Madison, WI — Mayor Touts Trolleys

Rail Transit Online, January 2004

The new mayor of Madison wants to switch the region’s rail transit emphasis from commuter rail to streetcars because, he believes, trolleys would better serve the city and be more environmentally responsible.  “I was saying this when I was a member of Transport 2020,” Mayor Dave Cieslewicz told The Capital Times.  “I think that streetcars are the most promising of the technologies we looked at.”  Transport 2020, a committee with members representing the city, county and the state of Wisconsin, developed a comprehensive transportation program that included both regional rail and streetcars.  Prior to leaving office early this year, Mayor Sue Bauman and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced support for the first leg of a commuter system linking Middleton and East Towne Mall that could be financed without federal grants and that could be ready in less than five years.  But Cieslewicz showed no interest in the project after he assumed office and now says commuter rail is more suited to large cities with distant suburbs.  “They work fine for moving people greater distances at higher speeds,” he told The Capital Times.  “The job of the committee (Transport 2020) is to figure out exactly what technology to use, the exact routes and the exact phasing.”