Madison commission approves Metro Transit stop and trip changes after heated public objections over Petrona stop

The Madison Transportation Commission voted on June 11 to approve a package of Metro Transit stop relocations and trip reallocations — including changes tied to the D2 extension and Route 75 — after public comment and a split vote on one contested Petrona/Fitzhrona stop.

Metro Transit staff said the adjustments are meant to keep service on time and to integrate the D2 extension; staff described the work as part of rebalancing morning and afternoon trips on Route 75 and finalizing stop locations for the D2 alignment.

Why it mattered: The packet includes several stop consolidations and relocations across the transit network and a reallocation of some Route 75 trips to allow the D2 extension to operate without adding an extra bus at peak times. One specific removal — a stop near the Petrona/Nesbitt roundabout (stop ID 4649) — drew multiple public speakers who said the change would lengthen walking times and reduce transit access for non-drivers.

Metro Transit rationale and data

Metro staff presented ridership and operational data to support the changes. Sean, a Metro Transit planner, said the Petrona stop had about nine boardings a day in April and about four per day in winter months, and that most of the area near McKee and Manchester would be served by D2. Mike, Metro’s capital projects manager, summarized other stop moves and safety or operational concerns, including a construction-driven relocation near University Row and proposals to consolidate the South Transfer Point activity to Park and Hughes as Park Badger redevelopment closes the existing transfer lot.

“...we do have about 9 boardings at that stop ID 4649 at Petrona Nesbit…in the winter, we have about 4,” Sean said during the presentation.

Public concerns: walk distance, paratransit and new development

Several Fitchburg-area residents and neighborhood speakers opposed removing the Petrona/Nesbitt stop. Heidi Wenner, who said she lives in the affected apartments, told the commission the change would lengthen the walk uphill in winter for her husband, who does not drive. “If we're expanding the D2 to go out to Verona, you're taking away a stop that my husband who doesn't drive…has multiple — there's multiple other people in this neighborhood that you are taking away a stop,” she said.

David Martin, who said his community is 82 households and moved there for bus access, told commissioners that ridership is growing and that the 10-minute walk figure in staff materials understates the uphill, winter difficulty for residents: “A thousand steps is a lot of steps to take…that incline and getting to that stop, it's kind of a tough thing for folks.”

Staff said they examined paratransit impacts and found that the consolidation would not remove current paratransit-registered riders’ eligibility; Sean said staff checked with paratransit and found no registered users in a specific portion of the area that would lose coverage. Still, several commissioners and attendees raised equity concerns about non-drivers and people with limited mobility being pushed toward paratransit or longer walks.

Commission debate and votes

Commissioners spent more than an hour discussing operational tradeoffs, routing alternatives (including using the Fitzhrona roundabout to loop back to McKee), and the risk that keeping a low-use stop would add minutes to all other riders’ trips. Commissioners noted that the D2 route is long and already constrained by peak travel times.

The commission first voted to approve the package of proposed changes with the Petrona/Fitzhrona stop matter deferred (motion carried by roll call). The commission then took a separate roll-call vote on the Fitzhrona/Petrona changes as proposed. The final roll call recorded five yes votes and four no votes; the motion to adopt the Fitzhrona/Petrona changes as presented carried.

What was decided

- The commission approved Metro Transit’s full package of stop and trip changes, including the reallocation of some Route 75 trips and the stop relocations tied to the D2 extension. The contested removal near Petrona/Nesbitt (stop ID 4649) was approved by a 5–4 roll-call vote after separate consideration.

What Metro and the community said next

Staff acknowledged the public concerns and said they would continue field monitoring and could revisit stop placement if ridership or development patterns change. Metro said some stop relocations were intended to align with planned accessible stop upgrades and with future North-South BRT planning in the Park/Badger area.

For now, Metro plans to implement the approved changes and to use detours or temporary adjustments if construction or other issues arise; commissioners said they expect continued monitoring and follow-up reports from Metro as the D2 extension and other changes begin operating.

Ending

The vote finalizes Metro Transit’s stop and trip changes for implementation planning. Commissioners and members of the public stressed they will watch ridership, winter walking conditions and paratransit needs as these changes take effect, and staff said they would bring monitoring data back to the commission.