This plan proposes a land use development plan which is based upon a number of key principles focusing on the need to preserve the environmental resources of the county while providing a high quality living environment with a wide variety of options for different lifestyle needs. They also call for the provision of efficient public services to communities.

Land Consumption. One of the measures of success is whether less land can be expected to be converted from agricultural production or open space to new development than would occur if nothing was done. As shown in Table 6-1, if current trends were allowed to continue without application of the recommendations in this plan, approximately 6,900 acres of additional land would be used over the life of the plan. This estimate includes about 1,200 acres in the central urban service area, 1,600 acres in the outlying urban service areas, and over 4,100 acres in the rural areas of the county.

Public Service Needs. The impacts of the plan on public service provision can be discussed in a number of ways. Focusing growth into urban service areas allows communities to make more efficient use of existing facilities and resources. Emergency services are more efficient when the distances they have to cover are less. This efficiency in service can be realized as local cost savings over time. In the case of area public schools, as student populations grow and are located in existing neighborhoods or adjacent areas, school boards may avoid the need for some new buildings and the associated transportation or staffing costs that could be incurred under a more dispersed growth pattern. The SAVES model has allowed a quantitative evaluation of five of these factors, as seen in Table 6-1, which include:

Water Use. Water use throughout the county is similar under both a continuation of current trends and the plan. In both cases, total daily water consumption in the county will increase by 16 million gallons. However, increased water consumption under the plan is 200,000 gallons per day less than projected under current trends.

Sewer Use. Sanitary sewer use is projected to be about 200,000 gallons per day greater under the plan than if current trends continued. This increase is due to the larger number of homes anticipated to be served by public sanitary sewer under the plan. This greater reliance on sanitary sewer should have a corresponding positive benefit on ground water quality in the county.

Septic Loadings. A significant impact quantified by the model was a reduction in septic loadings (sanitary effluent serviced by on-site wastewater treatment systems) under the plan. If current trends continue, new on-site systems in the county would generate a projected 1.74 million gallons of effluent daily. Under the plan, that would be decreased to 1.37 million gallons daily, due to fewer new rural housing units. Almost 375,000 gallons less effluent would be treated by on-site systems under the plan's recommended development patterns.

K-12 School Enrollments. Although the model, by its nature, is less precise about this impact factor, it shows a greater concentration of school age children in the urban areas than the rural areas under the land use recommendations of the plan. However, as school district boundaries do not conform with those of the analysis zones used in the model which tend to reflect municipal boundaries and census tracts, no definitive projections could be made for any individual school districts.

Roads. The SAVES model projects that the same number of miles of new road will be needed to accommodate new development under both futures. The difference is in the location. Under the continuation of current trends, 15 more miles of roadway would be needed in rural areas while the opposite would be true in the urban service areas under the recommended growth patterns proposed in the plan.

Aesthetics and Image. The recommendations of the plan have all been designed to allow Dane County to grow into the image or vision its residents desire for their future. Therefore, one of the important impacts of the plan is how that vision will actually physically manifest itself as the growth is realized. As stated in Chapter 5, much of the success of the vision depends upon the implementation decisions which will be made at all levels of government over the life of the plan. However, if the principles recommended in the plan are followed, a number of general results should be evident including:

· More areas of open space and farmland will remain undeveloped. As a result, there should be less scattered development along county highways. More rural residential development will be clustered or placed around existing hamlets and fewer single homes will be scattered across the countryside. Communities would be more distinct and there would be a clearer separation between urban and rural areas.

· Activity centers will be developed along transit corridors and will be subject to urban design and landscaping guidelines to improve the overall image of the community.

· New urban developments will be characterized by more efficient use of the land through traditional neighborhood design techniques and the application of design guidelines for both new and redeveloped properties. The county's community development initiative is an attempt to provide visual examples of the types of development this plan promises. The aesthetic impact of this plan can best be illustrated through specific implementation efforts such as this initiative.

