The City of Madison invited city representatives to an open house for the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on Sept. 17.
The open house allowed representatives to tour the new stations and electric buses, see updated bus features and ask questions.
Metro Rapid Route A started service on Sept. 22 and runs east-west from Sun Prairie to Junction Rd. to East Towne, Downtown, the University of Wisconsin, Hillsdale, and West Towne.
This route will also stop for Madison College students at Anderson at Wright.
Jacquelyn Dahlke, Madison College’s Transportation Program Analyst, is excited about the new transit system and how it will make transportation more accessible for students. She mentioned that younger students are often driven to school by a parent or loved one, so this is a smart way for a family to save time: have the student take the BRT line, which then stops at Anderson at Wright.

Dahlke likens this new bus line to the convenience of the Goodman South to Truax campus shuttle. Not every student has classes at Goodman South, but they will still take the shuttle because they have a class at the Truax campus.
“I want people to think of this express line the same way (of the Madison College shuttle) because you intersect with it in so many places whether you’re on the east side or the west side or downtown. Somebody that is a student or a parent can do that. So hop on the(Rapid Route A) and get to the college,” Dahlke said.
When planning the new BRT line, Madison Transportation wanted to guarantee that those with disabilities could use public transit without barriers.
According to City of Madison Senior Transportation Planner Liz Callin, new buses include ADA-compliant elevated platforms, level boarding and wheelchair restraints, which can be self-secured.
Callin said the new electric buses will include extra standing room for passengers and spaces to store bicycles, increasing ridership for riders who use multiple modes of transportation.
Callin said the bus has three major aspects: speed, convenience and the environment.
The BRT bus is faster, keeps the bus moving and lowers travel times. When it comes to convenience, Callin mentioned that many stations and other features make it easier and more convenient for people to try and use it.
Finally, Callin mentioned its impact on the environment and being eco-friendly.
“It’s a great option for the environment. We have electric buses where people use transit for the environment. Those three benefits are part of why this is really important to Madison, but also it says it’s helping balance our modes of transportation. We want to make it easy and affordable for people to get around.”
Additionally, BRT created dedicated bus lines to avoid congested driving lanes, parked cars and right-turn lanes.
Metro Rapid Route A was chosen because it has the highest ridership in the system. It has been praised for adding bike parking aboard the bus, reducing boarding time for passengers stowing bicycles.
The City of Madison adopted a plan for a proposed Rapid Route B bus line that will run north-south.