The City of Madison's Transit and Parking Commission (TPC) voted for the installation of more motor vehicle parking meters on King Street rather than a return of two formerly available bus stops at its monthly meeting last night at the City Municipal Building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., over a motion made by commission member Tim Wong, seconded by Kevin Hoag, that would have returned the formerly used King Street bus stops to public use. Madison Area Bus Advocates Chair Susan De Vos, who is also a member of the TPC's ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Subcomittee to the Transit and Parking Commission, registered in opposition replacing the former King Street bus stops, which had been located across from each other in the 100 block of on King Street.

Following a motion by Tim Wong recommending the return of the King Street bus stops to public use, seconded by commission member Kevin Hoag, Alderman and commission member Ken Golden moved adoption of his supplementary amendment, which supplanted Wong's earlier motion before Wong's motion was able to be voted on.

With commission member Amanda White abstaining from voting, TPC Chair Carl Durocher brought Golden's supplementary amendment to a vote. The amendment passed, with only Wong and Hoag voting no, which then allowed the commission members to vote on Golden's motion to uphold the decision to elimination the two mid-block King Street bus stops, which had been taken out of use since last fall.

Golden's amendment also proposes that the bus stop currently located on the west side of King Street down where King Street intersects with Wilson Street be relocated up the hill towards Doty Street, in front of the Great Dane restaurant and bar, and that the area in the vicinity of the relocated bus stop (near Doty Street) be modified (bumped out) to reduce the risk of increasing the potential for motor vehicle/pedestrian collisions.

A spokesperson for downtown area merchants spoke strongly in favor of more metered parking on King Street and continued elimination of the bus stops, stating that each meter parking spot in the downtown area brought tens of thousands of additional dollars to nearby area merchants in the vicinity of the additional meter parking.

Madison Area Bus Advocate Chairperson and ADA Subcomittee to the Transit and Parking Commission Chair Susan DeVos registered in opposition to continuing with the elimination of the King Street bus stops. When asked by Chair Durocher if she had any additional new information to add to the testimony she provided at the January and February TPC meetings she replied "no" from her wheelchair, rather than going to front table to testify, but said she was willing to answer any questions that might arise concerning her former testimony(ies).

DeVos is also a member of the City's Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Motor Vehicle Commission and the City's Long Range Metro Transit Planning Ad Hoc Committee. Following the vote by the commission to continue with the elimination of the bus stops, and appearing distraught, Ms. DeVos was met by Kevin Hoag and Tim Wong as she exited the commission room, and could be heard thanking each of them for their motions to return the bus stops, which she said are already being missed by Metro bus riders such as herself.

Hoag and Wong then returned to the commission meeting room as DeVos proceeded to exit the building.

Source: http://madison.indymedia.org/feature/display/55723/index.php