The Madison Common Council voted to demolish the Badger Bus Depot, located at 2 S. Bedford St., so it can be replaced with a mixed-use retail building and apartment complex at Tuesday's city council meeting.
Although the council widely favored the new development project, many Madison residents were unhappy to see the bus terminal go and worried about the future of intercity transportation.
Madison only has one intercity bus terminal, [the only] intercity transportation hub at all,"" Madison resident Carl Durocher said. ""This is going to eliminate that without a viable opportunity. We shouldn't just blindly forge ahead.""
Barbara Smith, also a Madison resident in opposition to the development, said the plan is a limited vision, especially because there has no been no alternative proposed for where the Greyhound bus service will load and unload passengers.
""Where will Greyhound users go?"" she said. ""It will damage the public interest, making the bus service unreliable and inconvenient.""
Tim Wong, of Madison, echoed Smith's sentiments when he said he was shocked that no one in the city has raised an idea for an alternative bus station.
Even though Van Galder buses, as well as Badger buses, arrive and load passengers at Memorial Union, it is highly unlikely Greyhound will do the same, leaving it up in the air how they will serve the downtown area.
However, while Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, ultimately supported the plan, he said he wants more elaboration on Greyhound's interim plan.
""From the moment I got the call about redeveloping this site I wondered about the future of modal transportation,"" he said. ""They are still going to find a way to provide service to those who used it, which was what was most important to me.""
David Meier, one of the owners of Badger Coaches, said the bus industry has greatly changed over the years.
""We are behind the times with this inefficient private bus depot,"" he said. ""It's a more cost-effective way [to manage] with curbside pickup and online ticket buying.""
Meier also said that as a privately owned business they must react to the market.
""A central bus depot does not serve the general public like it used to,"" he said. ""We know some who live around the depot will be affected, but a vast majority probably won't even know it's gone.""
John Meier, the other co-owner of Badger Coaches, emphasized the notion that many people won't notice the difference because they would only add one more bus at Memorial Union during the 6:30 a.m. time slot, which does not usually serve a high volume of passengers. He also noted that the company had already gotten permission from the Kelly Williamson gas station across the street on West Washington Avenue to unload in front of their building.
Randy Bruce, an architect for the redevelopment, reiterated the idea that the Meiers are trying to create a project that will be an investment for the neighborhood.
""When we started this project we looked at the businesses surrounding the area, and we want it to fit in with the existing fabric that's there,"" he said.
Angela Black, an attorney who is part of the development project, noted that Greyhound is a big company that has been operating for a long time and will find an alternative to the Badger Bus Depot.
""Badger Coaches has been working with them for different alternatives,"" she said. ""[Bedford Street] is not an ideal site for regional transit.
