Text Description of Draft Redesign Service
Area summaries
Downtown: The many overlapping routes on University and Johnson will be replaced by fewer routes with more frequent and consistent service. Service on Lower State Street (between Gorham and Lake) will be eliminated and service on Upper State Street (between Gorham and the Capitol Square) will consist of only the bus rapid transit routes. Most local routes will bypass the Capitol Square using more direct routes on Gorham and Johnson, and on Doty and Wilson.
Isthmus: Johnson and Gorham, and Jenifer Street, will continue to see high levels of bus service with Routes C and D respectively providing service every 15 minutes. East Washington will see major increases with mid-day service levels increasing to every 7.5 minutes with BRT Routes A and B. Routes A, B, C, and D will cross over each other at First Street, providing connections between all four routes.
North side: The future BRT Route B will serve Packers and Northport, providing high quality fast and frequent service to most of the transit supportive and low income areas on the north side. North side residents will see direct service to downtown instead of forced transfers at the North Transfer Point. Areas farther north near Wheeler and Delaware will see service reduced to peak only.
East side: New direct and simple service along Milwaukee Street and Cottage Grove will provide new all-day service east of the interstate. Current Routes 16 and 30 will be combined into a single route that always operates “Via Nakoosa”. World Dairy and Owl Creek will see more direct, although still hourly service.
South side and Fitchburg: Service on Mills, Fish Hatchery, Olin, and John Nolen is consolidated into one frequent and direct route along Park Street, the future BRT corridor. The several confusing loops of Route 40 are consolidated into cohesive, frequent, and direct service along Fish Hatchery. Current Route 18, providing south to west connections, is replaced with similar Route H that is more direct and consistent and always runs along Todd, Post, and Coho.
West side: The many overlapping routes on University Avenue are consolidated into BRT Routes A, F, and Y. Monroe Street service is improved to every 15 minutes. Service on Speedway and Mineral Point east of Midvale is reduced to peak periods only, and service along Odana east of Whitney is eliminated. The former Route 19 service area is served by Route D2 along Midvale and Odana, but no service is available on Nakoma or Seminole. Service along the Mineral Point corridor farther west is replaced by BRT Route A, with service concentrated onto Mineral Point rather than deviating to the north and south. Old Sauk, currently served by Route 15, is served by peak-only Route Y east of Gammon, and all-day Route H between Westfield and Junction, providing connections to BRT Route A.
Southwest side: Many overlapping loop routes, many running hourly, are replaced by Routes D1, D2, E, and H, all with service every 30 minutes in both directions. Some coverage is lost near Hammersley and Prairie, and Prairie and Pilgrim, but most riders will have access to far more useful two-way service. New all-day service is provided on McKee. Peak-only Route X provides supplemental service that is more direct to downtown, as well as peak-only coverage of Odana Road west of Whitney.Middleton: The complicated and infrequent service patterns of Routes 70, 71, 72, and 78 are replaced with the more frequent and direct Route F. Travel times between downtown Madison and downtown Middleton will be drastically reduced. Service in the vicinity of University and Park, and South Ridge and Hwy Q will be reduced to peak only. The Middleton Business Park will be served by all-day service at the corner of Murphy and Eagle, but existing peak only service on Pleasant View and Airport will be discontinued.
Route Summaries
Nearly all bus routes in the Metro Transit Network will be discontinued and replaced by a new set of routes. The new set of routes cover mostly the same areas as the current set of routes, but are organized very differently. With no transfer points, the routes are straighter, longer, and in most cases go in both directions rather than in loops. A summary of the new route structure is below. Headways are mid-day on weekdays. These are the routes described in the draft network plan, and may be modified based on input Metro receives.
Route A: Frequent bus rapid transit service every 15 minutes between Junction and Watts and East Towne via Mineral Point, Whitney, Sheboygan, Segoe, University, Campus Drive, University and Johnson, State Street, the Capitol Square, East Washington, Wright, Anderson, Mendota Street, and East Washington. Alternating trips continue east to the Sun Prairie Park and Ride via High Crossing (Route A1) and the American Center via Eastpark (Route A2).
Route B: Frequent service every 15 minutes between Fish Hatchery and Caddis Bend, and Knutson Drive via Fish Hatchery, Badger, Park, University and Johnson, State Street, the Capitol Square, East Washington, North Street, Commercial, Packers, Northport, Troy, School Road, and Northport.
