Transportation

 The new Department of Motor Vehicle Customer Service Center at 8417 Excelsior Drive (Photo Courtesy of MABA)

One of the many examples of the disconnect between public transportation and land use in Madison that has been disenfranchising transit-dependent people for years is the impending relocation of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Service Centers on the west side. The new location will make it more accessible to car travel but less accessible to bus travel.

Looking down at car traffic at the intersection of John Nolen Dr. and North Shore Dr. (Aaron Hathaway/Madison Commons)

Madison’s leadership in the transportation of disabled people may be coming to an end. 

Looking West along Atwood Ave. toward Olbrich Botanical Gardens with Starkweather Creek in the foreground (Aaron Hathaway/Madison Commons)

A planned reconstruction project for Madison's Atwood Avenue has sparked conversation among East Side residents, who see the initiative as an opportunity to improve safety conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city of Madison will debut a new interactive map for bicyclists and pedestrians in late summer or early fall. The map is part of an effort to facilitate traffic and improve the channels for public feedback, and city officials provided an update on its progress during a meeting in late June.  

 “The map is a tool for pedestrians to use to make their own suggestions and see what other people have suggested,” said Jose Navarro, engineering aide for the city of Madison. “The city can use it to see what citizens are saying so they know how to respond to them.”

At least as far back as ancient Greece and its Agora, democratic assembly occurred in open public space. People gathered at the Agora to shop, talk, make friendships, relax and refresh. What has that got to do with using the bus in Madison? 

Lots. Because in the last half century, shopping centers have separated the commercial from the noncommercial reasons for congregating and also at least passively separated bus riders from the rest of the public. Is it time for a change?