Madison's Transportation Policy and Planning Board approved the redesign of the city’s bus network during a meeting Monday night. 

The plan was approved with a 7 to 1 vote and will now head to the Common Council.

The Metro Transit redesign is meant to increase access and frequency, decrease travel times and improve the experience of riders. 

It has been a controversial topic because some people think it will lead to longer walks to the new bus stops.

After 25 years with the current design, many believe it's time to make a change. 

"Most of the problems we've heard really come down to just we need more transit, and more transit funding, and that's always going to be the case, but we can't let that hold us back from laying a new groundwork that we can move from going forward,” said Chris McCahill, an expert in transportation engineering and urban planning.

"Certainly it (the plan) has weaknesses. It has strengths, but I'm not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. We need to move forward,” said Margaret Bergamini, Greater Madison MPO Policy Board member.

Officials say they will also continue to look into any other possible changes as they move into the next phase of planning and funding.

"I think the sooner we hit the ground running with a dry run, the sooner we can learn some of those tweaks we need to make," said McCahill. 

The Common Council is scheduled to vote on the redesign at its meeting Tuesday, June 7. If it's approved at that level, changes could be in place by 2023.