City Cast Madison
📝 The ABCs of BRT
April 16, 2024
Goooooood morning, Madison!
Today’s newsletter has plants, dive bars, adoptable dogs, and everything you need to know about bus rapid transit. Huge thanks to everyone who sent in BRT questions, you’ll find all of the answers in today’s podcast! Let’s get into it.
— Hayley
What's CITY Talking About?
🌻 Looking For Perennials?
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ annual Perennial Plant Sale kicks off today. Curated plug trays are already up for grabs and individually potted perennials will be available for purchase at 10 a.m.
- Dig deeper: Get to know Madison’s native plants. [Olbrich, Madison Minutes]
🏘️ Eviction Filings Spike in Dane County
- A new report from the Eviction Diversion and Defense Partnership found that eviction filings in Dane County went up 45% from 2022 to 2023. For the most part, the evictions were filed over unpaid rent, with the average amount owed being $2,761.
- The vast majority of evictions, however, did not result in people being forced from their homes. More than 80% of filings were dismissed in 2023.
- The bigger picture: The spike in eviction filings puts a spotlight on the city’s lack of affordable housing and limited housing options in general.
- Related: How does Madison deal with evictions? With the help of lawyers. [WPR, City Cast Madison 🎧]
🛒 Metcalfe's Market Sold
- The locally owned grocery chain has been acquired by Michigan-based grocery wholesale and retail company SpartanNash, which also owns Fresh Madison Market downtown.
- Metcalfe's Market has been family-owned for 107 years (!!!). Metcalfe's currently has two locations in Madison and one in Wauwatosa, all of which will remain open after the sale is finalized. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Sponsored Content
Madison Symphony Performs Celebration of Mexican Music
The concert opens with José Pablo Moncayo’s "Huapango". Then, Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio will perform Manuel Ponce’s "Piano Concerto No. 1". Silvestre Revueltas' "La Noche de Los Mayas" features a multimedia presentation of Mayan art. Finally, Mariachi Los Camperos will play selections of Mexican songs with the Madison Symphony.
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Take Me Home Tuesday
Are you ready to be dazzled?
This week, Dane County Humane Society would like you to meet Zazzle. This sweet pup is looking for a special family who will give him the time he needs to become comfortable with his new surroundings and people. He would do best in a home with no small children or other dogs. Zazzle loves walks and toys (who doesn’t?), and he’s hoping to find a family who will help him build his confidence so he can blossom and thrive as your new best friend.
Zazzle is a member of DCHS’s Lonely Hearts Club so his adoption fee has been reduced. He’s staying in a quieter area of the shelter, so ask for him in DCHS’s Adoption Center.
Today on City Cast
Your Bus Rapid Transit Questions, Answered
We’ve all been watching the new Bus Rapid Transit stations getting built along East Washington Ave and Mineral Point Road in Madison. And we’ve been wondering: how are these new buses and routes gonna work?
We asked what’s on YOUR mind about the biggest upgrade to Madison’s public transit system in decades. And then we put it to the man who knows.
✏️ Thanks to City Cast editor Molly Stentz!
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