Tonight the next phase of the bus rapid transit (BRT) development passed with strong Common Council support. The following statement can be attributed to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway:
“I am excited to be moving forward into the 60% Project Design phase of the East-West BRT corridor, and I want to thank the Common Council for their strong support.
In this phase of the project, we’re taking all the input we’ve received in the 30% design phase and making small changes to formalize a final plan. This involves finalizing the roadway geometry, including determining things like where stations will be located on the street and the placement of amenities like bike racks.
By entering this stage, we are nearing the end of the design process. Next, we’ll begin work writing specifications and preparing for construction. New BRT routes are expected to start operating in 2023 as part of the network redesign, with stations and other amenities going fully online in 2024.
The Council also approved the purchase of an all-electric fleet for the BRT project. By investing in electric buses for our BRT system, we will save nearly a quarter million gallons of diesel fuel yearly and save the City up to $125,000 in maintenance costs per vehicle during the lifetime of each bus. We’ll also save up to 135 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year.
BRT is one of the most important things Madison can do to reduce transportation emissions and take action to advance its climate goals.”
