A proposed bus station at the corner of Mifflin and North Bedford streets would provide a beneficial alternative for bus passengers to waiting out in the cold by the Chazen Museum and Memorial Union.
Ken Greve, executive vice president of Boldt Company, a construction services firm, presented plans at a Mifflin neighborhood meeting Wednesday to develop a bus station. Preliminary floor plans include a first floor transit area with parking lots on the second floor and apartment units above for up to 10 floors.
Greve said the city conducted a study and concluded that this area would be the ideal spot for a transit center.
Community members raised concerns over the small space on which Boldt plans to build the complex, and how to ensure that bus companies would comply with the new transit station protocol. Greve explained that with five bus lanes available, about 35 to 40 buses could pass through in a day, which would provide adequate transit.
Other details concerning the station will be figured out in the future when the city further instructs Boldt about station operations and hiring a private firm to construct the apartment units.
Ending the meeting on a high note, Greve mentioned the mayor’s approval of the project.
“I didn’t hear any opposition in there, which is good,” Greve said. “We are optimistic to move forward.”
Boldt Company hopes to complete the project and provide housing by August 2015.
Also at the meeting, Madison Police Department Lt. Kelly Donahue shared a monthly police report, which included an update on the recent arrest of the main suspect in a string of armed robberies around Madison earlier this semester. Donahue attributed the significant decrease in crime to the arrest of Kendridge Dillard, but said there is still more investigative work to be done.
“It’s certainly a relief to have this person in custody and hopefully we can send a message to other people who are coming downtown to victimize people that it’s not alright and it won’t be tolerated,” Donahue said.
The police have reason to believe the suspect, along with others, may be responsible for 20 to 30 different crimes across Madison.
