The City of Monona is considering handing off transit responsibilities to the City to Madison.

Monona currently has two forms of public transportation, the Monona Express and the Monona Lift. The Express is a bus service that runs between the city and Capitol Square, the UW campus and all three Madison hospitals. The Lift gives door-to-door service to seniors and people with special needs.

Under a new proposal, Monona would phase out its own service and Madison Metro Transit would take over. Madison Metro would service Monona Drive through two routes, and the rest of the city through a newly proposed Monona Route.

The new route would circle the city every hour, clockwise down Stoughton Road, then running past City Hall and Monona Grove High School to connect with the rest of the Madison Transit Network at Cottage Grove Road.

The Monona Express only runs from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and only on weekdays. That is compared to Madison Metro, which runs every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. City officials said that Monona’s service is prone to interruptions due to limited staffing, compared to Madison which is more consistent.

The fare for Madison Metro is cheaper. Monona charges a $3 fare, and $2 for seniors and students. Madison only charges a $2 fare, with discounts for seniors, students and employers. Additionally, Madison does not accept transfers from Monona Transit but Madison tickets are transferrable to connected routes in the city.

Similar to the Express service, the Monona Lift only offers service during weekdays while the Metro Paratransit operates every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, Monona’s current service allows riders to call ahead when a ride is needed, and riders can use the service without any special requirements or applications.

Metro Paratransit requires riders to fill out an application, and riders must qualify to ride. Paratransit rides are available anywhere in the Metro service area, but Lift service is limited to a one-mile radius around Monona.

Monona’s current transit service foots a $105,000 bill to the city’s property taxpayers each year, with other costs being subsidized by local, state and federal sources. The number is tied to a five-year contract, and services and prices can change every five years. Should the city switch over to Madison Metro service, taxpayers would face a bill between $78,000 and $86,000 with a 3% year-on-year increase.

The city will hold two public meetings this month to discuss the proposal, one on October 20 and another on October 25. Both meetings will be held at the Monona Public Library Municipal Room at 6 p.m.