The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a $110.6 million construction grant award to Madison for the new East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The grant, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to build a 15-mile route that will provide fast, frequent, clean, and reliable service for UW–Madison, the Madison Central Business District, and other key city destinations.
Madison’s East-West BRT battery-electric buses will run from the west side of Madison to the city of Sun Prairie in the northeast. It will travel through the UW–Madison campus, downtown Madison, and the East Towne Mall area. At both ends of the line, riders will be able to access the transit system through park-and-ride facilities.
The East-West BRT will alleviate traffic congestion on roads throughout the corridor that are among the most crowded in the region. BRT provides a faster, more convenient travel option than conventional buses.
New bus stations will provide level boarding and shelters enhanced with real-time bus arrival information and security cameras. The 60-foot, zero-emission, battery-electric vehicles will run on 9.5 miles of dedicated lanes and receive transit signal priority to speed travelers on their way.
The federal support for the estimated $194.3 million project comes from FTA’s Capital Investment Grants program, which helps communities carry out transformational transit projects.
