Inadequate Bus Service Between Cities Here Surprises Stoughton Resident From Kosovo

The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A9
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Muhamed Sadiku, Stoughton

Dear Editor: Ten months ago I moved to the U.S. from Kosovo, a recent postwar country. I was dazed by the differences between these two countries. The infrastructure, communication, the way of life, education and many other things in the U.S. are very sophisticated.

However, I was surprised to find out that Wisconsin lacks public transportation between cities. As poor as my country is, the municipal assembly provides students, workers and other citizens with public transportation. All major cities have regular bus schedules, to and from the capital, and are widely used by students and workers. Some of these cities are as far as 40 miles away. Ticket prices in general are low, but for students, veterans, the handicapped and people who live off of social security, tickets are much cheaper.

In the U.S. most of the citizens have cars, and city buses are available for children. Madison Metro provides service only to students who live in Madison or in the vicinity of Madison. What about college students in other cities who don't have a car and can't afford their own place near their college? What about people who can't afford a vehicle or their vehicle just broke down? What about people who are disabled or have a suspended license? Should these people miss classes or miss work?

The answer to all these questions is a better public transportation system. Madison Metro doesn't provide regular bus service to cities like Oregon, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, McFarland and Verona. All citizens, especially students and workers, depend on their vehicles.

I have a car that I share with my wife. We live in Stoughton. Twice during summer school we had to miss the first part of a class because our car wouldn't start. We had to call someone who could spare his/her vehicle so we could get to school.

It is not only us. Many people I know don't have the luxury of owning a spare car. These people need to go to school or work, or go shopping. For many, cabs are too expensive.

In addition, it would decrease the number of exhausts spewing smoke, thus making our environment ecologically safer and helping reduce the rate of global warming.

Establishing an intercity public transportation system with a precise schedule that covered most of the citizens' needs would be a huge step toward advanced commuting, a system that would include regular bus service for citizens in Stoughton, Verona, Sun Prairie, McFarland, Oregon, etc. It would help us be where we have to be on time.