Indirect Land Use Impacts. The goal of providing a safe, convenient, and efficient transportation system, and improving mobility and accessibility, can result in reinforcing residential location choices and development patterns that are at odds with the land use goals and objectives of this plan. Transportation system improvements which reduce commuting time to major employment centers, particularly in the central urban service area, can have the unintended effect of supporting or even encouraging more dispersed residential development patterns than proposed in this plan.

The success of this land use and transportation plan depends highly on achieving the proposed land use objectives and development patterns. This goal underscores the necessity and importance of pursuing stronger and more effective land use controls, particularly in areas intended to remain rural in character and which are within convenient commuting distance to the central urban service area. Otherwise, scattered residential development in outlying areas, and perpetuation of outlying areas as "bedroom" communities will result.

Transportation System Impacts

Observations of Social Impacts

This plan proposes a number of changes to the overall

transportation system. Some of these changes will affect individuals directly while others will affect groups of individuals. Those changes affecting individuals deal with individual travel habits—what mode of transportation we are likely to use, the extent of carpooling we use, and travel services for special groups. Collectively, changes are likely to affect our overall safety, neighborhoods, and travel convenience.

Personal Travel Habits. Travel habits are changing as a result of changes in the labor force, shifts in employment concentrations, access to automobiles, and the availability and price of fuel supplies. Automobile usage is increasing, with work trips from suburb to suburb increasing in frequency. While the present plan recommends capacity improvements to the highway system in response to this trend, it also recognizes the importance of the transit system, ridesharing, and bicycling in maintaining a balanced transportation system. Transit, ridesharing, and bicycling are essential, particularly in areas where congestion is significant and there are no opportunities for increased roadway capacity and/or additional parking. These alternative modes of travel increase the efficiency of our transportation system and provide a means of travel for those individuals who do not have access to automobiles. The degree of transit, ridesharing, and bicycling used will vary from person to person; however, the plan anticipates modest increases in all three modes of travel particularly in the following situations:

Central urban service area residents would likely make a greater shift toward transit, bicycling, and ridesharing since these services can best be utilized in urban settings. Those residents who work, go to school, or shop in central Madison should make the greatest use of transit and ridesharing. This is currently the case and can be reasonably expected to increase. Transit use to non-central Madison activity centers would increase with improved service, including cross-town service and elderly or disabled transit services.

· Ridesharing should become more widespread as efforts are made to coordinate and encourage its use. Commuting trips to work and school can be expected to involve carpools to a greater degree than trips for recreation or shopping.

· Travel within central Madison is expected to make a modest shift to transit as improved transit systems are introduced into the area. Shifts may also be expected toward greater pedestrian and bicycle usage as special pedestrian/transit/bikeway systems are completed and connect the major activity centers within central Madison.

· Other outlying area residents should be less affected by the proposed shifts between transportation modes. However, commuter transit service would be available to more outlying area communities and drivers commuting to central Madison by making greater use of peripheral park and ride lots as these are implemented.

· Improved transit service provided by a more accessible regular system, and more coordinated specialized systems would shift elderly and disabled travel habits away from dependence on private arrangements to a greater use of public transit and coordinated paratransit services. It would tend to stimulate the amount of travel by elderly, disabled and other transportation disadvantaged groups.

· Bicycling as a mode for non-recreational travel can be expected to obtain a larger share of urban trips than already significant current levels. Both recreational and non-recreational bicycle uses are likely to grow as special bikeway facilities are implemented.

· Bicycle and pedestrian transportation for short trips can be expected to increase as more neighborhoods are developed with convenience shops and services integrated into the neighborhood.

Travel Convenience. Overall travel convenience for most of the region should be improved as: 1) congested roadways are improved; 2) transit services are expanded; and 3) additional transportation facilities (such as peripheral parking lots and bicycle lanes) are provided.

· Urban service area roadway congestion will likely cause some travel delays during peak hour periods.

