The only taxi stand in downtown Madison will try to stay in operation despite diminishing funds expected to run out at the end of the month.

The stand is located on the 600 block of University Avenue, near the Lake Street intersection, and receives taxis sent from Badger Cab, Madison Taxi and Union Cab on weekends.

The stand was set up 10 weeks ago to efficiently transport students home once the buses have stopped running at night. Local Madison residents have been volunteering at the stand to supervise riders who are waiting.

Rosemary Lee, a volunteer at the stand, said she supervised last Friday night until 3 a.m.

“I hope it continues because I think it helps the students out, and as you know, I’m very pro-student,” Lee said. “If it continues, I plan to work Saturday night because it’s homecoming football night, and I know they’re going to need help.”

The stand was set up with a $1,000 grant, and recently city officials have been trying to find more donations to keep the stand running. Officials are currently working out donations with a local corporation to maintain the stand.

Lee said the cab companies weren’t initially too anxious to participate because of their differing methods of picking up riders.

However, Rick Nesvacil, General Manager of Madison Taxi and current manager of the taxi stand, has received a lot of positive feedback.

“I think it’s been a good experiment,” Nesvacil said. “I think people really enjoyed it, and it’s worked out pretty well. Last football Saturday, we had 70 people in line at one time, and we got people out of there in a relatively quick manner.”

Most the problems have arisen due to conflicting interests of the three taxi companies. City officials are trying to work out the details of the operation with each company.

Nesvacil said the main issue isn’t a matter of finding a donor, but the right donor.

“We need to find a volunteer that has the power to make sure the cabs get there and are also ‘nonpartisan’ in that respect, as perceived by the other two companies,” he said. “During the last 10 weeks, I didn’t care who unloaded. I don’t care if it’s Badger, Union or us, and we really tried to facilitate.”

Terminating the stand altogether may potentially raise safety concerns and make it more difficult for students to arrive home in a timely manner. The stand serves as a central location that attracts multiple cabs at one time.

“It’s one of those deals that it helps to have the bully pulpit, in the sense that I can tell my dispatchers, ‘Hey, I have people waiting here, and instead of picking up flags at corners, come to the taxi cab stand,'” Nesvacil said.

Madison Police Department Central District Lt. Joe Balles and Madison Alcohol Policy Coordinator Katherine Plominski have also been involved in the regulation of the taxi stand and will continue to meet with companies in hopes of sustaining the service.