When President Biden visited Superior in March, he touted how billions of dollars will be dedicated to improving infrastructure in Wisconsin.

Tuesday morning, Madison Mayor Sayta Rhodes-Conway discussed how some of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be spent.

“This is a once-in-a-generation federal investment in critical infrastructure that will make a huge difference in Madison,” Rhodes-Conway told reporters during the kickoff of Opportunity Wisconsin's 'Paving the Way' statewide tour. The event highlighted how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will impact the Badger State.

President Biden's spending package puts $89.9 billion toward public transit over the next five years. The City of Madison will use those funds to pursue an all-electric fleet of buses.

The city expects to buy 46 brand new electric buses without contributing any additional local funding. However, that wasn't always the plan.

“We had been planning to do a mixed fleet,” Rhodes-Conway explained. “Some electric buses and some conventional diesel buses, but with the advent of the funding for electric vehicles in the infrastructure act, we're able to switch our fleet to fully electric so that we won't be buying diesel buses and locking in that pollution for years.”

The mayor also hopes the switch can lock in years of savings. She expects the shift to an all-electric fleet will:

• Cut back on nearly a quarter-million gallons of diesel fuel every year
• Save the city up to $125,000 in maintenance costs per vehicle over its lifetime
• Reduce up to 135 metric tons of greenhouse gases for each bus every year

“Each of these projects represents good, family-supporting jobs for Madisonians, and each of these projects represents an opportunity to advance our city's goals around climate, equity and economic development,” Rhodes-Conway said.

The mayor said bus rapid transit routes will start operating as soon as next year, with everything fully operational by 2024.

https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/politics/2022/05/17/why-madison-is-using-federal-funds-to-buy-46-new-buses

Adam Bellcorelli said the new technology added to GO Transit buses is a win for him and a win for the bus drivers in the city.

And Bellcorelli loves a win-win as much as anybody.

“Being able to ride the bus and not to have to have the driver jump out and get on the floor and do the ratchet straps, or when it’s wintertime, the floor gets a little slushy or dirty, so I feel better for them,’’ said Bellcorelli, a 17-year Oshkosh resident. “And I just tell them where I’m going to stop, then jump on and hit the button, and it secures me right in. It’s independence, and it’s a lot of fun to use.’’

The independence Bellcorelli speaks of comes in what is called Quantum securement technology, a device that allows riders in wheelchairs and mobility devices to have complete independence while riding city buses.

GO Transit, the public transportation service to the Greater Oshkosh area, unveiled the new technology Wednesday as part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

“It gives independence and safety, really the two main issues, for people using the bus with mobility devices,’’ said Steve Tomasik, operations manager for GO Transit. “They can get on the bus by themselves and the device actually secures the wheelchair for them.’’

Tomasik said the devices were installed to fill a need, as both riders and drivers became concerned during the COVID pandemic.
“Everyone was scared of how all of this was going to transpire,’’ he said. “You can’t keep six feet of safe distancing if you have someone reaching over you to help you secure your device.”

GO Transit retrofitted 12 of their buses at a cost of $180,000, Tomasik said. Four new buses, which will be delivered later this year, will already have the technology installed.

Tomasik said new air purification systems were also added to all GO Transit buses. They also added a cashless payment system, whereby riders download an app to their cellphone, purchase tickets online, then show their phone to the driver when they get on.

“And the nice things about this system is, let’s say you go over a bump or (the bus) takes a turn or whatever, this will, throughout the course of the ride, readjust itself to make sure you’re still clamped in,” Tomasik said. 

Tomasik said the option will remain for riders with mobility devices to be strapped in the old way, as the new system requires the rider to face the back of the bus. 

“I really like this,’’ said Bellcorelli of facing the opposite way. “I didn’t think I would at first because normally I do ride, when I was in the old system, I’d ride the other way. But because you put your back against the pad, it feels so much more secure. So, yeah, I do like it. I’ve found it more comfortable riding this way," he said. 

Bellcorelli said based on talking with other riders with mobility devices, the new technology is a hit.

“People love it,’’ he said. “The more you can do this on your own, the less you feel like you have to rely on someone else to do things for you.

