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Madison County Transit
Two MCT buses at the Alton multimodal station
Founded1980[1]
Headquarters1 Transit Way
Pontoon Beach, Illinois, 62040, U.S.
Service areaMadison County, Illinois
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Louis, Missouri
Service typeBus
Paratransit
Shared-use paths
AllianceMetro Transit
St. Clair County Transit District
Routes24 bus routes
12 bike trails
Hubs5 transit centers
18 park and ride lots
Fleet88 Diesel buses
26 Paratransit vans
Daily ridership6,000 (weekdays, Q4 2024)[2]
Annual ridership1,681,400 (2024)[3]
Chief executiveSJ Morrison[4]
Websitemct.org

Madison County Transit (MCT) is a public transit operator that serves Madison County, Illinois, a suburban county northeast of St. Louis. Its services include bus, microtransit, paratransit, and a "rails to trails" network.[5] In 2024, the system had an annual ridership of 1,681,400, or about 6,000 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2024.

History

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Interurban era

[edit]
An Illinois Terminal train on Hadley Street in 1928 before realignment

Public transit in Madison County previously included interurban lines operated by the Illinois Terminal Railroad (ITC). These lines connected commuters with Danville, Illinois to the east, Peoria, Illinois to the north, and St. Louis to the west.[6] The first Madison County alignment opened between Granite City and Staunton on June 4, 1906.[7] In November of that year, the ITC reached the corner of Third Street and Broadway in East St. Louis, Illinois, near the Eads Bridge. However, owners of the bridge refused trackage rights so passengers were forced to transfer to steam trains to enter St. Louis.[7]

With the bulk of Illinois Terminal traffic traveling between Madison County and St. Louis, ITC decided to build its own bridge over the Mississippi River to a new terminal.[8] The McKinley Bridge and a new street-running alignment in St. Louis entered service on October 10, 1910 with a passenger terminal opening in December 1911 at 12th Street and Lucas Avenue.[9]

By the late 1920s, the Illinois Terminal and partner railroads operated freight and passenger service to Madison County communities including; Alton, Edwardsville, Hartford, and Wood River.[10] In 1927, the Venice High Line opened between the McKinley Bridge and the St. Louis, Troy & Eastern Railway in Madison. The 1.8-mile (2.9 km) long trestle was built to bypass busy surface streets and crossed over eight railroads and one yard.[11] Much of the trestle had been demolished by 2006.[12]

Due to street traffic and congestion at its terminals in St. Louis, ITC began a track realignment and terminal replacement project in 1930.[13] In January 1933, a new 2.6-mile (4.2 km) elevated/subway alignment and Central Terminal Building were put into full service. The project eliminated seven streetcar crossings, 29 grade crossings, and improved running time by seven minutes.[11]

On March 8, 1953, service between Alton and St. Louis was ended due to declining profitability and ridership.[14] In 1956, ITC abandonded the trackage between Edwardsville and Madison and filed to end its remaining 134 daily train trips between St. Louis and Granite City due to declining profitability and ridership.[15] In 1958, the McKinley Bridge was sold to the City of Venice for $13.5 million.[16] Later that year, ITC car 457 made the last scheduled run on the Illinois Terminal system.[17]

The 2.6-mile (4.2 km) elevated/subway trackage remained in use until 2004 to deliver newsprint rolls to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[18] After closing in 2004, the elevated section of the alignment was purchased by Great Rivers Greenway for $1.5 million for conversion into an elevated park.[19] A $33.8 million project to fill the subway portion of the alignment in downtown St. Louis was completed in 2013.[20]

Modern era

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The Madison County Transit District was created in 1980 by the Madison County Board to improve transportation within the county.[1] In 1981, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Local Mass Transit District Act allowing counties to levy up to a quarter-cent sales tax for public transportation.[21][22] Shortly after, the Metro East Mass Transit District began levying a quarter-cent sales tax in both Madison and St. Clair counties.[23]

In 1985, Agency for Community Transit Inc. (ACT), a 501(c)(3) corporation was formed to provide paratransit service for residents of Madison County. Today, the agency operates MCT's bus, microtransit, and paratransit services.[5][24] In the early 1990s, MCT began its “rails to trails” program with the goal of preserving former rail corridors for future transit use and interim trail use. Today, the system has 138 miles (222 km) of trails.[5]

In 2024, the district launched MCT Micro, a microtransit service that operates within Collinsville, Illinois.[25]