· Travel by transit will become more convenient as the system is expanded with possible peak hour service to outlying urban service areas and the service frequency increased. Improvements in travel time could be realized primarily through increased express service, supplementary routes closer to central Madison, special transit lanes and traffic engineering improvements. (Transit vehicles sharing roadway with other traffic will be slowed as well as when congestion increases.)

· Transit-dependent persons (i.e., those who do not own or have access to autos) would likely have improved travel convenience due to an expanded transit system, increasingly connecting concentrations of elderly, young, and low-income populations to shopping, employment and other service or activity centers. Greater coordination of public, commercial, agency and organizational services will increase travel convenience for elderly, disabled, and other transportation disadvantaged individuals.

Neighborhood Impacts. In general, most neighborhoods should not be greatly affected by travel-related impacts. Overall travel, although increasing over time, should not induce additional auto travel in developed neighborhoods. With greater efforts to channel travel to the major arterials in the system, most local streets can be expected to maintain, or slightly increase, existing traffic volumes.

· Some neighborhood areas, particularly those adjacent to major travel corridors, may experience traffic increases as congestion along the corridors increases. It is expected that these possible traffic intrusions can be minimized through traffic control techniques when traffic redirection opportunities are unavailable.

· It can be expected that temporary localized neighborhood traffic increases would occur while congested roadways are being improved.

· With increased transit service along major transit corridors, there may be increased interest and opportunities to develop additional housing within the corridor at locations consistent with neighborhood plans.

· Neighborhoods with many transportation disadvantaged persons (e.g., elderly, disabled, low income, young) can be expected to benefit from improved and expanded transit services. Increasing transit services and expanding the service area can assist the transportation disadvantaged by: 1) providing improved transportation services to a wider range of job opportunities, schools, health care facilities, shopping centers, and cultural centers; and 2) assisting in broadening the available housing choices for the transportation disadvantaged by making more residential areas conveniently accessible to transit services. One of the reasons for Madison Metro's route restructuring is to meet this need.

· Some enhanced transit modes such as commuter rail with traditional diesel engines may have a noise impact on neighborhoods along this corridor.

· There is potential for positive redevelopment opportunities at station areas for an enhanced transit system in the transit priority corridor.

Travel Safety. Since the most effective ways to reduce accidents (more cautious driving, greater enforcement, public education, etc.) are not directly influenced by this plan, the impacts of this transportation plan cannot be adequately assessed. To the extent that this plan indirectly touches upon some of the variables influencing safety, it is likely no substantial changes could be expected.

· Fatal accidents would not be expected to change substantially.

· The possibilities of non-fatal, auto-related accidents would tend to increase because of the greater traffic congestion, particularly in the central urban service area.

· Traffic engineering, surface maintenance, and lighting programs can improve safety for elderly and disabled as well as all other sectors of the population.

· Roadway improvements, as suggested in this plan, should help reduce auto accidents as existing hazardous roadway conditions are corrected.

· Care must be taken in the design of an enhanced transit system in the priority corridor to minimize potential conflicts between the transit system and roadways, bikeways, and pedestrian routes.

Mobility and Accessibility. The ability to travel where and when desired (mobility) and the ability to reach the wide range of desired locations (accessibility) can be expected to moderately improve over time for a larger portion of Dane County residents. The degree to which each individual's mobility and accessibility may improve will depend upon the location of his/her residence, travel destinations and unique travel needs. Benefits can be realized by implementing the recommendations for compact walkable urban communities.

· In broad locational terms, it would appear that the mobility of outer area residents would not likely drop below currently high levels. Continued reliance upon auto travel, augmented with specialized and commuter transit services, should likely improve overall travel opportunities for intra-community travel and might improve for inter-community travel.

· Central urban service area residents who rely almost exclusively upon auto travel, due to the location of their home or nature of their work, are likely to experience some lessening of mobility due to travel inconvenience during peak period congestion. Overall accessibility should not be affected since all areas are able to be reached by auto.

· For urban area residents who use transit, out of choice or necessity, both mobility and accessibility should be greatly improved—particularly for those trips with central Madison origins or destinations. With increased transit services in the form of expanded service area, improved service frequency, crosstown service, and specialized transit service (e.g., elderly/disabled, express service), opportunities to reach most destinations with greater convenience should be improved.

