By: Matthew Schmieding
Metro Transit’s most recent project brings Madison a brand-new way to ride
Madison’s Metro Transit coordinates an extensive network of buses, covering two dozen routes. Preceded by electric streetcars, modern buses have since run the streets for over a century.
Metro Transit first studied the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in 2012, aiming to move riders more efficiently. The project remained in development for over a decade. According to Michael Cechvala, Capital Projects Manager at Metro Transit, “Why did the project take 12 years to implement? Funding, in addition to the planning and design challenges, were major aspects of a project of such scale.”
Growing pains throughout the late 2010’s resulted in crowded garages, delayed bus arrivals, and an inefficient system layout. According to Mick Rusch, Chief Development Officer at Metro Transit, “We were packing more than 200 buses in a garage meant for 160. Before COVID, we were struggling with buses being full, not being on time, and not hitting transfers. We had such a high transit demand, and we just could not expand.”
“These electric buses are easier to get on. It encourages people to try mass transit.”
– Mick Rusch, Chief Development Officer at Metro Transit
The time was right for Metro Transit to expand to meet the growing needs of the Madison area, whose population grew nearly 20% while the project was in development. Funding for the BRT project was acquired largely from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Low- and No-Emission Grant. As a part of this grant, UW-Madison helped pay the local share of 9 new electric buses to be used along campus routes, such as Route 80.
All the pieces finally came together in 2022, when the project broke ground on “BRT infrastructure along a 15-mile route, with 31 stations as well as 46 of the new electric buses,” according to Cechvala.
The centerpiece of the project was the 62 new electric buses Metro Transit purchased — 60-foot articulated powerhouses built by New Flyer. Rusch states that, “these new buses are about 1.5 times the capacity of our current buses and they’re all electric, which is better for the environment … they also integrate with the community better and provide more frequency.”
Releasing over 60 new vehicles onto the roads at once did have its challenges, such as a door calibration issue that revealed itself on launch day; however, the project has already benefited the community since its launch in 2024, with an over 18% increase in Route A ridership.
With the successful implementation of the East-West route A, BRT route B is next up. With the new electric buses already running the routes, construction is slated to bring the infrastructure to the buses once funding is secured. Additionally, a greater focus has been turned towards the campus services, with Route 80 infrastructure improvements in development.
As the Madison landscape continues to expand, Metro Transit is providing a service which only fuels the development of the area. Providing alternatives to cars is one of the department’s biggest goals, as Rusch states: “By making a third of our fleet all electric, these buses are easier to get on. It encourages people to try mass transit. Even if you’re on the diesel buses, you’ve been encouraged to try to see what it can be like.”