed in currentregional transit authority legislation) of the ultimateprovision of a regional transit authority funded by alocal dedicated funding source, a 0.5 percent salestax. Such authority and dedicated funding would beadequate to fully implement the transit element ofthe regional plan.

Other amendments suggested by the AdvisoryCommittee or the public may be considered as well.

�

SOUTHEASTERNWISCONSINREGIONALPLANNINGCOMMISSION

W239N1812ROCKWOODDRIVEPOBOX1607WAUKESHA,WISCONSIN53187-1607

FirstClassMail

U.S.POSTAGE

PAID

WAUKESHA,WIPERMITNO.645

ACTUAL LEVEL

HIGH PROJECTION

INTERMEDIATE PROJECTION

LOW PROJECTION