Observations of Economic Impacts

Economic impacts of the transportation plan affect a wide range of concerns. The two broadest areas of impact are: 1) the likely economic impacts upon individuals; and 2) the likely economic impacts upon collectively financing the anticipated transportation system.

Personal Travel Costs. Overall personal travel costs may be reduced slightly as increased transit, ridesharing and bicycling offset the need for marginal automobile ownership. Since a large share of all personal travel costs are associated with owning, maintaining, storing, and operating one or more automobiles, any reduction in overall automobile ownership should reduce overall personal costs for transportation, particularly benefiting low-income and other transportation disadvantaged individuals.

· Although increases in transit support and operating costs can be expected, overall cost reductions from more efficient transit and carpooling operations should yield an overall net reduction in personal transportation costs.

· The greatest out-of-pocket savings should accrue to those individuals or families who can replace former auto trips with transit trips and eliminate the need for added personal automobiles.

· Elderly and disabled persons who can depend to a greater extent on publicly funded transit services will experience reduced transportation costs.

Transportation System Development Costs. The anticipated expenditure of public funds for maintaining, improving, and operating the transportation system is an important consideration in the evaluation of this plan. It is also one of the most difficult impacts to assess since: 1) the most cost-effective means of implementation requires more detailed studies beyond the scope of this plan; and 2) future funding opportunities (especially possible shifts in state and federal funding availability) are constantly changing.

However, some major implications of transportation system development costs may be determined if certain assumptions regarding the future can be established. In analyzing the cost implications of the plan, the following general assumptions were used:

· All cost figures are based upon 1996 dollars and that the relationship between goods, services, and wages will remain essentially the same;

· The present federal and state revenues and funding formulas for roadways and transit will remain essentially the same; and

· Average regional transportation-related expenditures for 1991-1995 represent a reasonable approximation of future funding capabilities.

Revenue projections for support of the long-range transportation plan by funding category are included in the Appendices volume. These provide revenue estimates of the time periods of 1997 to 2000; 2001 to 2010; and 2011 to 2020. These provide revenue estimates for six categories of state highway funding which may be available to this area; and six categories of local roadway program revenues. These projections include an estimate of local unit revenues spent on roadway improvements based upon costs submitted to the state for General Transportation Aids purposes. Revenue projections for seven transit categories and five other miscellaneous categories are also included in the revenue estimates.

Each of the revenue projection categories follow the WisDOT provided Financial Plan Guidance, which provides average annual amounts for each category, based upon the assumption of Translinks 21 initiative funding becoming available following legislative approval. Since Translinks 21 initiatives have not yet been approved by the legislature, the revenue estimates have been adjusted to 1996 dollar amounts, with funding derived from Translinks initiatives delayed to later periods.

Overall, the revenue projections compared to anticipated project improvement costs indicate:

· Continued major expenditures for average annual costs to provide for maintenance and operation of the current transportation system;

- Roadway costs for construction and maintenance of the state roadways and the local streets and roadways are included in Table 6-2 for the years of 1991 through 1995;

- Transit capital and operating costs are also included by year for the Madison Metro, Monona, and Stoughton transit systems for the years of 1991 through 1995;

· Projected revenues for transit capital and operating costs to year 2020 appear able to fund the current levels of transit with moderate expansion of service; however, major expansions to 2020 enhanced bus, light rail transit or commuter rail services will need to attract additional federal and/or state funding for capital and operating costs. The transit corridor major investment study will help define transit expansion costs for each of the differing transit technologies which might be used;

· Projected revenues for major roadway improvements, such as a north corridor roadway, will also be dependent upon statewide discretionary funding being able to be directed to these improvements in Dane County. If statewide discretionary funding is not available during the indicated time periods, major projects will have to be delayed to later years; and

