Invest in riders.
To expand accessibility and service.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has unveiled her rapid transit plan called MetroForward>>, a major investment in transit, which will speed workforce transportation, reduce congestion and drive times and build the transportation backbone of a vibrant regional economy.
The Madison region is growing rapidly. Our city has consistently ranked in the top tier for being a dynamic, safe place to live—and continues to attract talent, businesses and new residents.
If growth continues at this pace, by the year 2050, there will be an anticipated 85,000 new jobs and 100,000 new residents in Dane County. This translates into 800,000 new road trips to work, school and play. Without action, the resulting gridlock will more than double travel times for everyone on the road.
If single-occupancy automobiles made up all of these additional trips, it would require adding two or more lanes to our main roads on the Isthmus, and doubling parking in the downtown area—parking costs alone equating more than $250 million.
We cannot build a superhighway through our beautiful Isthmus. It is not sustainable or even feasible.
Metro Transit provides 57,000 rides per weekday and 13 million rides per year. Metro already operates 62 routes across our region, with 218 buses serving Madison, Middleton, Fitchburg, Verona, Sun Prairie, the Village of Shorewood Hills and the Town of Madison.
To expand accessibility and service.
To make expansion possible to serve our growing region.
To provide for cleaner air and reduce the City's carbon footprint.
To expand Metro service and reduce travel times.