tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35666868.post7099751492212918119..comments2023-06-05T03:35:27.537-05:00Comments on Monona Doug: Monona Council Review - December 7, 2009Doug Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16661429832655198314noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35666868.post-21062142065825764962009-12-10T14:40:07.619-06:002009-12-10T14:40:07.619-06:00Currently Monona's bus service provides limite...Currently Monona's bus service provides limited service that almost exclusively serves commuters going downtown. No evening or weekend service. No connections with the Madison bus system.<br /><br />The RTA provides an opportunity for Monona to be integrated into the area's transit service.Doug Woodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16661429832655198314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35666868.post-72364214130347530932009-12-10T06:42:30.485-06:002009-12-10T06:42:30.485-06:00Travis:
The three largest employment centers in t...Travis:<br /><br />The three largest employment centers in the Madison area are state government (most of it located downtown), the UW, and the UW Hospital. You could easily set up a commuter bus system that feeds in and out of the suburbs and outlying Madison neighborhoods, with only a few major stops downtown, that could be successful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35666868.post-21005283736227932002009-12-09T16:46:49.226-06:002009-12-09T16:46:49.226-06:00Have to say, I'm curious to see what the RTA p...Have to say, I'm curious to see what the RTA proposes, but based on the mass-transit systems I've used elsewhere:<br /><br />a) I'm not sure exactly what Monona's benefit would be <br />b) This is relatively pointless without being part of a comprehensive commercialization effort<br /><br />With regards to (a) the communities that benefit most, it is usually the end destination (downtown Madison) as well as any of the areas that feed into it. For example, if a hub existed in downtown (and corresponding commercial district) with mass transit coming in from Sun Prairie, Cottage Grove, McFarland, Fitchburg and Middleton, those communities would get a boost since living in those areas would be more desirable. Areas that are quite close to downtown already (ie, Monona) would gain less of a benefit, since we're within a 5-15min drive already. It wouldn't make sense to drive to the nearest transit point, wait for the train/bus/etc, and then spend 10-15min riding in.<br /><br />However, the biggest component of this is (b). Right now the commercial districts are spread out primarily in office parks south and west of the city along the beltline. Since they are so spread out, mass transit usually doesn't work (it would take my wife 1.5 hours and 2 bus transfers to get to her job, or a 25min car ride). What they need, though, is to build up the commercial areas in downtown (particularly on the eastern end of the Isthmus) and make it a true destination area for commuters. That would be the easiest, and simplest way to build up the downtown area, all while allowing people to live in the surrounding communities.<br /><br />Having a mass transit system that feeds into downtown Madison without ensuring that there is a vibrant commercial area around the destination could doom this to failure...Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01168799006781664530noreply@blogger.com