Metro Bus Changes


Sun 03/26/2006
Channel 27 News on the web

Mary Sarto depends on the bus to get her anywhere and everywhere. She doesn't have a car because of the price she'd have to pay.

"Gas prices, the use of all the fuel," she says.

But high gas prices have left Madison Metro driving on a tight budget and has fueled changes to its bus service.

"We'd prefer not to do cut cut cut cut cut, we would prefer to find efficiency in the system than do that," says Catherine Debo, Metro's General Manager.

Metro plans to make routes more simple, iron out excess loops, cut routes with the least ridership and paste them to routes that need more service.

But several residents, including Sarto, say the new service will not necessarily be easier.

"The problem is everyone thinks people only work 9 to 5 and a lot of us work evenings weekends and other times than the buses can be conveniently available," says Sarto.

For Sarto, the changes mean she can't get to work on time.

"Negotiate with my employers to get a Taxi and have it pick me up and I don't know if they'll do that or not," she says.

Metro says these are just proposed routes and are working with residents, going neighborhood to neighborhood, to make sure riders, like Sarto, aren't left behind.

"we won't be able to address all concerns, but we think we'll be able to address most concerns and have a better service," says Debo.

"I really think Madison Metro is really doing its best job it can and I'd like to see it do even better," says Sarto.

Riders do have the power to change the proposed routes.

Metro wants to get input and will hold dozens of neighborhood meetings.

Madison's Transit and Parking Commission will hold a public hearing in May or June, then vote on final changes.

New routes and schedules take effect either at the end of August or beginning of September.

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