· Fiscal constraint. Table 6-3 illustrates the balancing of the Transportation Plan Costs with revenues available for transportation by all surface transportation modes (transit, bicycle, and roadways). For each of the three time periods of the plan, the summary table indicates that the total implementation costs, including system preservation and maintenance, of the transportation plan are generally covered by reasonable expected future revenues on an annual basis, and demonstrates that the plan is fiscally constrained. For example, the total annual cost of the transportation plan for the period of 1997 through the year 2000 is $115.7 million dollars compared to an annual revenue estimate of $132.1 million for the same period.These costs apply primarily to the major arterial roadway system and do not include the collector or minor arterial or local street systems due to inadequate data being available.

Because the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) is up for reauthorization on October 1 of 1997, the potential level of future funding remains uncertain at this time with a number of proposals being debated by Congress. For the purposes of this plan, it has been assumed that the levels of funding available under ISTEA since 1991will continue to be the same over the life of the entire plan. <

Table 6-2

Dane County Transportation System Costs

1991 to 1995 ($000s)

^a From WisDOT STH Improvement Program records less local costs.

^b From all local unit reported roadway construction costs plus half "Other" costs before General Transportation Aids reimbursement.

^c From WisDOT records for maintenance costs on STHs.

^d From all local unit reported maintenance, police and non-local costs before General Transportation Aids reimbursement.

^e Transit costs include Madison Metro, Monona and Stoughton systems.

Table 6-3
Transportation Funding Plan Summary
(Federal, State, & Local)

In addition, pending the outcome and recommendations of the various Major Investment Studies (MIS) to be conducted, it will be necessary to evaluate the financial feasibility of implementing such recommendations as part of the MIS studies. Availability of funding resources may cause funding priorities to be modified when details become more clear, and/or at the time of the five-year update of this overall plan, whichever occurs first.

Observations of Environmental Physical Impacts

The physical presence of transportation facilities and services reach nearly everywhere and affect the environmental conditions around them. Some impacts are significant enough and common enough to be reviewed at a systemwide scale while others are unique and localized to a particular area. Transportation facilities and services directly influence the region's air quality, noise levels, urban shape and form as well as other environmental and physical factors.

Air Quality. The Federal Clean Air Act of 1970 established the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These standards were established in order to protect public health, safety and welfare from known or anticipated effects of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particulates (PM₁₀, 10-micron and smaller), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) and lead (Pb). The National and Wisconsin Ambient Air Quality Standards for these pollutants are listed in Table 6-4.

The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1977 and 1990 required all states to submit to the United States Environmental Protection Agency a list identifying those air quality control regions, or portions thereof, which meet or exceed the NAAQS or cannot be classified because of insufficient data. Portions of air quality control regions which are shown by monitored data or air quality modeling to exceed the NAAQS for any criteria pollutant are designated "non-attainment" areas for that pollutant. The CAAA established time schedules for the states to attain the NAAQS. Dane County is within the Southern Wisconsin Air Quality Control Region (AQCR # 240). This AQCR is in attainment for all the criteria pollutants of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

The primary transportation-related emissions from automobiles, buses and trucks affecting air quality are carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and hydrocarbons (HC). The latter two pollutants are not of concern individually from a health standpoint; however, they do react together in the presence of sunlight to form photochemical oxidants (ozone), which in higher concentrations is harmful to human health and welfare. Ozone derived from the above sources, which are present near the earth's surface, should not be confused with the ozone layer located seven miles high in the atmosphere which shields the earth from cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. O₃ represents about 90 percent of all oxidants found in the air.

In addition to motor vehicles, major sources of oxides of nitrogen include fuel combustion in power plants and processes used in chemical plants. At high temperatures and under certain other conditions, nitrogen gas can combine with oxygen in the air to form several different gaseous compounds with nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) being the most important.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) operates five air monitoring stations in Dane County. Three of the five sites measure multiple pollutants with O₃, SO₂ and CO measured at individual locations, TSP at three locations and PM₁₀ at two locations. None of the WDNR Dane County monitors measured pollutant levels in violation of the NAAQS in 1995 based upon data found in the 1995 Air Quality Report published by the Bureau of Air Management of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Transportation Plan Air Quality Impacts. Transportation-related emissions, mainly from automobiles, are

influenced by a number of factors such as vehicle age, average speed, average trip length, temperature, miles traveled, engine condition, and federally mandated emission control regulations. The plan goals and recommendations affect the air quality of the region mainly by reducing traffic congestion.

