May 9, 2024

Today’s Forecast

61º | 44% chance of rain | Sunrise 5:40 a.m. | Sunset 8:08 p.m.

🚏 Next stop, BRT

Madison Metro Transit bus facing the camera, with the capitol in the background

How often do you take the bus? | Photo via Metro Transit

Driving through Madison lately, you may notice a few new bus stops popping up on medians throughout the city. These are part of Metro Transit’s coming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

Here’s the 411 on all things BRT in less than 300 words.

❓ What is it?

As Madison experiences rapid growth, Metro Transit hopes to accommodate transportation needs during expected job and population increases. This includes 31 new covered boarding stations, zero-emission electric buses, and comfortable seating to enhance the rider experience.

Large Madison Metro TRansit bus with an accordion center — Larger buses will allow for more passengers per trip. | Photo by Metro Transit

The BRT system promises a reliable and efficient mode of transportation by implementing:

Larger buses for increased capacity
Frequent service and direct routes
Special traffic signals and dedicated bus lanes to mitigate traffic
Off-board fare payment kiosks to streamline boarding
Real-time schedule updates

🗺️ Routes

The first phase of the BRT overhaul is Rapid Route A: the east-west line. It will span from Junction Road to the East Towne Mall area through downtown and campus. Rapid Route A is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

Phase two, Rapid Route B, is the north-south line. It will run from the north side (near Cherokee Marsh), across the isthmus, between lakes Monona and Wingra, and end in Fitchburg. Rapid Route B is slated to be ready to roll come 2028.

Note: These Rapid Routes are in addition to existing local routes (see the key on the map below).

Bus Rapid Transit map — Check out the BRT map. | Map via City of Madison

🗓️ Talk to experts

Metro employees will be available to answer all of your BRT questions at these upcoming Go By Metro events:

Tuesday, May 28 | 2-4 p.m. | Goodman Library, 2222 S. Park St.
Tuesday, June 4 | 2-4 p.m. | Pinney Library, 516 Cottage Grove Rd.
Friday, June 7 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Sequoya Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd.
Monday, June 10 | 2-4 p.m. | Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St.

Asked

How do you usually get around town?

A. Walking/biking
B. Public transit
C. My car
D. Ride shares

Let us know

Events

Thursday, May 9

Music Bingo | Thursday, May 9 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Starkweather Brewing Company, 2439 Atwood Ave., Madison | Cost of purchase | Enjoy a few cold ones while playing a few rounds of bingo with a musical twist.

Friday, May 10

TheatreSports | Friday, May 10 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Atlas Improv Co., 609 E. Washington Ave., Madison | $7-$11 | Two teams of performers will face off through fast-paced comedy improv fueled by audience members.
D.E.L.V.E. Incubator Performance | Friday, May 10 | 7:30-9 p.m. | MYArts, 1055 E. Mifflin St., Madison | $20-$30 | Witness six new works by local choreographers from the Isthmus Dance Collective.

Saturday, May 11

McFarland Bird Festival | Saturday, May 11 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Lewis Park Shelter, 5012 Highland Dr., McFarland | Free | See migratory birds in action while enjoying informational booths, activities, and a visit from Uncle Butzie the turkey vulture.
Spring Foraging At the Farm | Saturday, May 11 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Rooted, 517 E. Badger Rd., Madison | $15 | Forage for edibles with guides and end the day by cooking with the wild plants you find.

Sunday, May 12

Female Legends Drag Brunch | Sunday, May 12 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | The Bur Oak, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison | $12 | Bring mom along for drag performances, food from YumYum Thai Kitchen, and cocktails by State Line Distillery.
Cheers to Moms | Sunday, May 12 | 3-10 p.m. | Longtable Beer Cafe, 7545 Hubbard Ave., Middleton | Cost of purchase | All moms get a free drink with a purchase of $10 or more.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Traffic

The State Street Pedestrian Mall experiment has officially begun. For the next six months, vehicle traffic on the 400-600 blocks of State Street is not allowed from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekends and holidays. (Channel 3000)

Concert

It’s Live Nation Concert Week now through Tuesday, May 14, which means that hundreds of Live Nation event tickets are discounted to $25. Upcoming events in Madison include Orville Peck, Tokyo Police Club, and Noel Miller.

Edu

Though UW-Madison tuition has increased, the net price to attend the university has decreased, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. In 2022, the net price to attend UW-Madison was around $13,376, compared to $13,484 in 2021 and $14,030 in 2020. (Badger Herald)

Award

Put a shiny apple on Rita Mortenson’s desk. Verona’s educational technology coach is being recognized as one of the top educators in the country, receiving the Discovery Education Award. (WKOW)

Watch

Are you in the new Discover Madison tourism video? The “With Love, Madison” film was directed by local Sam Li and stars over 300 volunteers.

State

The Wisconsin DMV introduced two new license plate designs promoting suicide prevention and pet spaying/neutering. Special fees include a $25 nonprofit donation and a one-time $15 issuance fee. Personalization is optional at an extra $15 yearly. (Channel 3000)

Number

$2,500. That’s how much we’re looking to raise to support our staff and mission here at 608today — and our fundraising ends tomorrow. If you love the free community resource you’re reading right now (we sure do), support us today with a one-time donation. See how close we are to our goal.

Real Estate

Haven’t found your dream home yet? Take a tour of a Victory Homes model home. Their expert designers can help you personalize one of the base plans or design a truly unique home to meet your needs. Happy house building, Madison.*

Concert

Rev your engines — Thursday Bike Night is back — and better than ever. Ride to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (now through September) to jam out at the free concert series featuring music of all genres. See the full lineup.*

Events

🗓️ Mark y(our) calendar

Our events page makes it easy to find happenings on the go. | Photo by Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels

You may be familiar with the events section of our newsletter — but what about our website? Make the most of our comprehensive events calendar by uploading your own local events to share with your fellow readers.

Here’s how:

Create a login | On the upper right of the events page, you’ll see an “Add event” button and a small person emblem. Click on the person to create a login.
Add | Now that you have an account, click the “Add event” button to open the event submission form.
Details | Input the name, date(s), time(s), location, price, and a brief description of your event before reviewing and submitting.
Find it | Use the search bar to look up your event. Don’t see it showing up? Shoot us an email, we’ll help you get it uploaded.

Bonus: You can always upload events for free, or choose a paid option to guarantee that it’s listed in our newsletter. Review our promotional offerings before clicking “submit.”

The Buy

LED signs. Are you looking for a fun way to brighten up your home? Category6 LED has iconic neon signs scaled down to a size perfect for your at-home bar or game room.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ally

From the editor

If anyone else is a fan of State Line Distillery, you can join me in mourning the removal of the Smoke Show cocktail from their menu. “We are so proud of this original cocktail and the love & recognition it’s received over the years,” State Line remarked.

Luckily, you can purchase State Line gin at their tasting room and most local liquor stores to pour up some DIY Smoke Shows.

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