After a lengthy late-night debate, Madison's city council gave the nod to five $70,000 bus shelters Tuesday.
The shelters will stand at various points around the Capitol Square and will be built in a style similar to the white and blue bus shelters currently on State Street.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, represents most of downtown, including State Street and the square. He said an amendment to the city's budget that would have limited the number of new shelters to four was misguided.
Campus area council members Robbie Webber and Austin King also supported the funding of an additional fifth shelter.
However, several members of the council voiced strong objections to the shelters, which will ultimately cost the city over $350,000. Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, was particularly critical of the plan, arguing it wasted city money. Ald. Larry Palm, District 15, also questioned Verveer's claim that the shelters would not take money away from other tax-funded programs.
""These shelters do not grow on trees,"" Palm said.
Most members of the council remained confused throughout the debate as to how a bus shelter could possibly cost $70,000. And when Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, raised the question, a host of city officials were unable to give a straight answer.
Still, King noted that the Capitol Square structures would be far more complex than any existing Madison bus shelters, housing electrical and plumbing equipment in addition to Metro passengers.
""It's a lot less crazy than it seems,"" he said.
Supporters of the fifth bus shelter continued to say modern bus shelters are indicative of modern cities. Ald. Ken Golden, District 10, cited the visit of another city's mayor as evidence of the need for nice shelters.
""When the mayor of Beverly Hills came to Madison, one of the only things she commented on were the bus shelters and how good they looked,"" Golden said.