The 1990 base year vehicle trips of 980,287 are estimated to produce 7,559,344 vehicle miles of travel (VMT) each day in the Madison urban area at an average speed of 30 mph. By not implementing the capacity improvements called for in this plan, congestion levels increase and the system-wide average speed drops to 25 mph. Pollutant levels fall even though congestion levels rise because of newer vehicles gradually replacing older (more polluting) vehicles over time. By implementing the improvements called for in the plan through 2020, average system-wide speed would be maintained at 30 mph. This average speed and a slight reduction in VMT allows HC and CO to be further reduced. (See Table 6-5)

Table 6-4

Wisconsin Ambient Air Quality Standards

NR 404.04, Wisconsin Administrative Code^a

Adopted From November 25, 1971 National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Last Revised July 1, 1987 (40 CFR 50.4 to 50.11) <

Source: Wisconsin 1995 Air Quality Report, WDNR, Bureau of Air Management, p. 13.

^a PM₁₀ standards were adopted and most TSP standards were deleted when the Wisconsin Administrative Code was revised in 1989. The 24-hour secondary TSP standard was retained. The TSP secondary standard is specific to Wisconsin and should not be confused with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are developed by the U.S. EPA.

^b `Primary Air Standard' means the level of the air quality which provides protection for public health with an adequate margin of safety.

^c"Secondary Air Standard" means the level of air quality which may be necessary to protect welfare from unknown or anticipated adverse effects.

^* Concentration not to be exceeded more than once (separate days for ozone) per year.

^**Concentration in weight per cubic meter (all except ozone corrected to 25^oC and 760 mm of Hg).

^***Analysis is conducted on acid extract of high-volume filter particulate.

It should also be noted that if the federal government requires stricter vehicle emission regulations in the future, the average fleet emission rate should continue to decline. Such legislation would help the region maintain its air quality attainment status along with continued growth. Transit and carpooling efforts beyond those specified in the plan and outside of Dane County will also aid in improving the region's air quality.

Noise. Traffic-related noise has historically increased as traffic volumes and speeds have increased throughout the Dane County region. Most of the increase has been focused on the major collectors and arterials in the highway network. The actual impact of traffic-related noise, however, is dependent on a number of factors that tend to be rather site specific, which makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to measure on an areawide basis. Typically in long traffic corridors, potential points of impact are identified, and existing and future levels of highway development are then computer modeled to determine noise impacts. Three major characteristics affecting the noise level from motor vehicles at any given location include traffic conditions, roadway configuration and attenuation parameters.

Table 6-5

Transportation Plan Air Quality Impacts

*note: Pollution estimates based on emission factors from Mobile 5a.

Traffic Condition Characteristics. Traffic condition characteristics include items such as existing and future year (design year) peak hour traffic volumes, directional split, truck percentage and speed. Peak hour traffic volumes produce the highest noise levels and usually occur during the morning hours between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. or during the evening hours between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Noise levels should also be determined using the worst case directional split, the side of the roadway with the highest percentage of traffic. The use of truck volumes or truck percentage factors is also very important in assessing noise level impacts and is a common cause of error in noise level predictions. Speed, which is the last traffic condition characteristic that affects noise levels, is also important in determining noise impacts.

