In addition, a Transportation Demand Management project funded by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation was developed in conjunction with the Dane County Highway Department and the South Metropolitan Business Association for the purpose of addressing increased traffic congestion in the South Fish Hatchery Road and South Beltline Highway area. During the past 20 years, three rail transit commissions have been created in southern Wisconsin to preserve rail service or the potential for rail service, and to influence policies on the future use of rail corridors if rail service is discontinued. Dane County belongs to two of these commissions. The Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission has an operating contract with a shortline carrier for rail freight service on publicly owned east-west rail corridor in Dane County. The future of private railroad operations in Dane County is difficult to predict.
Abandonments can occur more easily and rapidly under deregulation than in the past.
If abandonments were to occur, public acquisition would be considered and Dane County asked to support these efforts in order to maintain regional service. In 1997 the Union Pacific gave notice that the line segment running south of Madison to north of Evansville will be subject to abandonment within the next three years. In 1994 the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution creating the Dane County Committee to Evaluate Commuter Rail Implementation. In February 1996 this committee produced a report indicating that it believes commuter rail holds great promise for Dane County and recommended further study to determine the feasibility of implementing commuter rail service on existing rail corridors within the county. A multijurisdictional Phase I Feasibility Study initiated in 1997 will be completed in 1998.