The Transit and Parking Commission approved route additions and other service improvements Tuesday night to a number of Metro Transit bus lines.

If approved by the City Council, the changes will be implemented Aug. 23.

The vote came after an hourlong public forum allowing residents and city employees to speak about the need for more routes, later routes and the time necessary to drive routes.

Many of the changes involved adding extra buses during the morning rush hour, said Metro Transit scheduler Colin Conn.

Sharon Williams, a driver for 10 years, said she thought some of the routes required more time to drive than the schedules indicate. As a result, she said, drivers feel pressure to go faster or even run red lights in order to arrive places on schedule.

"When you look at these proposals, you have to factor in what the driver is capable to do," she said. "What looks good on paper isn’t always what looks good in real life."

Metro Transit General Manager Chuck Kamp said the changes would cost $130,000 out of Metro’s 2009 budget, not including the improvements to route 59, which were funded by the city of Fitchburg. Kamp said he believes an increase in revenues will help fund the changes for 2010 as well.

"We feel comfortable recommending this to the TPC," he said.

ROUTE CHANGES

Metro Transit will make changes to many routes starting in August, said  scheduler Colin Conn. Some highlights:
• Trips will be added to routes 2, 9, 14, 15, 18, 20, 28, 37, 38, 39, 56, and 57.
• Rush hour service will be available on route 34 between the east transfer point and MATC in response to a growth in student pass ridership.
• Route 59 will have a new weekend and holiday route connecting the west transfer point to other areas of Madison and Fitchburg.
• A reinstated route 10 will provide additional mid-day service between the Isthmus and the UW-Madison campus after the original route was lost in August 2006.