My first few visits to Madison will be well remembered for all the chaotic maneuvering and labyrinthine trailblazing I conducted making my way onto and off the Isthmus. Admittedly, this was back in high school, when my sense of direction was still suffering the vicissitudes of maturation. Nonetheless, figuring out how to get from A to B down narrow, decades-old thoroughfares and concentrically circular one-ways around the Capitol was never fun. On Halloween weekends back in the good old days, before Cieslewicz and Co. permitted its unseemly adulteration by corporate sponsors and admission fees, the traffic into and out of downtown was torrential and became increasingly boozy as the night progressed. Scary? Yes. In a good way? No.
I’ve been reminiscing about those bookend traffic toils from Madison adventures of yesteryear recently and wondered how they might be avoided in the future now that the Dane County Board finally created a Regional Transit Authority.
Perhaps “conceived” might be a better way to put it, as the body remains in something of a prenatal state. Like the twinkle in every mother’s eye, this baby has the chance to grow up to be mighty and motivational.
Currently, the RTA has zero funds at its disposal, and given the budget crisis, this will likely remain the case for the near future. The mayor’s office appears willing to loan some staff out to work “particularly with the bus system” — perhaps because they are uneasy about the ridership dip following the rate hike they advocated for last spring. In any case, there seems to be sufficient goodwill to see the RTA to term.
Ultimately, the RTA will have the power to increase the county sales tax to garnish operating funds. Considering the magnitude of the potential increase — up to half a cent — one might expect the right-wing nuts in town to be happy to see property owners spared the burden of a property tax hike. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
At last Thursday’s meeting, a multitude of supporters and opponents came out to voice their opinions. Although there were ostensibly more opponents, those ready and willing to voice their opinions were largely supporters. The reason for this may be that opponents don’t have an intelligible argument. As has become the norm with rightist obstructionism, their only line of argument consisted of empty platitudes situated on a steaming mound of misinformation.
As Verona Mayor Jon Hochkammer puts it, “I’m hearing as I talk to people in Verona and all over, they’re just not interested in more taxes and fees at this point.” Springfield supervisor Jim Pulvermacher was a little more alarmist, saying, “This is just a bad deal. … It’s the wrong resolution at the wrong time in our economy.” Actually Jim, it’s a great idea given the economic meltdown and depressing job outlook.
It’s really hard to believe these melodramatic meatheads are talking about a fraction of a cent increase in the sales tax, an increase that, in all likelihood, will be put before voters first and not until next November at the earliest. Talk about letting ideology cloud one’s thinking. Sheesh, you’d almost think they are talking about Union South!
What makes their position so hard to cogitate is the fact that the RTA and the commuter rail fruit it may one day bear would do wonders toward making Madison a greener, more economically viable city. Not to mention the increased opportunities for dedicated bar patrons to get home safely.
Could you imagine, as a student, being able to live off the Isthmus without having to worry about an hourlong commute to and from campus? Being able to find an affordable apartment and attend the university with the convenience of living on Langdon? A commuter rail running through downtown could make that a reality.
When it comes to the rising cost of higher education, tuition and books play a big part, but so too does the cost of living close to campus and that might well explain why college students were unanimously in favor of forming the RTA at last Thursday’s County Board meeting. A commuter rail system is one of the best investments Dane County could make to maintain economic vibrancy, and, in tandem with socially responsible urban planning, should be supported passionately by all residents that want to see Madison and the surrounding area flourish.
Now that things have been put in motion it will be important for students and other members of the community to keep up their support of the RTA. A referendum next fall on the minuscule sales tax increase may very well bring a slew of loonies out of the woodwork to scuttle the effort and so, as informed and progress minded residents of Dane County, it will be our duty to thwart them with reason and ballots when the opportunity arrives.
Sam Stevenson ([email protected]) is a graduate student in public health.