“It makes all the buses much more accessible and much more fun to use.’’

https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/green-bay/news/2022/05/19/bus-riders-with-mobility-devices-dain-independence

The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) has selected four (4) finalists to provide proposals for a public art project for the Metro Transit Maintenance Facility near the corner of East Washington Avenue and South Ingersoll Street. The finalists are: Actual Size Artworks (Gail Simpson and Aristotle Georgiades), Deborah Aschheim, Vito DiBari, and Jenie Gao.

This is the first public art project funded by Madison’s Percent for Art Ordinance established in 2019 to ensure that the City’s major public work projects have a designated funding source for the inclusion of public art and design.

MAC recognizes that the Metro Transit Maintenance Facility occupies a highly visible location passed by thousands of daily commuters and residents as well as visitors to Wisconsin’s State Capitol and therefore they would like to involve the public to participate in the process.

Each finalist has provided a 15-minute artist talk with information about past projects and their approach to public art. These brief artist talks give residents the chance to learn more about the artists and how they might approach the Metro Transit location on East Washington. Please review their artist talks at the links below:
Actual Size Artworks 
Deborah Aschheim 
Vito DiBari 
Jenie Gao 

After you watch all the artist presentations, please share your thoughts in feedback form here: https://airtable.com/shrngRkqAkZMUdrvq . Feedback must be submitted by 12 PM (noon) on July 12, 2022 in order to influence the selection and design process.

This is your opportunity to offer your initial response on the candidates, and share what is important to you about the Metro Transit location on East Washington, the neighborhood Metro Transit is part of, and public art in the City as a whole. Your comments will be provided to the artist finalists, City staff, and members of the Madison Arts Commission and will become part of the permanent public record.

During the next phase of the review process, each applicant will design a proposal for a site-specific artwork for this site. Your input will help inform their proposal. Site proposals will be submitted to the City of Madison in late August. We will seek additional community input on the design proposals at that time.

The public is invited to attend the meeting of the Madison Arts Commission at 5:30pm on September 7, 2022, where we anticipate commissioners will discuss proposals and may determine which artist to recommend for this opportunity.

The Madison Arts Commission (MAC), an 11-member citizen commission appointed by the Mayor to advise the City about matters of arts and culture. MAC’s mission is to foster arts appreciation by initiating partnerships, developing new audiences, and sponsoring diverse artistic activities by emerging and established artists and arts organizations while preserving Madison’s rich artistic tradition. To support a full creative life for all, The Madison Arts Commission commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable city.

https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/metro-transit-public-art-project-finalists

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway joined a Wisconsin coalition Tuesday as part of a statewide tour highlighting how the bipartisan infrastructure law is benefitting Wisconsin.

Rhodes Conway met with members of Opportunity Wisconsin and For Our Future Wisconsin to discuss how the legislation will provide a better economy, more jobs and lower costs for Wisconsinites as part of the Paving the Way tour.

“We had been planning to do a mixed-fleet, some electric buses and some conventional diesel buses, but with the advent of the funding for electric vehicles in the infrastructure act, we’re able to switch our fleet to fully electric,” Rhodes Conway said. “So that we won’t be buying diesel buses, and locking in that pollution for years.”

Opportunity Wisconsin program director Meghan Roh explained that the groups are excited to begin traveling around the state as the weather gets warmer.

“This once-in-a-generation investment from the Biden-Harris administration will mean repaired roads and bridges, increased access to broadband, cleaner drinking water, and so much more,” Roh said.

Opportunity Wisconsin will travel to cities including Milwaukee, Eau Claire and La Crosse, and meeting with elected officials while there.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5.2 billion to Wisconsin for highways and $225 million for bridges over five years. The agency noted there are 979 bridges and nearly 2,000 miles of highway in Wisconsin that are considered to be in poor condition. The plan also provides internet access to Wisconsinites who need it, $592 million to improve public transportation and $841 million to improve water infrastructure.

https://www.nbc15.com/2022/05/17/madison-mayor-joins-wisconsin-groups-highlight-bipartisan-infrastructure-law/

 GO Transit, the public transportation service in the Greater Oshkosh area, is excited to unveil the new Quantum securement technology on its buses on Thursday, May 19 at 11 a.m. at the Oshkosh Seniors Center, located at 200 N. Campbell Rd. (map). This convenient, automatic device allows riders in wheelchairs and mobility devices to have complete independence while riding the bus.