Roadway Configuration Characteristics. Roadway configuration characteristics include items such as grade, vertical alignment and horizontal alignment. Grades of a roadway, particularly uphill grades, affect noise levels primarily from trucks. Truck noise can increase in range from 1 dB for a two percent grade up to 5 dB for a seven or more percent grade. Grade adjustment factors are used in a noise analysis only for heavy trucks (three or more axles) and not for cars or medium trucks. Changes in vertical alignment, particularly depressing a highway to form a cut section, can also be quite effective in reducing noise, since this creates a barrier or back slope between the source of the noise and the receiver. Since noise from a linear source is reduced between 3 and 4.5 dB per doubling of distance between the source and the receiver, shifting the horizontal align ment away from an affected area can also be quite beneficial. Sometimes a roadway on a new location can be placed so that attenuation is provided by natural land forms such as hills and wooded areas.

Attenuation Characteristics. Attenuation characteristics include items such as distance, shielding and ground cover. As stated above, noise level decreases as the sound moves away from the source at a rate of 3 to 4.5 dB per doubling of the distance. Shielding of a noise occurs when the line-of-sight between the receiver and the roadway is obstructed by an object or objects which interferes with the movement of the noise. Shielding can be provided by structures, buildings, dense woods, and so on. Ground cover refers to the hardness or softness of the surrounding ground surface. Hard sites are usually bituminous or concrete pavement. Soft sites refer to grassy or agricultural areas. Distance attenuation on a hard site is 3 dB per doubling of the distance and 4.5 dB for a soft site.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has also developed criteria for evaluating the impact of traffic noise on various types of land use or activities. The criteria are summarized in Table 6-6. Noise impacts occur when there is an increase of 15 decibels or more over existing noise levels or when the peak hour equivalent noise level approaches or exceeds the values in Table 6-6 with approach being defined as within one decibel.

Transportation Plan Noise Impacts. The roadway transportation network in Dane County is made up of eight

functional classifications ranging from a "Single Lane Collector" to an "Eight Lane Expressway". Using typical pavement widths, approximate right-of-way widths, average speeds from the TRANPLAN model, and free flow peak hour traffic volumes, each classification was modeled using the Federal Highway Administrations traffic noise model, STAMINA. The results are presented in Table 6-7. This table presents a range of property line peak hour Leq noise levels that could be experienced in the county. Depending on the topography between the receiving properties and the roadways, peak hour Leq noise levels could be 3 to 5 decibels lower. The noise impacts of transit improvements were also considered.

Peak hour Leq noise levels adjacent to roadways in Dane County range from the low 60 to the mid 70 dBA. General traffic noise in Dane County will increase with volume. Peak hour equivalent noise levels, Leq, will increase 1 to 2 decibels by the year 2020. This increase in the Leq noise level, in the natural environment, will be barely noticeable to the general population. Corridors being considered for future widening would experience increased noise levels ranging from 2 to 3 decibels. This increase would be the result of traffic growth and the movement of the roadway closer to the right-of-way. Increases of 2 to 3 decibels are not significant. However, the potential movement of the roadway closer to a residence, school, church, library, etc., would require the determination as to whether or not there was a traffic noise impact and whether or not the impact could be mitigated.

Energy Impacts. The total amount of energy consumed to power our transportation system is dependent upon the efficiency of our vehicles and the total distance we travel. It is also affected by a large number of other economic, physical and cultural factors which can assist or hinder our efforts in achieving reduced energy consumption within the transportation sector. To the extent that the features of this transportation plan influence the quantity of future transportation-related fuel consumed, the following general observations may be noted.

· An important energy saving factor affecting this plan is the continuing increase in automobile fuel economy mandated by past federal legislation. The effect of this legislation has improved the overall fuel efficiency of automobiles. If continued at the pace specified, overall fuel savings may be substantial.

Table 6-6

FHWA Noise Abatement Criteria

Source: 23 CFR Part 772, August 5, 1982.

· From 1975 to 1995, vehicles miles traveled (VMT) increased 3.8 percent per year statewide, while mpg efficiencies also increased 2.1 percent per year from 12.6 mpg to an estimated 17.90 mpg. This has resulted in total fuel consumption increasing at an average annual rate of 1.04 percent, less than half the rate of increase for VMT.