Route C: Frequent service every 15 minutes between the University Hospital and Cottage Grove and Dempsey via University Bay Drive, Highland, Old University, University and Johnson, Gorham and Johnson, First Street, Winnebago, Atwood, and Cottage Grove. Service continues to Cottage Grove and Sprecher via Cottage Grove (Route C1), World Dairy and Agriculture via Stoughton Road, Buckeye, Vondron, and Agriculture (Route C2), and Owl Creek via Stoughton Road, Triangle Street, Meinders, Great Grey, Owl Creek Drive, Voges, Marsh, Agriculture, Femrite, and Dutch Mill (Route C3).
Route D1: Service every 30 minutes between Junction and Watts, and Sprecher and Cottage Grove via Watts, McKenna, Schroeder, Whitney, Tokay, Midvale, Odana, Monroe, Randall, University and Johnson, Broom and Bassett, Wilson and Doty, Jenifer, Williamson, First, Washington, Milwaukee, and Wyalusing.
Route D2: Service every 30 minutes between McKee and Maple Grove and the Dane County Airport via McKee, Fitchrona, Limestone, Hardrock, King James, Anton, Williamsburg, Verona Frontage, Chalet Gardens, Lovell, Allied, Verona Road, Midvale, Odana, Monroe, Randall, University and Johnson, Broom and Bassett, Wilson and Doty, Jenifer, Williamson, First, Fordem, Sherman, Tennyson, Packers, Darwin, and International.
Route D Combined: Combined service on Routes D1 and D2 between Odana and Midvale, and First and Washington will result in service every 15 minutes.
Route E: Service every 30 minutes between the Capitol Square and McKee and Maple Grove via West Washington, Regent, Highland, University Bay, University, Ridge, Bluff, Blackhawk, Regent, Midvale, Mineral Point, Whitney, Raymond, Muir Field, and McKee.
Route F: Service every 30 minutes between the Capitol Square, Middleton, and Junction and Watts via State, University and Johnson, Campus Drive, University, Segoe, Sheboygan, Whitney, University, Allen, Century, Parmenter, University, Eagle, Murphy, Deming, John Q Hammons, Greenway, Deming, Fourier, Excelsior, and Junction. Evening and weekend service is only between Sheboygan and Junction and Watts, with a coordinated transfer on Sheboygan to Route A for continuing service to downtown.
Route G: Service every 30 minutes between Park and Badger, and Washington and Independence via Badger, Rimrock, Moorland, South Towne, Broadway, Monona Drive, Pflaum, Turner, Buckeye, Davies, Dempsey, Milwaukee, Stoughton, Commercial, Nakoosa, Walsh, Commercial, Thompson, Lien, Eagan, and Washington. Service through most of Monona on Broadway and Monona Drive will remain non-stop. Coordinated continuing service to the west is available on Route H, and to the north on Route P.
Route H: Service every 30 minutes between Junction and Old Sauk, and Park and Badger via Old Sauk, Westfield, Mineral Point, Gammon, McKenna, Raymond, Reetz, Beltline Frontage, Verona Frontage, Beltline Frontage, Todd, Post, Coho, Greenway Cross, Fish Hatchery, and Badger. Coordinated continuing service to the east is available on Route G.
Route P: Service every 30 minutes on a clockwise loop starting at Washington and Independence via Independence, Melody, Portage, Hayes, Forest Run, and Washington Frontage.
Route X: Service during peak periods only between McKenna and Gammon Lane, and Wheeler and School Road via McKenna, Gammon, Odana, Tokay, Midvale, Speedway, Highland, Observatory, Babcock, Linden, Charter, University and Johnson, Gorham and Johnson, Fordem, Sherman, and Wheeler.
Route Y: Service during peak periods only between the Capitol Square and Hwy Q and South Ridge via State, University and Johnson, Campus Drive, University, Segoe, Sheboygan, Old Middleton, Old Sauk, Gammon, Park, University, Branch, Century, and Hwy Q.
Route Z: Service during peak periods only between the Capitol Square and Lacy and Fish Hatchery via Hamilton, Broom, John Nolen, Rimrock, Hwy MM, Lacy, East Cheryl, and Fish Hatchery.
Route 55: Service during peak periods only between Junction and Watts and Epic via Watts, High Point, Starr Grass, Waldorf, Mid Town, Woods, and Northern Lights.
Route 75: Service during peak periods only between the Capitol Square and Epic via Washington, Park, Fish Hatchery, McKee, Verona Road, Verona Avenue, Epic Lane, and Northern Lights. Route 75 is unchanged.
Routes 80, 81, 82, and 84: Service within the UW campus, to Eagle Heights, and late night service will remain unchanged.
Supplemental Schoolday Service: Service may be adjusted based on Middle and High School needs. More information will be available later.
Metro Paratransit Service: The paratransit service boundary will be adjusted to be consistent with a ¾-mile buffer of fixed route service. New paratransit service will be available in far southwest Madison and east Madison.
