Dear Editor: Like a fair weather friend, Madison Metro is not there when you need them. For example, late Saturday afternoon, Feb. 24, I got on the bus to go to a speaking engagement. I was told the buses would stop running at 6 p.m. so to find some other way home. There are people in Madison who do not have a car and depend on public transportation. We ride together, we people in poverty, environmentalists, tourists, physically and mentally disabled, students and folks without cars or licenses due to age or circumstances. We are the public. Our need for public transportation becomes acute when the weather is bad. I was told by the bus driver and by Madison Metro's customer service representative that the buses stop running when it is deemed dangerous for the drivers. I was asked what my solution would be. Here it is: When the weather is so dangerous, buses should become emergency vehicles. Equip them with snowplows, four-wheel drive, hazard lights and the most expert drivers. Select only certain routes that will run on a weather emergency, like off peak or weekend routes with schedules posted. Delays might occur, but the commitment is made to depend upon an eventual ride. Do what it takes to have reliable public transportation available when it is most needed, not just most profitable. I wonder what the plan is for public transportation if Madison, as New Orleans, had to be evacuated? I humbly request real public transportation.
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