Services

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Bus

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Madison County Transit currently operates 18 local bus routes and 6 regional bus routes.[26] Local routes operate only within Madison County while regional routes provide service to the Emerson Park Transit Center in East St. Louis or downtown St. Louis in Missouri.[27] In 2008, MCT launched the Summer Youth Pass which allows those 18 years of age or younger to ride for free between Memorial Day and Labor Day.[28][29] That same year, Illinois Public Act 095-0708 went into effect, allowing all elderly/disabled people to ride bus services for free.[30][31] All buses are equipped with security cameras,[32] an accessible lift or ramp and priority seating,[5] and have the ability to "kneel" or lower themselves closer to the ground during boarding.[32] Additionally, all buses are equipped with bike racks[33] as part of MCT's "bike and bus" program with an estimated 1,700 cyclists riding each month.[5]

Fixed route bus service is operated by Agency for Community Transit Inc. (ACT).[5]

Paratransit

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Since 1985, Madison County Transit has provided a paratransit service called Runabout for elderly and disabled residents.[5][34] Riders must register with ACT to use the service and have a verified disability or be 65 years of age or older.[35] MCT estimates annual ridership at 36,000 riders with an average monthly ridership between 1,800 and 3,700 riders.[5]

In 2024, MCT launched MCT Micro, a microtransit service that operates within Collinsville, Illinois.[25] Riders schedule a $1.00 ride via a smartphone app called MCT Micro while those without app access can call MCT to schedule a ride.[24] Both Runabout and MCT Micro are operated by ACT.[5][24]

MCT Trails

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MCT Trails launched in the early 1990s to preserve former rail corridors for future transit use and interim trail use.[5] Today, the system is made up of 138 miles (222 km) of pathways across 12 trails.[36] There are 22 tunnels, 49 bridges, and 1,585 acres of green space across the network.[36] Roughly $45 million has been spent on the trail system to date.[36]

Major trails include:

Fares

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When boarding a bus, riders with valid passes present them to the operator and those without passes are able to pay exact change into the onboard farebox.[42]

Additionally, MCT accepts most Metro Transit fares on its services, however, this excludes mobile fares.[42][43]

Madison County Transit Fare Structure
Fare Type Mode Current Fare[44][25]
Local Bus $1.00
Regional Bus $3.00
Local (Half Fare)* Bus $0.50
Regional (Half Fare)* Bus $1.50
2-Hour Regional Pass Bus $3.00
Day Pass Bus $5.00
7 Day Pass† Bus $15.00
Student Monthly Pass Bus $15.00
Local 30 Day Pass† Bus $40.00
Local Monthly Pass Bus $40.00
System Monthly Pass Bus $70.00
MCT Micro Van $1.00
* Reduced fares require an MCT Half Fare ID or Metro reduced fare permit[45]

† Only available as a mobile fare option on the Token Transit app[42]

Fixed bus routes

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MCT Local

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Bus routes that travel within Madison County:

No. Name Notes
1 Riverbend Route operates between the Granite City and Alton stations. Serves Hartford Library and several retail stores. Connection to MCT Confluence Trail.[46]
2 Granite City Shuttle Route operates between Venice, Illinois and Northgate. Serves Gateway Regional Medical Center and several retail stores. Connection to MCT Nature Trail.[47]
4 Madison-Edwardsville Route operates between Madison, Illinois and Edwardsville, Illinois. Serves Southwestern Illinois College, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the Madison County courthouse.[48]
6 Roxana-Pontoon Beach Route operates between Pontoon Beach, Illinois and the Wood River station. Also serves Roxana, Illinois.[49]
7 Alton-Edwardsville Route operates between Alton, Illinois and Edwardsville. Serves Wood River, Illinois and the Alton Regional Multimodal Station.[50]
8 Central Shuttle Route operates between the downtown Alton bus station and the Alton Regional Multimodal Station. Also serves Alton Square Mall and St. Anthony's Hospital.[51]
9 Washington Shuttle Route operates between the downtown Alton bus station and Alton Square Mall.[52]
10 State & Elm Shuttle Route operates between the Alton Regional Multimodal Station and downtown Alton. Serves Alton Square Mall and Lewis and Clark Community College.[53]
11 Brown Shuttle Route operates between the downtown Alton bus station and Cottage Hills, Illinois.[54]
12 Bethalto Shuttle Route operates between Wood River and Bethalto, Illinois.[55]
13 Troy-Glen Carbon Route operates between Glen Carbon, Illinois and Troy, Illinois. Serves Anderson Hospital.[56]
13X Highland-SIUE Express Route operates between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Highland, Illinois.[56]
16 Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Shuttle Route operates between the downtown Edwardsville bus station and Glen Carbon. Connections to MCT Goshen, Nature and Nickel Plate trails.[57]
17 Cougar Shuttle A free route connecting various locations on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.[58]
19 Edwardsville-Collinsville Route operates between Collinsville, Illinois and the downtown Edwardsville bus station. Connections to MCT Nature, Nickel Plate and Schoolhouse trails.[59]
20 Granite City-Pontoon Beach Shuttle Route operates between the Granite City bus station and the Gateway Commerce Center in Pontoon Beach.[60]
21 West Collinsville Shuttle Route operates solely in Collinsville. Serves retail stores and local government facilities.[61]
22 University Shuttle Route operates between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the downtown Edwardsville bus station. Connections to MCT Goshen, Nature, Nickel Plate and Watershed trails.[62]

