| Nature Everywhere Brings Equity Outdoors The City of Madison is proud to announce it is one of nineteen communities in the country selected to join the inaugural Nature Everywhere Communities initiative. The initiative is designed to increase equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and play. |
| Mayor’s Message I would like to re-introduce a landmark City of Madison financial assistance program – the first of its kind in the state of Wisconsin – the Madison Customer Assistance Program (MadCAP).  Being able to afford housing is an important issue in Madison. Paying for housing also means paying for utilities. The Madison Customer Assistance Program (MadCAP) helps reduce utility costs for eligible residents by providing up to a $30 monthly credit (discount) on their Municipal Services Bill. The MadCAP program credit spreads across all services on the Municipal Services Bill, including water, sewer, stormwater, urban forestry, resource recovery, and landfill. The credit is automatically applied monthly to customer bills and never has to be repaid. MadCAP’s objective is to keep the cost of living in Madison more affordable, especially for our most financially vulnerable residents, by providing helpful relief in the form of a monthly “discount” on their Municipal Services Bill. Households that meet eligibility criteria are qualified to receive the monthly bill credit. Residents that qualify for Section 8, Wisconsin FoodShare or SNAP benefits, or the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program would meet MadCAP’s income requirements. Similar to these programs, MadCAP eligibility is based on annual income and number of persons in the household. Find out more about the Madison Customer Assistance Program (MadCAP) at cityofmadison.com/water. You can access the MadCAP application online. Complete and submit the MadCAP application form by email to: madcap@cityofmadison.com. Residents can also drop off the completed application, or mail it to 119 E Olin Ave, Madison, WI 53713. Please call (608) 266-4651 if you have any questions, or email madcap@cityofmadison.com. Follow Mayor’s Blog |
| New Library Director Tana Elias has been announced as the new Director of Madison Public Library.  Elias currently serves as the Digital Services and Marketing Manager at Madison Public Library. Elias brings 30 years of experience in various roles at Madison Public Library, where she has led rebranding and strategic planning efforts, managed staff and community engagement initiatives, and implemented innovative services and programs. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from UW-Madison, and is an active member of several professional associations and serves on a non-profit board in the community. |
Make Madison’s Parks & Open Space Plan The City of Madison Parks Division is updating its Park and Open Space Plan (POSP) and seeking input from area residents. The purpose of the POSP is to guide and inform public park policies and park facility decisions in the city of Madison. |
Brush Collection Begins  The scheduled set-out dates for this year’s brush collection by the Streets Division have begun. Check your neighborhood dates on the Streets Division’s brush collection website. |
| North-South BRT Public Meetings Metro Rapid Route B will be the second bus rapid transit route in the Madison area. The route will generally follow the current Route B, beginning on Madison’s Northside, traveling through the downtown area, extending into South Madison, and ending in Fitchburg. Learn more about BRT and the dates for upcoming meetings here. |
| Take Metro Rider Survey On Board Starting Monday, April 1, the City of Madison is conducting a Metro rider survey. Surveyors will be out riding fixed-route buses and asking Metro passengers to fill out a survey, which includes questions about themselves and their trip. Look for surveyors wearing yellow safety vests and ‘Field Surveyor’ ID badges. Learn more about the survey here. |
New Way to Pay Metro Fares Metro is installing a new fare system that will make riding the bus faster, easier, and more convenient – the Metro Fast Fare Card. Features include: Online accounts with reloadable smartcards Pay as you go – pay only for the rides you take & still receive discounts Ticket vending machines at BRT stations Board and tap at any bus door when boarding at a BRT station Learn more about this new payment system. |
| How to Ride Metro Learn how to use Metro Transit’s fixed route city bus service at Lakeview Library. Topics include using Google Maps, the Transit app, and other digital options; paper schedules and phone service; and discounted fare options. Metro employees will answer your questions about bus travel and provide one-on-one assistance in English and Spanish. Tuesday, April 9 from 1pm to 5pm Thursday, April 18 from 1pm to 5pm |
| Ask Metro Anything Metro employees will talk about different options for getting around the city at Lakeview Library Tuesday, April 23 from 10am to 12pm, including buses, BCycles, bikes, and more. They will spend time talking about paratransit, a shared ride service for that uses a variety of companies and vehicles to respond to individual ride requests. Paratransit is an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) service for individuals with disabilities who cannot use Metro’s accessible fixed-route bus service. Metro employees will be available for one-on-one conversations in English and Spanish. |
Spring Roll Challenge RoundTrip, a transportation options program in Dane County, is launching the Spring Roll Challenge to encourage car-free and car-light trips throughout April. The Spring Roll Challenge is free and open to everyone 18 years and older in Dane County. The challenge rewards people for using sustainable transportation options and connects challenge participants with others doing the same thing. The first 50 individuals to join will receive a starter prize pack, including a free slice from Ian’s Pizza, a 30-minute BCycle pass and a two-ride Metro Transit pass. Learn more here. |
| Extended Drop Off Site Hours Starting on Monday, April 1, 2024 the Streets Division drop-off sites at 402 South Point Road and 4602 Sycamore Avenue began their expanded summer hours. Learn more here. |
| Third-Party Mental Health Transportation The Madison Police Department will continue to use a third-party service for emergency detention transports to Winnebago Mental Health Facility. The department tested out this option during a pilot program last summer. After a program review, Common Council approval and a competitive selection process, services resumed on Friday. Learn more abou the program here. |