· Transportation-related fuel consumption is also anticipated to increase at a similar rate for travel in the outer areas of the region. Despite increased travel, fuel conservation of outer area travel would largely be accomplished by modest increases in auto efficiency and, to a lesser degree, by transit and carpooling trips oriented to the central urban area.

Table 6-7

Peak Hour Equivalent Noise Levels

Source: HNTB, 1996

In the study area, VMT is forecasted to increase approximately 43% from 7,564,607 miles in 1990 to 10,798,960 miles in 2020. It appears that increases in fuel efficiency have leveled off. During the period from 1980-1988, statewide fuel efficiency increased at an average of 3.6 percent per year from 13.2 mpg to 17.03 mpg. However, during the period from 1988 to 1995, statewide fuel efficiency increased at an average of only 0.7% per year from 17.03 mpg to 17.9 mpg. If fuel efficiency continues to increase at the modest rate of 0.7% per year for the next 25 years, then fuel consumption should increase 18% from the 1990 level, an increase less than half of the forecasted increase for VMT.

· Utilization of existing alternate transit technologies for the central urban area would not appreciably reduce overall fuel consumption. Technologies, such as light rail, are more efficient energy alternatives when ridership increases result in a substantial reduction of systemwide VMT. Analyses of the more aggressive transit systems have shown that, while major increases in base transit ridership can be achieved, these increases are not sufficient to lower systemwide VMT to levels where overall fuel consumption would be reduced. Implementing more aggressive transit technologies in the Madison urbanizing area would have a marginal effect on reducing systemwide fuel consumption.

Other Environmental Impacts. Some temporary environmental impacts (noise, dust, etc.) can be expected to occur during major roadway and/or transit construction. Some transit and roadway improvements may impact sensitive areas (such as wetlands, natural areas, etc.). Efforts have been made to minimize roadway improvements in potentially sensitive areas. Specific impacts may best be understood and minimized at a project level. Roadway and transit improvements which require new or expanded right-of-way will require meeting an array of state and federal requirements. Right-of-way acquisition and removal of on-street parking for exclusive bus lanes, traffic lanes or intersection improvements along major transportation corridors may cause residential or business dislocations at specific locations. Transit and auto-related roadway improvements along some major corridors will be implemented in stages as financial resources become available. During interim periods some impacts, such as parking inconvenience for immediate and surrounding areas, increased traffic volumes, and congestion and traffic intrusion into neighborhood areas can be expected until the proposed improvement is complete.

Observations of Institutional Impacts

Transit Administration.

The current central urban area public transit system, owned and operated by the City of Madison, is strained to provide efficient and equitable transit services. This strain is due to development trends at the edge of the Madison area and in outlying locations which create dispersed travel patterns difficult to serve with a transit system with a radial route orientation. The 1997 transit transfer system and the 2020 expanded transit systems proposed by the plan would significantly increase service capabilities to the developing areas and increase the efficiency of the existing system.

There are several organizational options available to administer increased transit service on a partial or county-wide basis. Among the options are to: 1) continue intergovernmental agreements for service on a year-to-year basis and; 2) transfer operating responsibility to a county-wide transit "authority" or "district" or regional transportation authority (for transit and major roadways). When or if to initiate such a transfer, or which type of organization arrangement would work best, will need to be determined as more detailed system expansion and service plans are developed.

Roadway Management. It does not appear that the current institutional arrangements which provide local roadway planning, funding, construction and maintenance would need to be altered; however, it will be appropriate to have some roadway jurisdictional transfers.

Ridesharing. It is anticipated that to continue the ridesharing goals proposed by the plan, an active publicly supported organization needs to be maintained on a continuing basis. The Dane County Ridesharing Program needs to continue to assist and promote carpooling, vanpooling, transit, and other travel demand management activities.

Land Use Controls. It is anticipated that effective land use controls to guide development consistent with adopted plans can be achieved with more creative, extensive, and consistent application of current land use control tools. The implementation chapter of this plan discusses the variety of implementation measures and responsibilities.