MCT Regional

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An MCT express bus in downtown St. Louis

Bus routes that travel between Madison County, St. Clair County, Illinois and downtown St. Louis:[27]

No. Name Notes
1X Riverbend Express Route operates between downtown St. Louis and Godfrey, Illinois. Serves several attractions in downtown St. Louis and Alton Square Mall.[63]
5 Tri-City Regional Route operates between the Emerson Park Transit Center in East St. Louis, Illinois to Granite City station. Select trips serve downtown St. Louis.[64]
14X Highland Express Route operates between downtown St. Louis and Highland, Illinois. Serves the Convention Center MetroLink station.[65]
16X Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Express Route operates between downtown St. Louis and the downtown Edwardsville bus station. Serves Collinsville and Glen Carbon.[66]
18 Collinsville Regional Route operates between the Collinsville bus station and the Emerson Park Transit Center in East St. Louis. Serves Fairmount Park Racetrack.[67]
20X Gateway Commerce Center Express Route operates between the Gateway Commerce Center in Pontoon Beach and the Emerson Park Transit Center in East St. Louis.[68]

Special Service

[edit]

During The Muny season, Madison County Transit operates the Muny Express service between the Illinois communities of Alton, Edwardsville and Highland and the theater in St. Louis.[69]

Fleet

[edit]
Madison County Transit garage

Madison County Transit operates a fleet of 88 fixed route buses and 26 paratransit vans. All vehicles have an accessible lift or ramp and include priority seating.[5] Additionally, all buses have a bike rack, available first-come, first-served.[5][33]

Buses and vans are serviced and stored at the district's only depot, located on their headquarters campus in Pontoon Beach, Illinois.

Organization

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Leadership

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Madison County Transit is managed by a five-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Madison County Board. Its managing director is SJ Morrison.[70] As of 2024, the district had 220 full-time employees and 63 part-time employees.[5]

Funding

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Madison County Transit's operating budget is primarily funded by sales taxes from the Local Mass Transit District Act[5] and support from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Other funds come from federal grants and fare-paying passengers.[71] MCT's projected operating budget for FY2025 is $40,352,000. Sales tax receipts and IDOT assistance are estimated at $12.8 million and $21 million, respectively.[71] Other estimated receipts include $1,890,000 in federal funds and $1.9 million in fares.[71]

Defunct plans

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Light rail

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In 1997, voters in Madison County rejected a half-cent sales tax for light rail expansion.[72][73]

