Developments in technology and an increased sense of environmental conscientiousness have led to an increase in city bus ridership over the years, according to Madison Metro Transit.

Bus transit continues to rise in the Madison community as the Madison Metro Transit recorded a record-setting 15.2 million rides in 2014, Metro Transit spokesperson Mick Rusch said.

For the last 10 years, bus transit has been on the rise. In 2011, the city set a record with 14.9 million rides and won the American Public Transportation Association’s recognition for mid-size transit system of the year, Rusch said.

After a 10 percent cut to the University of Wisconsin campus service in 2012, bus rides decreased. However, 2013 saw another increase; and in 2014, buses again saw a record number of riders, Rusch said.

The increase in ridership over the past five years was largely attributed to the development of tracking apps such as the UW mobile app and Google Maps,  which allow riders to plan their routes on their smart phones, Rusch said.

The UW campus bus lines are the most popular service offered by Metro because it offers the unlimited ride pass for students and staff, Rusch said. In 2014, Metro saw the biggest increase in the 10 line, which runs up and down campus. UW accounts for close to 50 percent of Metro ridership, Rusch said.

Madison’s environmental consciousness is also a big motivator for ridership, Rusch said.

“Everyone is looking to get around easily and take it easy on the environment,” he said.

Also showing a sharp increase was the 75 route, which runs to Verona — home of the Epic campus. For many young professionals at the company, Rusch said the 75 was their preferred choice of transportation.

According to Rusch, studies have shown millennials are less car-focused and these young riders account for much of the city’s bus transit.

With more Madison area residents using buses as their preferred mode of transportation over the past several years, Madison buses are now faced with what Rusch said is “a great problem to have:” overcrowding and late buses.

Metro Transit and Madison’s Transit and Parking commission are working to raise funds to solve these issues that come hand-in-hand with increased ridership.

To address overcrowding issues, Metro has proposed a Bus Rapid Transit System, which would include larger buses with higher operating frequencies and limited stops that would run across main area of the city similar to trains, he said.

The Transit and Parking Commission is working to identify a source of federal funding for the rapid transit system, according to Ald. Chris Schmidt, District 11.

“It’s an expensive project,” Schmidt said. “We’re not particularly interested in trying to raise fares.”

Metro has been promoting a Regional Transit Authority to raise these funds, Rusch said, which would include a sales tax dedicated to funding bus service.

As of now, the state will not pass legislation authorizing the Regional Transit Authority, Schmidt said. However, the Transit and Parking Commission will continue to make refinements and adjust service as needed, he said.

Despite these new problems, Rusch said he is thankful for the issues that Metro is currently facing.

“We’re very excited that these are the issues that we’re having,” Rusch said, referring to the increase in riders. “We just want to thank everyone because it’s not without the whole community effort that we can have this kind of success.”