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Today, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced that Madison’s high-speed rail station will be located downtown at the Monona Terrace.

The location will maximize ridership, and provide easy access to other forms of transportation, the State Capitol, convention center, businesses and hotels, according to a  press release.

In selecting the final station location, the state considered all of the analyses and environmental studies completed during the past decade. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation conducted a feasibility assessment of four specific site options — Monona Terrace, Dan County Airport, First Street and the Kohl Center.

The assessment included a review of rail operations, ridership, access to other forms of transportation, parking, traffic impacts, environmental issues, cost, site geometrics and opportunities for economic development.

The state now will complete an environmental assessment of the Monona Terrace station location.

Wisconsin is slated to receive $823 million in high-speed stimulus funds, including $810 million to upgrade the corridor between Milwaukee and Madison to operate high-speed trains, $12 million to improve service between Chicago and Milwaukee and $1 million to study a route between Madison and the Twin Cities. Construction on the Madison-to-Milwaukee segment is scheduled to begin later this year and be complete in 2013.