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Dear Editor: Jim Blair raises a very good point when he ties parking with bus use. Indeed, the University of Wisconsin uses parking revenue to help pay for its employees' unlimited ride bus pass. Unfortunately, the city of Madison's Transit and Parking Commission oversees related utilities in word but not in deed. The two utilities are separated legally. Revenues from parking cannot be used to fund the bus system.
In addition, the city owns only some of the parking spaces downtown. The state owns many parking spaces and often provides free or low-cost parking. The state controls the parking at the GEF buildings and on part of the Square, for example. The county charges a mere $17 per month for parking, thus subsidizing parking heavily. Your tax money is doing that. Elsewhere, entities such as the school district provide parking free. So does MATC. Again, your tax money is busily at work. So yes, there could be much better coordination between the use of transit and parking. But let us bring the state, county, school district and other entities into the debate, and not just point fingers at a hamstrung Transit and Parking Commission.
Susan De Vos, Madison
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