Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced on Monday that Madison’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service is set to launch on Sept. 22, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. All routes will be served by 60-foot, articulated all-electric buses with dual-side boarding options.
BRT’s East-West Rapid Route A, starting that Sunday, will run from near East Towne Mall to Junction Road on the city’s far west side. Buses will run approximately every 15 minutes for the majority of each day. The BRT buses, stations, and lanes will also be used for local routes B and F, but these will branch off to serve local stops.
BRT’s new, larger buses have twice the passenger capacity of other buses, and dedicated bus lanes and priority traffic signals, along with increased service frequency, are aimed at moving passengers along quickly.
Forty-three new boarding stations are in construction along the East-West Rapid Corridor. Most will have automated ticket machines. Metro Transit will also launch its Fast Fare system next month, which uses a smart card riders can load through an online account and use to pay by tapping any bus door.
Planning for a north-south BRT route is also underway and slated to launch in 2028.
