What is a PEL Study?
Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) is a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiative that focuses on shortening project delivery time by improving the efficiency of the process.
This is achieved by reducing duplication of effort, collaborative decision making, and maximizing the use of information developed in planning in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process that will follow the successful completion of the PEL Study.
What is NEPA?
NEPA stands for National Environmental Policy Act. This Federal act was signed into law on January 1, 1970. It describes a process Federal agencies are required to follow to evaluate the effects of road improvements, construction, and park and forest management projects, with the potential to profoundly impact the Nations’ landscape and environment.
The NEPA environmental analysis for the Beltline will be a detailed investigation of selected strategies developed in the
PEL Study that have the potential to address Beltline objectives. Those potential strategies will be refined as needed to improve the extent to which they solve Beltline issues and to minimize and mitigate impacts and cost.
What are the benefits of a PEL study?
A
PEL Study sets up early collaboration between federal, state, and environmental agencies, local municipalities and interested or potentially affected stakeholders. This early and extensive coordination helps to ensure all issues are fully understood and possible solutions identified are evaluated. These actions combine to improve stakeholder buy-in of the recommendations. A PEL Study can also eliminate unreasonable alternatives, reduce duplication of environmental review, and inform any future NEPA processes.
In the end, a
PEL Study helps to improve the efficiency of the overall environmental study process, reducing both the total study time and the total review costs, study delivery and the review costs.
Why is this Beltline study being conducted?
Given the existing conditions, anticipated county growth rate and other significant factors, in November 2011, Wisconsin’s Transportation Projects Commission authorized the study of long-term solutions for the Madison Beltline from US 14 in Middleton to County N in Cottage Grove.
The study is focusing on improving safety and mobility for all modes of travel while reducing congestion.
What are the Beltline issues?
From 2014 to 2018 many sections of the Beltline had crash rates higher than the state average when compared to similar types of highways. Most sections carry more traffic than can be efficiently accommodated.
Motorists that would prefer to use the Beltline are increasingly using alternate routes, such as the neighborhood street network, during morning and evening peak travel periods. According to Wisconsin's Department of Administration, Dane County is on pace to add about 120,000 residents between 2010 and 2040. There is no residual capacity on the Beltline to serve this growth.
The Beltline presents a barrier to bicycle and pedestrians that need to cross. Unreliable travel times reduce the value of the Beltline as a dependable route for transit.
The Beltline bridges and pavement are aging and deteriorating. Some features, such as ramps and shoulders, do not meet the current design standards. Replacement of the existing facility will be needed in the future just to address these issues.
Wasn't the Flex Lane built to address Beltline issues?
Now in service for nearly a year, the Beltline Flex Lane has made a positive impact on congestion and traffic mobility between Verona Road and I-39/90/94 by allowing traffic to use the inside shoulders during the busiest times.
Prior to the opening of the Flex Lane, the average travel time through this area of the Beltline was about 25 minutes during the busiest times of the day. The more recent data indicates these average peak travel times were reduced by more than 50% with the implementation of the Flex Lane.
Although the Flex Lane is separate project from the current PEL study, the positive results from the addition of the Flex Lane allows WisDOT the opportunity to focus more immediate attention on potential improvements to the west side of the Beltline corridor.
Are there opportunities for public input? When and where?
Yes, there are several opportunities for public involvement and input throughout the PEL process and the NEPA process. We will focus on online engagement opportunities, including a project website, virtual public meetings, narrated PowerPoint presentations,
online comment form, and outreach via social media platforms and
project email notifications.
- You are encouraged to visit this website for updates. The website provides comprehensive information about the study, details opportunities for involvement, provides a sign up page to receive project updates via email, and has contact information for the study team.
- Public Involvement Meetings (PIM) will be conducted at several points during the PEL study. Also, numerous smaller meetings will be held with local municipalities, neighborhood associations, business groups, etc. during the course of the study. These will continue to be held throughout the NEPA process that is expected to follow the PEL.
