Building a Public Transit System for the Future

Madison and Dane County are in the final stages of a major overhaul of our public transit system.

UPDATE 11/30/22: We are now at the final stages of the Madison Metro Redesign. A required (Federal Transportation Funding requires a Civil Rights Act Title VI analysis) Equity Analysis has been completed. With approval, which is anticipated on 11/30/22, the system redesign will move forward with proposed routing changes to be implemented in the summer of 2023.

Four Lakes Group Comments:

• March 7th, 2022 comments: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oDNDdothWWk4Il_XwR-5aGcH3q-U7YPp/view?usp=sharing
• November 9th, 2022 comments to Transportation Commission: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j86eqDI7Zbi8QZdPIRv1U_oWlGgw9a2W/view?usp=sharing
• November 30th, 2022 comments to Transportation Commission:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/197tOzisYqE3VCj1B79iuiYNkbAJJEuxl/view?usp=sharing

MADISON METRO REDESIGN
https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/transit-network-redesign
Deadlines: No later than April 14th (last scheduled neighborhood meeting)

A draft proposal for a redesign of Madison’s bus system has been released and the City is in the midst of making presentations and getting feedback. The steps below would really help to get the message across that the proposed redesign: 

• Misses the mark on serving communities of color, low income and different abilities

• And it does not strategically address the need for a multimodal system with seamless connections to other modes of transportation and between local and regional transportation systems

You can:

1) Attend a neighborhood meeting. They are about half way through this process but see the remaining schedule below:

1. • Fitchburg, Monday 3/28, 6 PM

   • Downtown (districts 2,4,8), Wednesday 3/30, 6 PM

   • Isthmus/Near east side (Districts 6&15), Monday 4/4, 6 PM

   • Walnut Grove/Tamarack Trails, Wednesday 4/6, 6:30 PM

   • South Side (Districts 13 & 14), Thursday 4/7, 6 pm

   • Far West Side (District 19), Wednesday 4/13, 6 PM

   • UW Student/Employee Meeting, Thursday 4/14, 7 PM

Links and dial in information can be found for each meeting on the redesign website (scroll down): https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/transit-network-redesign

2) Contact your Alder with your comments and concerns regarding the redesign proposal. Please feel free to attach the Four Lakes Group comments (see resources below) or link to them.

Find your Alder and, or District here: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Elected-Officials

3) Send Mayor Sataya Rhodes Conway (mayor@cityofmadison.com) and the Madison Metro Redesign team (metroredesign@cityofmadison.com) your comments.

Resources:

• The Madison Metro website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/transit-network-redesign
• Arrive Together: Transportation Access and Equity in Wisconsin https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d-4x7asSudJhT8-f8jMSSY3-GOkIMcEN/view?usp=sharing
• The schedule for remaining public meetings: https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/transit-network-redesign

 Some things to think about:

• Your personal transportation needs.

• How can we, as a community, provide a transit system that really serves the people who need it most to access jobs, healthcare, groceries and other important daily activities.

• How can we, as a community, address inequities in the transportation system. Refer to the Arrive Together report linked below.

• The public transit system designed today needs to promote and support climate friendly development that does not require automobile ownership.

• The transportation sector is the largest source of pollutants damaging the climate in Dane County. Will public transit system result in reduced automobile use (reducing vehicle miles traveled)

• The County is currently redoing its long range regional development and transportation plans (2050) that defines big picture goals and advises on how to incorporate them into local decisions about how and where to grow. The Madison Metro Redesign should reflect these long term goals (see below).