📝 Need help with taxes?

🚌 More Federal Funds for BRT

• President Joe Biden’s 2025 proposed budget includes $118.1 million for Madison’s north-south bus rapid transit (BRT) line. The influx of federal funds means that now almost 80% of the project would be federally funded.
• Route B, as the city calls it, is currently in the development and planning stages. Generally, it would follow Metro’s existing Route B, which runs from the city’s north side, through downtown, to South Madison, and end in Fitchburg. Metro hopes to launch the route in 2028.
• Don’t get confused: The city is still set to open its initial east-west BRT line later this year. [Cap Times, City of Madison]

🏫 Another UW Campus To Close

• UW-Milwaukee announced it will close its Waukesha campus at the end of the spring 2025 semester.
• Why? Declining enrollment and budgetary issues. Currently, there are about 550 full time students enrolled at the campus and the closure will affect more than 100 employees.
• The bigger picture: In May 2023, UW-Platteville ended classes at its Richland Center campus. In October 2023, the university system announced it would shutter in-person instruction at UW-Milwaukee at Washington County and UW-Oshkosh at Fond du Lac. In January, UW-Green Bay announced it will end in-person classes at its Marinette County campus when this spring semester is over. [WPR]

💸 Need Tax Help?

• Spring is here and you know what that means — it’s officially tax season. Your 2023 personal income tax return is April 15. Before freaking out, there are several free (and local!) resources to help you get the job done.
• Madison Public Library: The library partners with local experts to provide tax assistance. You can schedule an appointment here. Need to print? All Madison Public Libraries offer some pre-printed tax forms for free.
• Richard Dilley Tax Center: This program, run by the University of Wisconsin Extension, helps file taxes for low-income individuals and families, elderly adults, people with limited English, and people with disabilities.
• Goodwill: Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin works in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and the IRS to provide tax help for low- and moderate-income community members. If you consider yourself an expert, you can sign up to volunteer for the program. [MPL, Richard Dilley Tax Center, Goodwill SCW]

⬆️ Last Week’s Winner

Last week I asked you all a very important question — where are these chickens?

More than two dozen people chimed in to answer and, good news! Most of you got it right! These feathered friends can be found at Madison’s Troy Farm on the north side. The urban farm has grown certified organic vegetables since 2001.

🎉 Congrats to Olivia J. for being the first person to guess correctly! As they say, the early bird gets the email bragging rights.

⬇️ This Week’s Clues

Ok folks, depending on how you live your life, this week’s guess is either going to be very easy or very hard. Where is this art? I’ll give you three hints.

• This place is a favorite in Madison’s late-night scene.
• It has an instagram account dedicated to selfies taken in its bathroom.
• Sometimes this spot has live DJs perform at brunch.

Wisconsin's Prize Game Fish Is in Trouble

Our early spring weather may be welcome news for those who hate the cold. But for our state’s freshwater walleye fish, it’s a threat. A new study out of UW Madison shows that the earlier ice thaw on our lakes is hurting survival for walleye babies who are not adapting fast enough. Martha Barta, the lead author on the study, joins host Bianca Martin to share the results of her and her team’s research.