May 19 is also Global Accessibility Awareness Day, part of why GO Transit is unveiling this technology on this day. Quantum technology is fitted onto 12 of GO Transit’s buses, providing riders with the ability to secure themselves into place in only 25 seconds with the push of a button and no assistance from the driver. This saves a significant amount of time for both the rider and the driver, allowing buses to run on schedule while limiting the need for close contact.

“We’re excited to provide this service to our riders,” explained GO Transit operations manager, Steve Tomasik. “Nobody likes to feel like they need another person to help them with simple tasks such as riding the bus. This Quantum technology will allow our wheelchair and scooter-bound riders to secure themselves and regain their independence.”

In addition to unveiling the Quantum securement technology at the Oshkosh Seniors Center, there will be free resources and travel training on-site for any community member interested in learning the basics of how to ride the GO Transit system. Light refreshments will also be available.

To learn more about GO Transit’s services, visit oshkoshtransit.com.

https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/go-transit-improves-bus-riding-experience-for-riders-with-disabilities-on-global-accessibility-awareness-day/

The phone app will save users time waiting for buses and allow them to swiftly check up transfers and plan excursions. Source The Journal Times, Racine, Wisconsin (TNS) — In addition to electrifying 25% of RYDE Racine’s bus fleet, the Racine area’s transit system announced Monday the formal debut of a new automated vehicle finder smartphone application, which gives users with real-time data on bus position, as well as arrival and departure timings.

“The City of Racine is utilizing smart technology to improve municipal services and enhance quality of life for our residents,” stated Mayor Cory Mason. “This is an excellent example of the major strides that several City departments have made to integrate technological solutions to better meet our community’s needs.” Residents and visitors alike can download the free application by searching “RYDE Racine Transit” in the app stores on Android and Apple devices.

The phone application will save riders on wait times for buses and provide the capability to quickly look up transfers and plan trips. An additional feature of the app designed to help visually impaired people will make an audible announcement when passengers are nearing their stop while riding. The application’s system map can be updated in real time if routes or schedules change based on construction or rerouting. “The launch of this app is an important part of an overall effort to modernize our transit system,” stated Trevor Jung, Racine transit manager. “Improvements like this will enhance the customer experience for our passengers and make utilizing public transit a more viable transportation option.”

https://www.bollyinside.com/news/wi-ryde-racine-unveils-automatic-car-locator-transit-smartphone-app-for-passengers

Friday was the last day to use Milwaukee County Transit System's old fare collection app, Ride MCTS, according to a news release from the agency.

The transit system is now using a new app called WisGo, which is powered by Umo Mobility. The app brings a host of new features and differences from the old app. Riders will be able to purchase a 105-minute fare for $2 or a 24-hour fare for $5, according to the news release.

Once you buy a ticket, unlike the former app, your fare will become immediately active, so MCTS advises people to only purchase fares when they're ready to board the bus. It's a temporary system until new fare validators are installed on buses, the release said.

The new app is part of a wider part of MCTS's new fare collection system, which is expected to be fully up and running by the fall. The app introduces new ways to pay, and the news release touts that bus tracking will be improved.

To use the new app, look up the Umo App and enter Milwaukee as your location. While the old app is now defunct, riders will still be able to use MCards and cash to pay fares.

https://patch.com/wisconsin/milwaukee/milwaukee-county-buses-transfer-new-fare-collection-app

A press release from the City of Madison announces an effort to create a “Transit-Oriented Development overlay zoning district” that would support denser development near transit hubs and help the city reduce vehicle miles driven. “As recommended by the 2018 Comprehensive Plan, this ‘TOD overlay’ would potentially create development intensity minimums, reduce parking requirements, and support transit use, among other possible tweaks to underlying zoning regulations.”

