Mayoral aide Joel Plant, who conceived the idea last year when he was alcohol policy coordinator, Tuesday said the plan has the support of both Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and the Madison Police Department as a way of streamlining late-night transportation.

Plant said the taxi stands would ease two problems: difficulty in finding a cab on or near State Street at bar-closing time, and cabs that illegally troll for fares on State Street.

Joel DeSpain, spokesman for the Madison Police Department, said bar patrons are discouraged from driving drunk, but late-night transportation is not easily available.

"The department thinks this idea has the potential of doing a better job of getting people out of the Downtown, particularly at bar time," DeSpain said.

Plant envisions the proposal would be tested as a pilot program. Details are not developed yet, he said. For example, there is no agreement on how many of the shelters would be used and how fares would be handled.

"No decisions have been made, by any stretch," Plant said.

The city now allows cabs to enter and exit State Street, which is closed to general car traffic, only to pick up someone who has requested a cab, Plant said - and the cab has to enter and exit the street as close to the pickup as possible. "Cabs can't troll for fares," he said.

But Plant said police have noticed some cabs abusing the system.

Early opposition to the plan surfaced from a misunderstanding of when the shelters would be used as taxi stands, he said. "But once people understand that it would only operate late at night or early morning and only on certain days of the week, it calms a lot of people down," Plant said.

Plant said he initially sat down with representatives of Union Cab, Madison Taxi and Badger Cab. Now, he said, that discussion is continuing under Katherine Plominski, Madison's new alcohol policy coordinator.

Rick Allen of Badger Cab confirmed there was an informational meeting with Plominski but wouldn't comment further. "We all agreed this is an ongoing process," Allen said.

Plominski said the proposal is in its very early stages. "There's just a lot to work on," she said. "Future meetings will be scheduled in the coming weeks."
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