Madison Reporter

With Madison, Wisconsin, officials recently breaking ground on the city’s bus rapid transit system, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is singing the praises of perseverance.

“After 30 years Madison will finally have rapid transit,” Rhodes-Conway posted to Twitter. “I am grateful for the TeamCity effort that lead to our groundbreaking and deeply grateful to Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation who share our vision of a modern rapid transit system that lifts regional economies @MyMetrobus.”

Earlier this month city officials held the ceremonial groundbreaking for the East-West section of the long anticipated BRT project, with Rhodes, Evers and state Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson among the dignitaries on hand.

“Someone who relies on transit to get to work shouldn’t have to make an hour and 15 minute commute trip one way,” Rhodes-Conway told Channel3000.com. She added that the goal of the system is to shorten travel times, create fewer stops and improve connections to important locations such as the downtown area, Hilldale Shopping Center, East Towne and West Towne malls, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Madison College campuses.

“We all deserve mobility choices to get us to where we need to go in a reasonable amount of time,” she said.

With construction of stations set to kick off next spring, WPR.org reports the East-West route is expected to be operational by late 2024, with an overall goal of completion by 2025.