MADISON (WKOW) -- Madison's Transportation Policy and Planning Board chose Monday night its preferred route alternatives for Bus Rapid Transit. The key routes the board is considering for BRT would cover downtown and the west side.

Bus Rapid Transit provides options like dedicated bus lanes or traffic light controls that allow for quicker commutes while covering more ground. Typically, that means spacing out stops at least a half-mile apart. City planners went against the grain in their recommended option by putting stops in Capitol Square. Other alternatives avoided running BRT routes around the square but the board adopted the planners' recommendation.

"We just felt that because of the access to downtown Madison, because of the transfers, and because of the high levels of use at Capitol Square, that it was worth that extra travel time of, maybe, 30 seconds or something," said Madison Transportation Planner, Mike Cechvala.

Vanessa McDowell, CEO of YWCA Madison, spoke during the public comment part of the meeting and asked the board to choose the route that covers Capitol Square. McDowell said many of her clients are elderly and even a one-block walk to stops off the square would prove challenging.

"To have the Bus Rapid Transit go right down, right where we are, pick folks up and get them where they need to go is the best option," she said.

On the west side, the board favored the route that connects the Metro's West Transfer Point to Mineral Point Road by building an extension of Rosa Road that would connect to Tokay Boulevard.

Still, skeptics pointed to Madison's geography as a reason BRT wouldn't work in this community. Bob Schaefer told the board that given the lakes and the square, there are few corridors that can reasonably take riders from one side of the city to the other. Schaefer said he worries that during rush hour, BRT wouldn't be so rapid.

"Operating in traffic, it isn't gonna go anywhere," Schaefer said, "If it's having to stop for local buses, behind local buses, it's going to have to wait for them as well."

Cechvala acknowledged Madison has unique challenges but countered that having few main arteries actually makes the city a better fit for BRT.

"Everything is sort of concentrated so we're not choosing between corridors that are miles away," Cechvala said.

The board's selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative routes is one step in a very lengthy process. City planners cautioned Monday that even if things moved quickly, Madison wouldn't have BRT up and running until 2024 at the earliest.

Follow the money

One of the obstacles is funding. The cost of BRT as currently proposed is about $130 million. Originally, the city hoped for $100 million to come from federal grants while the local match would make up the remaining $30 million.

However, city planners told the board Monday that, based on what proposals earned approval for other cities, Madison would need to bring the Federal Transit Administration a plan with something closer to a 50/50 funding split.

In addition to the funding concerns, board members said, going forward, they want to see more detailed studies of the routes they recommended Monday. Board members said the results of a more comprehensive study could lead to future route adjustments.