According to District 2 Alder and Plan Commissioner Patrick Heck, “Paired with the City’s use of our Affordable Housing Fund to support projects close to transit, the TOD changes will not only make it easier to build housing, but easier to build affordable and workforce housing with transit-supported access to jobs.”

District 15 Alder and Transportation and Policy Planning Board member Grant Foster said the goal is to accommodate regional growth while boosting housing affordability, “without the devastating impacts of increasing traffic.”

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/05/117033-madison-create-transit-oriented-zoning

City leaders are poised to approve $5.59 million in bids from contractors to finish construction of Eau Claire's new downtown transit transfer center.

The third set of bids in the project is up for a vote by the City Council during its Tuesday afternoon meeting.

"This is the final one for the city," Tom Wagener, manager of Eau Claire Transit, said of the bid package.

There are 21 different companies slated to do a portion of the work needed to complete the center, which has been under construction since fall.

Market & Johnson, the Eau Claire firm also serving as construction manager for the project, is set to get $1.9 million to do the masonry, carpentry and providing gypsum board.

The contractor poised to get the second-highest amount from the latest package is Design Point Exteriors of Stevens Point, which bid $971,000 to provide the metal clad walls for the building.

Other contracts for plumbing, structural steel, weatherproofing, doors, glass, tiling, flooring, painting, fire sprinklers and elevator work are also among items in the bid package.

These final bids are coming just a month after the City Council gave its approval to increase the construction project's budget, in part due to materials price inflation.

"It was the last bid package so we wanted to get them out as soon as we could because prices keep going up," Wagener said.

The project's first bid package was approved in July for $6.76 million in site work, utilities, paving and concrete, with the majority going to Market & Johnson.

The second bid package, which was for $1.33 million in electrical work, went to NEI Electric of Eau Claire in February.

Higher prices and increasing the city's share of the public-private project led the council to unanimously vote March 22 to increase spending on it.

The public portion of the center was previously estimated to cost $8.9 million to build, but the council's vote grew that to $17.2 million as costs rose.

The six-story project will have a bus transfer center on the ground floor, two levels of parking above it and then a three-level apartment building with "workforce housing" on top. As originally conceived in 2017, city and federal funds were supposed to pay for the ground floor and a level of parking with a private developer covering the rest.

However, difficulty getting a housing developer to sign on under that arrangement led the city to expand the public share of the project last month to include the second level of parking, a large concrete slab above that for the apartments to stand on and more of the structure's infrastructure.

After another developer had previously walked away, the city has been in talks since late last year with Rice Lake-based Impact Seven to build the workforce housing.

Including the housing is seen as critical to the city holding onto a $5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery it was awarded in 2018 to kick-start the transit transfer center.

https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/facilities/news/21265361/wi-eau-claire-to-approve-final-56-million-package-of-transfer-center-bids

The City of Racine rolled out its new fleet of electric buses on Wednesday. The city now has nine new electric buses, making it the largest electric fleet in Wisconsin.

According to the city's transit department, 25% of Racine's bus fleet is now electrified. The City of Racine received $6,190,906 from the Wisconsin Department of Administration's Volkswagen Transit Capital Assistance Grant Program to fund the purchase of six electric buses and related infrastructure.

Additionally, the city was awarded $3,183,723 from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (“Low-No Program”) to buy three additional electric buses, bringing the total to nine.

Racine was the only city in the state to receive this allocation, and one of only 41 other transit jurisdictions nationwide to receive this funding.

Gov. Tony Evers and residents were some of the first to ride on the bus. Gov. Evers said he sees this as the future of public transportation across the state.

“The more we can electrify our fleets and buses and individual cars, the more we will be able to say gasoline is not the be-all-end-all from us to get from point A to point B," Gov. Evers said. "This is a step in the right direction."

Kiran Vedak has worked in Racine for nine years. He said he prefers the electric buses over diesel, because they are more quiet and better for the environment.

“It’s a great move, good for the environment and next generations,” said Vedak.

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/this-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction-racine-rolls-out-9-new-electric-buses