Madison Reporter

After the new agreement between the Cities of Sun Prairie and Madison, new electric buses will run on this route.

"Thank you Mayor (Paul) Esser and the Sun Prairie City Council for taking this critical next step in providing quality public transit options to both of our communities," tweeted Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

The Cities of Sun Prairie and Madison recently announced that they passed a five-year agreement that will establish a rapid bus transit system between them. Sun Prairie will acquire an electric bus and install a charging station and restroom facilities at the park and ride. The total cost of the project will be $2 million, but $1.3 million will be provided by a federal grant. The City of Sun Prairie will cover the other $700,000. The bus will not be operational until 2024.

The agreement will also ensure that Sun Prairie becomes eligible for Small Starts Transit funding. The new electric bus will have a life of 12 years, during which it will produce an annual credit of $40,833. Mayor Esser has called this a historic agreement, and referring to Mayor Rhodes-Conway, he said, "You have shepherded us through this need for years, and you're a big part of why we have the opportunity to provide this service to Sun Prairie — I salute you." 

Esser also suggested that they celebrate the occasion in an unusual way: "Maybe we can have a meeting on a bus, go to the west side and back in 2024." 

Sun Prairie is a suburb of Madison with a population of 33,000.

The City of Madison has a goal of replacing 50% of its buses with electric buses by 2035.