Mon. June 12, 2006 Dear Editor: Quality bus service is essential to good transit. Madison area bus advocates represents citizens who want buses to be an efficient, clean, convenient and affordable means of travel in the city of Madison and beyond. We support Metro Transit but believe it can be better. For instance, trimming service and raising fares may be prudent and even necessary given reduced funds and rising costs, but such steps must be a last resort. Metro Transit's currently proposed restructuring undermines welcome innovations with undue emphasis on cuts. A new Route 16 linking the south and east transfer points and the introduction of new opportunities in Middleton are smart, and likely to make the system more efficient and convenient. But reductions in weekend service on key routes will hurt weekend workers, and will make the bus less attractive for nonwork weekend trips. Even if these cuts cannot be avoided now, we shall continue to press to restore more frequent service in the future. Service cuts and fare increases are not an acceptable long-term strategy. Metro Transit needs reliable and sustained funding, and Madison Area Bus Advocates will push hard for the necessary local, state and federal investment. But increased financial support must be matched by improved performance, including cleaner and more fuel-thrifty bus technologies, more express routes, improved passenger amenities, more creative marketing and more aggressive pursuit of new nonpublic revenue. In response to a changing geography, Metro Transit needs to become more regional, even while maintaining and improving service in the urban core. While we support exploring how rail and other fixed guideway technologies can take Madison area transit to the next level, we shall also continue to press for strong connections between buses and other transit modes. At times, bus-only lanes and "bus rapid transit" may enable buses to offer rail-like service along major routes where rail itself is not practical. But we need not wait to get working on a better bus system now. From rising gasoline prices to deepening health and environmental concerns, the need for more bus service to more places for more people (at fares people can afford) grows more urgent every day. The mission of Madison Area Bus Advocates is to convert that sense of urgency into effective citizen action through research, education, partnership and advocacy. Back to Article Library