The Federal Department of Transportation, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, announced $2.5 million in grants to Wisconsin in December 2023 to study the expansion of passenger rail equally split between five corridors.
The corridors to be evaluated include a line from Milwaukee to Green Bay, a line connecting Milwaukee to Minneapolis via Madison and Eau Claire, a line connecting Eau Claire to St. Paul, a line running through La Crosse that connects Chicago and St. Paul and improvements to Amtrak’s existing Hiawatha line running from Milwaukee to Chicago.
Madison’s Department of Transportation, working with other agencies, kicked off a study looking for a location to build a station in late 2022.
Here’s what we know about the project.
Downtown, isthmus could get new train station
City officials are considering eight sites for a new Amtrak station, most of which are in or just east of downtown, according to a 68-page preliminary draft of the “Madison Passenger Rail Station Identification Study” released earlier this month.
The first round of the study reviewed six corridors as potential passenger rail station locations in Madison, including “Downtown/Isthmus,” “Airport” and a corridor near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Unfortunately for UW-Madison students, the campus corridor was not advanced to the next round of the study. Officials said the corridor was “too far off the main rail line, [with] few opportunities for a station building and parking.” The airport and East Side corridors were also eliminated, citing low ridership potential.
Following the selection of station corridors, the study team selected eight specific sites for further evaluation. Four sites were located in the Downtown/Isthmus corridor, including a site at Monona Terrace.
Which location will the city choose?
No location has been selected yet, awaiting public feedback and weighting of criteria, but there are some hints in the study.
Amtrak prefers the station’s platform to be 700 feet long, according to the study. Proposed stations at Monona Terrace, Johnson Street, Commercial Avenue and Aberg Avenue all meet this criterion.
The preliminary report graded a wide variety of criteria when evaluating the sites, including train access, site size, land use and proximity to people, jobs and destinations (PJD).
The Johnson Street site is privately owned, but the land is currently for sale. The station would sit north of the intersection of Johnson and First Streets. This site has a high rating for train operation and multimodal connectivity but scores lower on site ownership and proximity to PJD, according to the study.
The Commercial Avenue site would be on the west side of the railroad tracks just north of Commercial Avenue. The vacant site is privately owned, but other development possibilities are currently being proposed at this site. This site has a high rating for train access and operation but scores lower on site ownership and proximity to PJD, according to the study.
The Aberg Avenue site would be on the west side of the railroad tracks about one block south of Aberg Avenue. The site is privately owned, but the city has a lease on the site. This site has a high rating for train access and operation but scores low on proximity to PJD and multimodal connectivity, according to the study.
The proposed site at Monona Terrace scored high in proximity to PJD as well as equitable access as it is the most centrally located site, according to the study. The station lobby would be incorporated into the existing Department of Administration Building, meaning the site and the building would be state-owned. However, the site scored moderately on train access and operation.
Will this project succeed where others failed?
While the project has not been confirmed yet, Elizabeth Callin, a transportation planner from the Madison Department of Transportation, said they are working towards receiving funding for the station.
“The City of Madison looks forward to being a partner with WisDOT, Amtrak and other communities…like Eau Claire, Appleton and Green Bay and will do what we can to support this effort,” Callin told The Daily Cardinal.
In 2010, a high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee originally proposed by former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson was on the cusp of being built. Federal funding was secured and contracts were signed; however, Gov. Scott Walker canceled the project upon taking office.
Callin highlighted the difference between the two projects, saying the new proposal is for a conventional passenger rail with lower speeds and different rolling stock. The project is “a part of a larger effort to bring passenger rail to more parts of the state.”
The Madison station is expected to serve 3-4 trains per day, rather than the six proposed in the previous initiative.
If rail lines are added or extended to Madison, the service would not start to run until 2027 at the earliest, according to the study.
“We have been inspired by the overwhelming amount of enthusiasm we have heard from Madisonians and residents of surrounding communities who are highly supportive of having more transportation options available to connect to communities around Wisconsin, the Midwest and beyond,” Callin said.
How can I get involved?
The Madison Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to hear the public’s feedback on the proposed sites Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. in the Madison Municipal Building, room 215.
Ty Javier is a senior staff writer and photographer at The Daily Cardinal. He is an Economics major and has specialized in university and campaign finances, economic policy and transit.
