After Madison increased bus fares 50 cents to $2 last month, Metro Transit is now proposing to use some of that new revenue to boost service.

Metro wants to restore Route 10, which would link the Near East Side and UW Hospital and create 15-minute service between the UW-Madison campus and the hospital.

The proposal also includes increasing service on 10 other routes, including adding trips and cutting wait times at transfer points on Route 18 and adding a morning trip on Route 20.

Metro’s proposal would add nearly 30 hours of service a day at an annual cost of $390,000. If approved, the changes would take place in August.

The city’s Transit and Parking Commission could consider the proposal at 5 p.m. today in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building.

The fare increase was the most controversial piece of the 2009 budget.

Mayor Dave Ciesleweicz said fare and pass increases were needed to prevent service cuts, improve service in areas, add security at transfer points and create a low-income fare program.

The increases were part of the budget, but the Transit and Parking Commission voted them down at December and January meetings, the second time offering a smaller rate hike in its place. In February, the City Council voted 11-8 to overrule the commission and impose the higher rate structure.

The service improvements are mostly about work force transportation, the mayor said.

— Dean Mosiman