- WisDOT welcomes project comments/suggestions. Please give us your comments/suggestions on this project, the project goals, transportation issues, study objectives and preliminary alternatives. Thank you for your interest and assistance with this important project.
These input opportunities will be announced on the project website as well as through local news media and advertising. Study team members can be reached individually by
email and telephone.
Is WisDOT working with local communities on the PEL Study?
Yes. Various workgroups have been formed to ensure local community representatives, as well as state and federal agency representatives, are a part of the study process.
Is there any construction associated with the PEL Study?
No, there is no construction associated with the
PEL study. There are interim improvements being constructed outside of the PEL study. Please see
interim solutions question below for more information.
Will this study result in more lanes being added to the Beltline?
As part of the Beltline PEL Study, a variety of long-term solutions are being evaluated to determine how they address Beltline issues, including the potential to add travel lanes.
Will there be any interim solutions until the long-term improvements?
Potential interim improvements will be investigated and implemented as needed. One example was the US 14 and Deming Way intersection where roadway improvements included lengthening the left turn lanes on US 14 and Deming Way to better accommodate the signal phasing for protected-only eft turns on US 14. The Beltline Flex Lane is also considered an interim improvements for the corridor from about Verona Road to I-39/90.
Will the study consider all modes of transportation?
Yes, the study is evaluating potential improvements to other modes of ground transportation as individual strategies or as part of a group of improvements to determine whether, and to what extent, each helps address the existing Beltline issues and accommodate future growth in the Madison area.
How will bicycle and pedestrian needs be taken into consideration?
Improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improving or adding crossings and increasing route connectivity along and across the Beltline are being analyzed as part of each potential solution.
What do you mean by PEL Components?
The PEL study considers different types of improvements at specific locations on, near, or across the Beltline that when combined will address the study goal. We are calling these "Components", and they include:
- New local road crossings and connections (e.g. constructing a new bridge over the Beltline)
- Improved transit
- Mainline and interchange improvements
- Pedestrians and Bicycle Connections (e.g. constructing a new path to connect areas near a Beltline interchange)
The PEL team has assembled various Components into Draft Strategy Packages creating a long-term vision for improvements on and near the Beltline corridor.
The feedback we receive on the Strategy Packages will help determine the long-term future of the this important corridor.
What is a Strategy Package?
The improvement components mentioned above are assembled into Draft Strategy Packages that are tiered from SP1 to SP4 and are as follows:
- SP1: Preserve and Maintain the existing transportation infrastructure and service
- SP2: Implement Higher Priority Components
- SP3: Implement Mid-to-High Priority Components
- SP4: Implement All Retained Components
The Packages propose different levels of improvement that range from a Strategy Package that keeps the Beltline as it is today with only essential improvements and maintenance to a Strategy Package that does everything needed for optimal operations on the Beltline while offering the highest level of mobility and accessibility to all modes of travel.
Each of the build Draft Strategy Packages (those other than Preserve and Maintain) builds on the pervious Draft Strategy Package 2 includes the higher priority components and includes improvements in areas with the largest safety concerns, pavement and structure deficiencies, and mainline and interchange traffic capacity issues in the 2050 design year. Draft Strategy Package 3 builds on Package 2 by adding the mid priority components to the improvements included in Package 2. Draft Strategy Package 4 includes components considered in the PEL study that show promise but were not included in previous Packages.
Components included in Draft Strategy Packages SP2 through SP4 can be viewed on the
Public Involvement page of the website.
When will the improvements be built?
Construction of improvements recommended as a solution to the Beltline issues cannot be considered until the PEL and NEPA phases are completed, which is estimated to be in the mid 2020’s. At that point, it could be recommended to the Transportation Projects Commission (TPC), where the TPC evaluates statewide priorities and make recommendation for funding of final design and construction.
Please see
interim solutions question above for more information on potential improvements to this section of the Beltline.