Gimme Shelters

The city of Madison is awaiting a bid to replace its seven bus shelters on the Capitol Square. The new shelters, which could cost as much as $70,000 each, will be equipped with electricity and plumbing, so cleaning crews can hook up machines. But some transit advocates think the high cost could mean not all of the shelters will be replaced.

"We just feel so frustrated right now," says Laurie Wermter of the Madison Area Bus Advocates. "We haven't been consulted at all."

She worries that Ald. Mike Verveer, who represents downtown Madison, wants to tear down two of the shelters simply to appease restaurants with sidewalk cafes. "Putting a shelter up would wreck these places," says Wermter.

Verveer acknowledges that the Old Fashioned and Harvest don't want a shelter in front of their restaurants on Pinckney Street. But he says transit advocates have convinced him a shelter is needed, especially to serve low-income families from the YWCA. "I will advocate for shelters," he says. "I absolutely support replacing them."

The city has approved using tax-incremental financing for four of the seven shelters, and may replace the remaining three if there's sufficient funding. Verveer says the shelters could be smaller, so there would be more room for sidewalk cafes. And they could have fewer extras—like plumbing—to keep costs down. "I'm hoping we can make everyone happy through some sort of compromise."