Madison Community Transportation Academy - Spring 2026

The Madison Community Transportation Academy is a 10-week, once-per-week course open to community members. The course is free of charge for participants. The Academy helps bridge the gap between community members and decision-makers in transportation planning and provides community members with skills and knowledge to advocate for safe and accessible transportation networks that work for everyone.

There are 30 seats available. Anyone who is interested may apply - no experience in transportation or advocacy required. The application process ensures that participants represent a diverse, inter-generational, cross-section of the community. 

The course is offered free of charge. We therefore ask participants to commit to attending all 10 classes. A limited amount of stipends are available upon request help alleviate financial or logistical barriers to participation. 

Sessions take place on Wednesdays (virtual) OR Thursdays (in-person) from 4-6pm. There will be a mix of 5 in-person and 5 online class sessions from April 2 - June 4, 2026. (Full schedule listed below in the application). In-person sessions will take place at UW Madison's South Madison Partnership building, located at 2238 S Park Street. 

The final session on June 4 offers participants the opportunity to showcase their infrastructure ideas and policy proposals while engaging directly with local officials and staff, and community leaders, to build momentum for potential projects.

Please fill out all application questions below.

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Contact Information
First name *
Last name *
Email *
Phone number *
Mailing address *
Application Questions
This section of the application is an opportunity for you to share more about your interest in the Madison Community Transportation Academy, any background you have in local advocacy (of any kind) or in local transportation issues. There are NO prerequisites or other requirements for participation. We encourage applications from people who are new to transportation, advocacy, or both!
How did you hear about the Madison Community Transportation Academy? *
Why are you interested in taking this course? *
What topics are you most interested in learning about?
Are you involved in any local advocacy work (does not have to be related to transportation)? If so, please describe. *
Are you currently, or have you in the past, been involved in the transportation field, either for work or as a participant in public engagement or advocacy? If so, please describe. *
What is your occupation?
If you require accommodations during in-person or virtual class sessions, please describe them here. 
Participant Expectations

This class will be held for 10 sessions from April 2 - June 4, 2026. All sessions meet from 4 to 6 pm. We expect applicants to participate in all sessions, with exceptions made only for illness or emergency. Virtual sessions of this course will be recorded and available as unlisted YouTube links after the completion of the course. 

Note that our in-person sessions are scheduled on Thursdays, and virtual sessions are on Wednesdays. This is due to a mixture of factors, including guests' schedules, meeting space availability, and City of Madison's public meeting schedule.  

The full schedule is as follows:

Session 1: Thursday, April 2 (In person)

Session 2: Wednesday, April 8 (Virtual) 

Session 3: Thursday, April 16 (In person)

Session 4: Wednesday, April 22 (Virtual)

Session 5: Thursday, April 30 (In person)

Session 6: Wednesday, May 6 (Virtual)

Session 7: Thursday, May 13 (In person)

Session 8: Wednesday, May 20 (Virtual)

Session 9: Wednesday, May 27 (Virtual)

Session 10: Thursday, June 4 (In person)


I understand that participants are expected to attend all ten sessions of the course, with exceptions made only for illness or emergency. (Enter full name below).

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I understand that virtual sessions will be recorded. (Enter full name below).

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The Madison Community Transportation Academy is offered free of charge to those invited to participate. If a stipend would help alleviate financial or logistical barriers that would otherwise prevent you from participating, please indicate as such below. We will follow up with you individually with more details.

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The CTA Alumni Network is a newly-forming, statewide group that provides connections, support, and community-building to any participant of a past Community Transportation Academy. 1000 Friends of Wisconsin has offered 6 Academies in communities across Wisconsin since 2023, and we are building the Alumni Network to help past participants stay engaged in local change-making, through the power of the networks, skills, and experiences that all in the network can bring to each other. 

Those who opt to join the Alumni Network receive periodic newsletters to share information, Alumni success stories, and additional networking opportunities such as virtual meet-ups or skill-shares.

If you have any questions or comments about the CTA Alumni Network, please indicate them below. 

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Demographic Information

Completion of this section is voluntary and protected by State and Federal Law. This information will only be used to identify and reduce inequities and disparities. The purpose of collecting this information is to ensure we are reaching a diverse cross-section of the community. 

I have read and understand how demographic information will be collected and used. (Enter full name below).

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Gender pronouns are the terms people use to reflect their gender identity, and might be he/him, she/her, or they/them. Using preferred pronouns is important for creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who are trans or nonbinary. For more information, read this article in The Conversation.
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