On the second night of the Associated Students of Madison’s Shared Governance Week of Action, approximately 30 students and campus community members engaged in a conversation about campus transportation Tuesday.
The forum began with a presentation from Bethany Whitaker, a senior staff member at Nelson/Nygaard, which is a consulting firm hired by Madison Metro to take an in-depth look at campus transportation and make recommendations for improvements.
According to Whitaker, the group was asked to look into more accessible transit options for those with disabilities and changes to bus services on campus. The firm reviewed existing services, conducted interviews and analyzed survey data as a basis for its recommendations.
At the forum, attendees asked questions and made recommendations to Whitaker and Darwin Ward, manager of University of Wisconsin-Madison Commuter Services.
Possible changes to campus bus routes 80, 81 and 82 were at the forefront of the conversation.
Nelson/Nygaard offered a variety of options, including a split of the current Route 80 into one express route bringing students in from Eagle Heights and another circulating the campus area.
Maria Giannopoulos, a sophomore student and vice chair of ASM Student Council, said she favors the split based on a recent experience of having to wait for the 80 to circulate the Eagle Heights area in order to return to campus from the new Dejope residence hall.
“To me the 80 is supposed to be the bus that comes constantly,” Giannopoulos said. “Because of how the 80 is structured right now it doesn’t serve students.”
Additional recommendations included combining routes 81 and 82 during nighttime services, although many attendees brought up concerns over sacrificing safety for the sake of efficiency.
Whitaker said the firm will take note of the feedback given in informational sessions and deliver it to Transportation Services.
ASM Press Office Director David Gardner said the organization was pleased with the engagement at the forum and is looking forward to using the feedback in future negotiations over campus transportation.
“We are hoping that the conversations that we had tonight will be able to be continued in the Student Transportation Board and in the conversations ASM has with Madison Metro,” Gardner said.
