Hello all: I'm writing as a member of the Transport 2020 commission and the Transportation Planning Board (aka MPO) which I serve on with Robbie.
We aren't trying to cut transit-dependent people out of the process of advancing transit improvements. To the extent that there has been resistance to the Tranport 2020 recommendations, it has come from outlying areas, which see it as a way of serving Madison's needs at the expense of the rest of Dane County. Hence, we decided to go "out there" and involve people in the process and explain how Transport 2020 will help them. (Although Middleton is 4 miles from my house, which is 3 miles from the Capitol, so I think the distances are a little bit overstated.) At a future date, we will be having more outreach meetings in "closer in" locations. In addition, we can have meetings for neighborhood associations and the like. One of my constituents from Shorewood Hills has expressed interest in having me do another info meeting for the Village - this would be the third that I'll have organized over the 10 or so years of Transport 2020 planning - and involve a few adjoining neighborhood associations. I'll be doing that some time in the summer. Due to an e-mail glitch not worth explaining, I couldn't read the body of Robbie's e-mail in this mode. So apologies for any duplication, but here's what I've been sending out. Here's where we are: A subcommittee of the Transport 2020 commission has completed its work and has arranged for a series of public outreach meetings to involve the public in the project. Please see the list below. Two next steps are in play: 1. We are seeking approval from the Wisconsin Legislature for authority to set up a Regional Transit Authority. This will provide some of the funding for the project, as well as a governance body to bring the plans to fruition and run the system once it is up and running. 2. Federal funds are being sought through the New Starts program. The system will include. - Commuter rail from a point near the City of Sun Prairie on the east to Middleton on the west, travelling through Madison's isthmus. - Regional bus service serving communities in Dane County such as Stoughton. - Enhanced support for the service currently provided by Madison Metro. Public involvement in these plans is encouraged as we move forward in our efforts to bring these transit enhancements to Dane County. Thanks! Al Matano Dane County Board, District 11 Chair, Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (Metropolitan Planning Organization) > Robbie Webber wrote: > > See end of message for dates, times and locations on meetings. Yes, they > > are all out in the 'burbs. > > I'd be happy to go, but it's unlikely that I'll be up for biking to the > meetings. (yay for being a noob at icebiking *and* being distance > restricted due to a knee injury). That's 11, 17 and 18 miles... all one > way. And only one of them is maybe within range of transit. I don't know > for sure, because (as usual) the Metro's trip planning site is down. > > Transit supporters can't come if there isn't transit access. > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
