Taking a ride around Madison on the BRT

By Alesia Mayfield, Eastside News

After 40 years of planning and politicking, Madison’s Bus Rapid Transit went live Sept. 22. Madison Metro describes the new system as a more efficient and quicker way to travel east to west and north to south.

Rapid Route A goes east/west; Route B goes north/south, following Rapid Route A from East Washington Avenue at North Street, around the Square to State Street, then travels Gorham Street/University Avenue to Park and out to Fitchburg. At the grand opening ceremony, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway praised the new routes.

“Any good city has a good transit system. It is part of being a modern city,” Rhodes-Conway said. “Madison is a rapidly growing city, and we have to embrace and guide that growth to preserve our high quality of life. Bus Rapid Transit is good for the environment, it’s good for commuters, and it’s even good for the folks who drive in their own vehicle alone because it will reduce congestion for everyone. Our entire community benefits.”

BRT features 60-foot electric buses; a new fare system where riders load money onto a Fast Fare card; bus-only traffic lanes; bike racks inside the buses; and the rapid stations make it easier for those with mobility issues to board the buses.

I am a regular bus rider, taking the C Route downtown for work. It’s convenient and I don’t have to pay for parking. Under the former A Route, I was an occasional rider when I needed a ride east from downtown. Since Madison Metro is touting the convenience and ease of BRT, I thought I’d give it a try.

I took Rapid A going east and Route B going to Fitchburg because these routes provide transportation to East Towne and my Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in Fitchburg. My first trip took place after I was downtown to run an errand, and I took the A1 (the branch that goes to the Sun Prairie Park and Ride) from the Capitol Square going to Sun Prairie, mostly traveling on East Washington Avenue. Getting on the bus and using my Fast Fare card was easy. The bus was crowded, and I stood part of the way.

Even though there are fewer stops along the East Washington corridor, it still took close to 30 minutes to reach East Towne. The bus took a left turn on Wright Street where it passes Truax Apartments and Madison College before going back onto East Washington to continue east. The last stop on this route was in Sun Prairie at the corner of Cremer Drive and O’Keeffe Avenue to recharge, then it heads back to Madison. Anyone wanting to go deeper into Sun Prairie would have to transfer to another bus. There was a bus stop nearby.

On another day, I ran errands downtown and took the A2 going to American Center. This bus took a similar route as A1. Going from the Square to East Towne still took about 30 minutes. The final stop is at East Park Boulevard. Riders had to get off the bus and go to the bus stop in front of Capitol Bank across the street. Once the A2 came back around, it went up East Washington Avenue.

The third bus I took was the Route B going to Fitchburg from the Paterson Street Station on East Washington. The final stop in Fitchburg took about 35 minutes. I could see my HMO from the bus. There was a short wait in Fitchburg before the bus made its way back east.

My fourth and final time I used BRT was to get to an actual appointment at East Towne. I walked from my home to the Paterson Station on East Washington. It wasn’t a bad walk, less than a mile. But it is fall; it may be a different story come winter. There wasn’t a long wait and I made it to my destination on time. The bus stopped at the Independence Station in front of Red Lobster and I walked the short distance (crossing a couple of streets) to East Towne. After my appointment, I got on the westbound bus to get back to Paterson Station.

Overall, taking rapid transit wasn’t bad. I can see myself using it again. BRT brought about two things that I do like: the Fast Fare Card and the stations. With the card, I no longer have to buy a bus pass; I can load money onto the card. The rapid stations are located at intersections where you don’t have to jaywalk to get to a station.

But convenience is in the eye of the beholder. Under the old bus system, there were multiple buses that could take riders who live on the Isthmus down East Washington. If you live on the Isthmus, it appears that currently your only public transportation option to head east is Rapid A. Depending on where you live, getting to one of the East Washington rapid stations may not be convenient or accessible.

For more information on Madison Metro’s Bus Rapid Transit, click here.