City Breaks Ground on New Bus Storage, Maintenance Facility to Support Electric Bus Fleet

MADISON, WI – For the first time in a decade, the City is able to expand its Metro Transit bus services thanks to federal funding for a major $16M remodel project to support the City’s new electric bus fleet.

The City hosted an official groundbreaking at 3901 Hanson Road, Feb. 14, 2024, the future location of the City’s Metro Transit Hanson Road Satellite Facility. The building is scheduled to be complete Fall 2024.

City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway spoke during the groundbreaking. 

“About five years ago, we made the call that we did need a second site, then we started looking. We found this site, and started making plans,” Rhodes-Conway said. “It’s a really exciting development for our system.” 

The project has roughly $13M in federal funding and roughly $3M in local funding. 

“Without the federal government’s help, these projects would not happen,” Rhodes-Conway said. “Our community is really benefiting from the partnership with the USDOT.”

Metro Transit General Manager Justin Stuehrenberg said the City of Madison is growing, which they’ve seen directly through growing service needs. Metro Transit’s East Washington location was built to serve 160 buses, and the agency currently services 190. 

“We really needed the extra space, to continue our growth as our region continues to grow,” Stuehrenberg said. “This facility is not just a storage place, it will provide us full operational capacity.” 

About the Building
The City is adapting a former warehouse/material handling facility into a building that will store buses and maintenance processes. The building will include bus parking with driver support spaces, bus service lanes (fuel, fare, vacuum, wash and dry), bus maintenance lifts for bus service and repairs, and room to move buses into parking spaces. 

The building is also designed to safely support electric bus storage (fire protection and ventilation) and charging from Level 3 Chargers (16 chargers inside 150 kW each and 1 pantograph charger outside, 450 kW). The facility will provide enough parking space for up to 65 articulated buses.

When completed the buildings will achieve a LEEDv4 Silver certification.  In 2025, a significant solar array will be added to the roofs.

Future Growth
Last year, Metro Transit added service to Sun Prairie, and next year it looks to to add service to Monona. The electric bus fleet will make up the brand new Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT). Metro Transit’s first route, the Metro Rapid Route A, will roll out later this year. 

The new rapid routes will make it easier and more efficient for all riders to get to jobs and other important community destinations, while also supporting and connecting people with low incomes and people of color to community resources.  BRT will support the planned growth and development opportunities around the stations, creating new economic opportunities and strengthening existing neighborhoods.