Transportation Commission: Meeting of October 28, 2026

The City of Madison Transportation Commission met on October 28, 2026. The commission unanimously recommended approval of a temporary, optional taxi fuel surcharge of up to $1 per trip, with a sunset date of June 1, 2027, for consideration by the Common Council. Taxi representatives cited rising fuel costs and narrow profit margins; staff noted the surcharge had been used previously. The commission also unanimously approved Metro Transit’s proposed paratransit agency-fare increase under scenario one, moving toward full cost recovery from the current $34.25 per one-way trip to an estimated rate of about $63. The commission deferred proposed commute-card and unlimited-ride-pass increases until its November 18 meeting after UW raised concerns about midyear implementation and budget timing. Staff estimated those pass changes could generate about $500,000 in additional 2027 revenue; the agency-fare increase could generate roughly $550,000 at the full-recovery rate.

The commission reviewed the $6–8 million John Nolan Drive phase-two reconstruction proposal, planned for 2028, and provided design feedback on lane reductions, pedestrian and bicycle connections, and traffic operations; no project award or spending motion was taken. In a preliminary budget discussion, staff described a proposed $40,000 annual traffic-safety education effort, two junior engineering positions intended to support the Bus Rapid Transit project and build in-house capacity, and a 2027 capital budget of slightly over $5 million, including equipment purchases for field maintenance. Staff also cited a pending $5 million federal safety-grant application and a previously approved six-year Motorola radio contract negotiated for more than $5 million in savings. The transcript ends before the Metro budget presentation is complete.