Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said Friday he could see bus rapid transit as a precursor to Dane County commuter rail, a change from his previous position that focused more on Madison streetcars.

"I 've always been a rail supporter, " Cieslewicz said. "Sometimes rail has been juxtaposed with bus rapid transit as one or the other, and there was a time when I was there, too. But I don 't think about it that way (any more). "

A bus rapid transit system, such as the one proposed by Madison Area Bus Advocates, would cover an area similar to a commuter rail line, but with fewer stops than a normal bus route. Some rail opponents have promoted bus rapid transit as a cheaper mode of public transportation than trains.

Cieslewicz, who earlier this month rescinded his support for streetcars, noted bus rapid transit could be in place sooner than commuter rail and build public transit ridership for rail. That is a change from his position after the spring election when he talked about bus rapid transit as an alternative to commuter rail.

The mayor was responding to preliminary findings of a study being conducted by the Long-Range Metro Transit Planning Committee, which he called for last year after facing several budget cycles of either increasing fares, cutting service or subsidizing Metro Transit with city tax dollars.

"I 've been looking for a way to break out of those bad choices, " Cieslewicz said.

Metro finances broken

The Madison agency 's contingency fund for its $45 million budget dropped from $2.5 million in 2002 to $130,000 this year, mostly because of high fuel costs that led to an $878,000 diesel cost overrun last year.

State funding, meanwhile, has declined from 42 percent of all operating costs for Wisconsin transit systems to 38 percent for Metro Transit in 2006. Madison 's share of those operating costs, about $10.1 million this year, has increased 35 percent in the last four years.

Metro Transit ridership, meanwhile, has steadily increased, putting further pressure on maintaining the system -- an issue cropping up across the country.

Americans used public transportation more than 10 billion times in 2006, the highest level since the 1950s, yet the federal government has focused its resources on capital funding rather than operating costs, said Robert Healy, vice president for government affairs for the American Public Transportation Association.

"The challenge is often coming up with the money locally, " Healy said, noting that Wisconsin communities have the added hurdle of not being able to form regional transportation authorities with the ability to raise a sales tax.

Creation of an RTA has been a hot topic in recent months as Dane County commuter rail planners prepare to file a federal funding application for a commuter rail system between Middleton and Sun Prairie. That application also will include an enhanced bus system alternative, which the Federal Transit Administration could determine is more cost effective than commuter rail, said David Trowbridge, project manager for Transport 2020.

The Dane County Board passed a resolution supporting the creation of an RTA with the ability to raise up to a half-cent sales tax, but left the decision as to how an RTA would operate up for a later discussion.

Bus officials support RTA

"It is difficult to structure a regional transit system with five, 10 or 15 different intermunicipal agreements, " Kamp said. "Even though there 's the best of intentions to work together, the funding becomes complicated. "

During recent public hearings on the bus study, Kamp said, several people asked about extending bus service to Sun Prairie and Monona. Fitchburg, Middleton and Verona have worked out deals with Madison to provide Metro Transit bus service to their communities.

Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, 12th District, said the public input revealed three main areas of concern:

• Buses need to be clean, safe and on time.
• Bus routes in Madison should have more frequent service and a better method for explaining bus routes and schedules.
• The coverage area needs to expand without significantly longer commute times.

To address those concerns, the committee has been developing financing strategies, including more advertising on buses and at bus stops, providing express service to the Dane County Regional Airport and expanding the unlimited ride pass program to small businesses.

The committee 's final report with recommendations for how to move forward is due out by the end of the year.

Source: http://www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Top-Transit-News/Madison-Mayor-Suggests-Rapid-Bus-Network/3$4246