Madison Mayor David Cieslewicz headed to Washington, D.C., last week to lobby for federal funds to create an alternative transit system in downtown Madison.
Cieslewicz, along with Wisconsin Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, is seeking $2 million to aid the possible $4 million multiyear project that will help build a rail streetcar system in Madison, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
“The bill has been going on for so long, but it’s a good thing,” said Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc.
The plan will attempt to build a circular system of alternate transportation to connect the downtown, regional and university areas. The second phase of the project includes three parts: an extension of the bus services, restoration of old commuter rails, and the implementation of a trolley or streetcar system.
“It will have a larger impact on the people in the city, but funding is a problem,” said Dick Wagner from the Long-Range Transportation Planning Commission.
This multimillion-dollar project requires federal funds and is still in the process of committee recommendation. Still, federal funding alone will not cover the bill.
“There has to be some kind of regional funding,” Wagner said.
A referendum would determine if Dane County residents are willing to help pay the cost.
“In theory it’s a good idea to improve the traffic conditions downtown, but I am concerned that the money could be used to improve other, more pressing issues in this city,” UW freshman Liz Prange said.
Wagner stressed the referendum and other decisions are still very much up in the air and problematic. If federal funding is provided, the transit system will not be implemented until farther in the future.
“There has to be a series of discussions about what technology to use, what services will be needed and what government funding will sponsor it,” Wagner said.
Other discussions will focus on how existing rails connecting Madison to Middleton and Sun Prairie can be fixed.
Most of the rails already on campus such as the Kohl Center, Engineering Hall and all rails crossing University Avenue are in good shape. Operating on those rails will not require much repair but will still require funding, which is a potential problem in a state with a severe budget deficit, Wagner said.
Despite the looming threat of finances and support, Schmitz stressed the importance of connecting not only the downtown area but the regional area as well. With a streetcar system in place, commuters, visitors and residents can park in large parking garages and travel via the streetcar system into the downtown area, she said.
“In a pedestrian friendly city such as Madison, such a system would aid both residents and visitors in moving around the city without having to consider the expensive and time consuming prospect of finding parking,” UW student Mike Westling said.
Boulder and Denver, Colo., have similar alternative transit systems in place and are successful, Schmitz said.
