Posted on 12/11/2025 8:23:07 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Madison Metro Transit is grappling with nearly a $6 million budget shortfall that has forced the city to more than double its transit subsidy and implement emergency spending restrictions.
The transit system's initial 2025 budget called for a $18.4 million in planned spending. However, fare revenue fell short of projections while salary and benefit costs increased following a new contract with the union representing bus drivers. Operational costs also exceeded expectations.
Jamie Acton, Metro's general manager announced a non-essential spending freeze Monday to address the financial crisis.
"Effective, just on Monday, I put in a non-essential spending freeze. So non-essential spending is anything that isn't related to safety, security, keeping the busses in a well-maintained condition, really kind of homing in on those expenses," Acton said.
The shortfall represents more than half of the city's $10.5 million revenue projection for the year, creating significant strain on Madison's budget.
City officials have responded with substantial subsidy increases. A mid-year resolution boosted Metro's 2025 subsidy by $1.4 million, and the year-end resolution will add another $5.7 million. The total Metro Transit subsidy for 2025 now reaches $25.6 million.
Beyond immediate budget fixes, Metro Transit plans to implement a comprehensive evaluation system next year. Acton said the department will introduce a system report card to analyze the effectiveness of recent service changes.
"What that's going to do is look at what the redesign did and how that's functioning root by root, and then also take a deeper dive into paratransit as well." "So that'll look at the fixed route and the BRT, and paratransit and just look at a bunch of different data points as to how it's working and the costs that are associated, which each root productivity," Acton explained.
Metro Transit's financial difficulties come as the city continues to invest in expanding public transportation options, including the Bus Rapid Transit system that launched in recent years as part of a comprehensive route redesign.
Why does it need to be subsidized if everyone wants to ride da bus?
Oh, wait...
Let me guess, they pay for their employees’ “transgender” treatments.
The problem with socialism (public transportation) is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.
No one wants to ride the bus because of Iryna events. People work hard to NOT have to ride the bus! Meanwhile, the Left runs things so as to create more Iryna events, and scratch their heads wondering why no one wants to ride the bus.
I haven’t been on a bus since I was a teen. Mom would drop us at ‘The Mall’ and we’d get on the bus and head up to the Capitol Square where all the really cool stores were at the time.
I’ve always lived WAY outside of any bus service - and for good reason. Car, bike, truck, walking or horseback to get into town. ;)
a coupla stabbings and business will pick right up...
Mass Transit is failing everywhere:
Deep cuts to bus and rail services loom across big cities, small towns
Zohran Mamdani’s ‘free buses’ are a dangerous mistake — we’ve seen how they fail
Trump administration threatens Chicago with risk of losing funding for public transit
Daviess (County) Young Democrats holding bus pass fundraiser
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/daviess-young-democrats-holding-bus-045900197.html
Does it seem that the US has a whole generation of people in health care, medicine, civic governance, national politics, industry, banking, etc. who don’t know how to count????
Not a day goes by that we don’t hear about some kind of financial fraud or failure in the public sector and also in government!
At least Madison didn’t emulate the MinneapolisSt Paul metro and spend billions on light rail lines (locally known as the Somali Trolley)that few ride and can’t be rerouted to meet actual demand.
Nearby Milwaukee County Transit System....
Approximately 33% of riders currently do not pay fares, costing MCTS around $4 million in revenue.
This is a rich little town. If they can’t run a bus system, nobody can.
I noticed they didn’t include “green energy initiatives” like Electric Buses” in the posted excerpt!
They should immediately contact the new Hizzoner Mamdani in NYC for his professional opinion on how to run a financially successful urban transit system. His brilliant financial acumen figured it out.
The obvious answer is to shut it down and sell the buses to pay the debt. Or attract a private equity financer who has the skill and motivation to turn it around.
Oh wait. That would be a free market solution, and this is Madison, WI. 😆
benefit costs increased following a new contract with the union
There is the problem.
Bus fares is RAYCIS!!!
As long as “the people” have two pennies to rub together the government will have 2 more pennies it can steal.
Why is there non-essential spending to start with?
“This is a rich little town. If they can’t run a bus system, nobody can.”
Ridiculously wealthy. You’ve got that right! All of Dane County is ridiculously expensive - and for what? High crime and sh#tty bus service, LOL! And if you value your life, you’ll stay OFF The Beltline during morning and evening rush hours. Bumper to bumper for miles and miles - and not a BUS in sight, LOL!
AVERAGE property tax on a house in Madison is $12K. And that’s not even in a ‘good’ neighborhood. One county over I pay $3K for 160 acres!
I left 10 years ago - it should’ve been sooner!
Not a day goes by now when there aren’t ‘shots fired.’ Sometimes they even hit their target!
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