Madison’s City Council voted to pass an ordinance allowing cabs to pick up passengers on the 500 block of State Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. after hours of discussion Tuesday evening.

The proposal had been a point of contention between members of the City Council and Mayor Paul Soglin, who proposed prohibiting taxis from cruising State Street this summer.

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said taxicabs have been “cruising” on State Street for several years looking for fares and have been able to do so since the 1970s. Under the newly-passed ordinance, cabs will continue to be able to both pick up and drop off individuals on the otherwise traffic-free pedestrian mall.

Resnick said when federal funding was granted to build State Street, only delivery trucks, buses, fire and police vehicles were allowed to roam freely on the street. He added taxicabs were only permitted on the street if they were dropping someone off or picking someone up.

He said this new proposal will benefit the safety of students because cab companies often call in reported incidents downtown late at night.

“I believe that this is actually a safety concern for students,” Resnick said. “I am all for having eyes on the street, and cabs play a big role, so I very much encourage them being allowed on the thoroughfare.”
But Mayor Paul Soglin said the use of State Street has changed significantly over time; it has become more attractive and has demanded more uses. He said if State Street is being considered “so dangerous,” City Council may want to consider redesigning Library Mall.

Soglin also said it is important to look at the space in its totality, which is what he said makes State Street special.

“What I found so disturbing is that drunks are ‘driving’ State Street,” Soglin said. “Alcohol-related safety issues are the determinative factor in regards to how we design and use the street.”

University of Wisconsin’s Associated Students of Madison Press Officer David Gardner said after ASM weighed the costs and benefits of allowing cabs to drive on State Street, it decided allowing cabs would benefit students.

Gardner said ASM is concerned students who are intoxicated late at night will choose to walk home or try to find a cab on a different street, which may lead to safety concerns.

Gardner added additional cabs would not cause a problem with blocking traffic; delivery trucks on State Street are more likely to block traffic.

He said the visibility of cabs is as important as the availability, and if people leaving a bar late at night see a cab driving by, it encourages them to take it instead of risking a walk home alone.

Not only is it a benefit to students, but also to the community, Gardner said.

“We use State Street; it’s part of our community and it’s part of the UW experience,” Gardner said. “We shouldn’t be moving away from safety in our community.”

This ordinance is particularly important because of the discontinuation of SAFEcab this past summer, Gardner said. He said ASM is currently talking to UW Transportation Services about bringing back SAFEcab or creating a new form of it.