As students at UW-Madison, time spent on State Street is a large part of the Badger Experience. Students working, living, and enjoying themselves on State will carry those experiences with them for the rest of their lives.
This past summer, students’ safety and enjoyment of State Street was severely threatened. Mayor Paul Soglin, concerned that Madison could lose federal funding, ordered that cabs be prevented from roaming for fares on State from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Soglin also argued that cab service creates excessive traffic, limiting people’s enjoyment of the area.
As student leaders, we are responsible for representing the student voice and ensuring our campus and community are safe and enjoyable for Badgers to learn and live. The proposal to prohibit cabs on State during late night and early morning is a threat to both safety and enjoyment.
10 p.m. to 4 a.m. is a time when bus service is often not available, and often students make decisions under the influence of alcohol that threaten themselves and our community. Decisions to walk home or drive under the influence could be made without the clear availability of another option. Allowing cabs to be visible and present on State Street when people are going home makes the decision to take a cab far easier. In addition, as Alder Scott Resnick, District 8, has discussed, when many police officers go off duty after 3 a.m., cab drivers will often continue to look for fares, and can alert authorities of incidents threatening students’ safety.
In the future, looking to more mass transit solutions that can solve this problem will be important. But for now, it is not only an issue of safety, but also a means of defining our community. As badgers, we care for one another, and making a safe ride home as simple as possible is a part of this commitment. ASM Legislative Affairs demands that the city take action to ensure cabs are available for students and guests to State Street.
On Tuesday, September 18th at 7:30 p.m., Common Council will be voting on this issue in Room 201 of the County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. We encourage all students who are able to attend to speak in favor of this policy, and to defend other students on campus who make State Street a part of their experience here.
ASM Legislative Affairs will also be discussing this issue and preparing for Tuesday tonight at 7 p.m. in the 4th floor of the SAC, and all students are invited to attend.
ASM Legislative Affairs, Dan Statter, Chair.
