“Um…I’m kinda really into the bus in general, so I’ve been really interested in the BRT since I live just off East Wash and being able to have super close access to it was just kinda exciting to hear about and notice the way they’ve been shaping up the stations and all that. I’ve been paying a lot of attention to it,” says Chris Sewell. When asked if he’ll be seriously affected, he replies, “Not in any serious way. I think that I might have to walk a little bit further because I don’t think the ‘C’ goes around the square anymore, which I think the 7 and the 4 both maybe used to do that. But it’s only a couple blocks’ difference, which for me is not a big issue.”
“Ah, I think that any change could be positive. I heard it’s supposed to make it more efficient…I mean, my hopes aren’t through the roof, honestly. I’m used to riding metro in Chicago where everything is much more kinda streamlined and reliable. So I’m just excited to see if this will actually improve their scheduling […] I’m used to taking the bus basically like from my house directly to work, and I feel like it might add five or ten minutes to my trip which is not ideal. But, I don’t even really know what my route is gonna be yet!” says Kenny Raker.
That was Chris Sewell and Kenny Raker, two bus riders in downtown Madison, discussing the redesign of the city’s bus routes, which will take effect this Sunday.
Buses will switch from a numbered to a lettered system overnight on the 10th, nearly all transfer points will close, and officials say that each of the more than 2,000 existing stops will undergo changes of some kind.
System-wide changes to public transportation invariably require planning and adjustment from those who depend on the buses to get from point A to point B. For example, if I wanted to travel to WORT’s station from Breese Stevens Field on East Washington, that route will not stay consistent between today and Sunday. Today, Google Maps suggests a three-minute walk to Route 15, followed by an eight-minute walk from Broom St to Bedford St. Come Sunday, this will be Route B – boarding at the same stop but disembarking on University and North Frances. This adds an extra four minutes’ walk to the same trip, exemplifying small alterations that are taking effect across the city – literally overnight.
This redesign comes in the midst of the sprawling, city-wide construction of new bus stations with modernized features – called Bus Rapid Transit. BRT is a signature project of Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, who touted BRT in her re-election campaign this spring. It’s also one of many efforts meant to address Madison’s growing population, which is projected to explode in size in the coming decades. Mayor Rhodes-Conway says with more people, more efficient commutes are essential.
City officials have been careful to emphasize the difference between BRT and the reorganization of bus routes known as Network Redesign. But the two are at least related. Here’s Mike Cechvala, Madison’s transportation planner, summarizing the distinction: “So, the Transit Network Redesign has everything to do with where the routes go and how often and when they run. The route network is a map with a bunch of lines on it that used to have numbers and will now have letters. It’s the combination of those routes – where they go – and the schedules – how often and when they run. So that’s the Transit Network Redesign. It’s taking our existing service, saying ‘we have 50 buses and they’re doing these old routes, but now we’re doing them in these new routes and schedules.’ Operationally speaking, it’s roughly cost neutral. That’s a little bit complicated because we’re still recovering from COVID, but it’s essentially cost neutral and we’re just rearranging the routes. Bus Rapid Transit is all about the infrastructure. So Bus Rapid Transit – the East/West line – is all about Route A and improving the infrastructure along Route A.”
The seamlessness of this redesign is fairly user-dependent, meaning that riders must be aware of and plan for an alteration to their routines. Cechvala says that he’s been riding the buses himself in order to meet people where they are, with mostly positive and informed responses: “I have been personally riding buses, asking people if they know it’s coming up, if they have any questions or concerns. The vast majority of people are saying, ‘Yes, we know it’s coming.’”
Others, including Gloria Reyes – who ran against Rhodes-Conway in this spring’s election have expressed concern that Network Redesign will disproportionately inconvenience riders with language barriers or limited access to the internet. She asked, “Where are the voices of our most vulnerable populations?”
The city has conducted an equity analysis of the redesign. That study shows that the redesign will benefit underserved populations as much as white and better-off neighborhoods. But that study’s been criticized by detractors, too.
Metro Transit launched a program meant to address some of these concerns, hiring in-person navigators called “Ride Guides.” The guides don yellow vests and stand at bus stops, community centers, and employment centers to instruct riders on the new routes. They are paid $25 hourly to hand out maps and schedules while providing personalized advice for people struggling to find out which bus to take.
The Ride Guides are slated to reappear in August so that they can assist returning students, though the UW campus routes will remain largely unchanged.
Metro’s paratransit service will continue to be available to individuals who can’t use the city bus service due to a physical, sensory, or intellectual disability. But, a written application and in-person assessment is required to use the service.
Officials encourage riders to review any upcoming changes on mymetrobus.com or study the Google Maps and Transit apps – with the reminder to ensure that June 11th is set as the date of travel.
One anonymous Metro Transit employee told me today that he anticipates a chaotic few months ahead. He’s been relearning his routes, along with all of his colleagues. He says he hopes that these changes will be for the better.
And, this isn’t the end of tweaks to bus routes. Cechvala says bus riders should share honest feedback about the changes. That feedback will be considered in another redesign tentatively scheduled for December.
Image courtesy: City of Madison Metro Transit, via https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/routes-schedules/bus-rapid-transit/need-for-brt