In 2005, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, in conjunction with MCT and Metro Transit, studied extending MetroLink into Madison County. The study recommended two alignments that would have begun near the 5th & Missouri station in East St. Louis with service to Granite City, Collinsville, Wood River, and Glen Carbon between 21–23 miles (34–37 km) away. The alignment would have split in Madison, Illinois with one branch ending in Alton and the other in Edwardsville.[74][75] However, with no local funding source the project never moved beyond the initial study phase.[72]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Madison County Transit At A Glance". MCT. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  4. ^ "Madison County Transit Board". MCT. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "About Us – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  6. ^ Fehl, George. "The Illinois Traction System: Comprehensive Traction Maps and Railway Illustrations, Parts One-Four." (G/S Productions, 1992).
  7. ^ a b Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. p. 15. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. pp. 21–23. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  9. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. pp. 24–25. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  10. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. pp. 92–102. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  11. ^ a b Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad. Missouri: White River Productions. pp. 51–53. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  12. ^ "Built St. Louis | Metro East | Venice High Line". builtstlouis.net. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  13. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. White River Productions. pp. 46–53. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  14. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad. Missouri: White River Productions. p. 223. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  15. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. p. 238. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  16. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. p. 254. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  17. ^ Jenkins, Dale (2005). The Illinois Terminal Railroad The Road of Personalized Services. Missouri: White River Productions. p. 255. ISBN 1-932804-00-5.
  18. ^ ecrouch@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8119, Elisa Crouch • (2009-05-12). "Styrofoam will fill Tucker tunnel". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2025-04-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Trestle planners show off what the public can expect". STLPR. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  20. ^ O'Neil, Tim (2013-06-21). "Limited traffic flows along new Tucker Boulevard, completion set for August". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  21. ^ "A History of Transit Sales Tax Initiatives: City of St. Louis – Gateway Streets". Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  22. ^ ""Local Mass Transit District Act"". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "Mass Transit District [Metro-East Mass Transit (MED) Taxes and Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Taxes]". tax.illinois.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  24. ^ a b c Viliocco-Smith, Amanda (August 9, 2024). "MCT IS LAUNCHING ITS FIRST MICROTRANSIT PILOT PROGRAM" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ a b c "Micro Service – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  26. ^ "MCT Schedules 2 – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  27. ^ a b "Express Service – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  28. ^ "MCT To Provide Free Summer Youth Passes For 22,000 Students". MCT. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  29. ^ "FAQ – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  30. ^ "Public Act 095-0708" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  31. ^ "MCT Announces Landmark Free Rides Program". MCT. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  32. ^ a b "MCT Rolls Out New Heavy Duty 'Talking' Buses". MCT. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  33. ^ a b "Bike & Bus – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  34. ^ "Rider Info – Agency for Community Transit Runabout". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  35. ^ "Eligibility – Agency for Community Transit Runabout". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  36. ^ a b c "MCT Trails". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  37. ^ "MCT Trails - Confluence Trail". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ "MCT Trails - Goshen Trail". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ "MCT Trails - Nickel Plate Trail". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ^ "MCT Trails - Quercus Grove Trail". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ^ "MCT Trails - Schoolhouse Trail". mcttrails.org. Retrieved 2025-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ a b c "Ways to Pay – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  43. ^ "Fares & Passes". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  44. ^ "Fare Chart & Zone Map – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  45. ^ "Fare Chart & Zone Map – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  46. ^ "Route 1 – Riverbend" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. ^ "Route 2 – Granite City Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  48. ^ "Route 4 – Madison-Edwardsville" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ^ "Route 6 – Roxana-Pontoon Beach" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  50. ^ "Route 7 – Alton-Edwardsville" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ^ "Route 8 – Central Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  52. ^ "Route 9 – Washington Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  53. ^ "Route 10 – State & Elm Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  54. ^ "Route 11 – Brown Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  55. ^ "Route 12 – Bethalto Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  56. ^ a b "Route 13 – Troy-Glen Carbon" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  57. ^ "Route 16 – Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  58. ^ "Route 17 - Cougar Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  59. ^ "Route 19 – Edwardsville-Collinsville" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  60. ^ "Route 20 – Granite City-Pontoon Beach Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  61. ^ "Route 21 – West Collinsville Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  62. ^ "Route 22 – University Shuttle" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  63. ^ "Route 1X – Riverbend Express" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  64. ^ "Tri-City Regional" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  65. ^ "Route 14X – Highland Express" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  66. ^ "Route 16X – Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Express" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  67. ^ "Route 18 – Collinsville Regional" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  68. ^ "Route 20X – Gateway Commerce Center Express" (PDF). mct.org. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  69. ^ "THE MCT MUNY EXPRESS RETURNS FOR 2024" (PDF). mct.org. June 6, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  70. ^ "MCT Board – Madison County Transit". Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  71. ^ a b c "Madison County Transit District Operating Budget and Appropriation" (PDF). mct.com. July 1, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  72. ^ a b "A History of Transit Sales Tax Initiatives: Madison County – Gateway Streets". Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  73. ^ "Madison County Light Rail Feasibility Study Final Report" (PDF). East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  74. ^ "Corridor Studies: Madison County Light Rail Feasibility Study - Final Report" (PDF). EWGCOG. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
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