Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to understand why women on campus organized the Women’s Transit Authority.
Students will be able to understand how the WTA impacted its users, volunteers, and the wider campus and Madison community.
Students will be able to understand why the WTA ended.
Sources and Readings
Recommended Primary Sources:
Daily Cardinal Article “Women’s Groups Demand Protection Against Rape:” Read Article Here
This source details some of the actions that women took in response to the rising number of rapes, before the creation of WTA. This is a great example of how women came together to address this problem.
Wisconsin Alumnus Article “They Drive by Night:” Read Article Here
This source provides insight into the users and volunteers of WTA, as many first-hand accounts are included. The writer of this article spent time riding around with WTA, allowing them to obtain valuable insight into the people who used and operated the organization.
Article “On the Road With Women’s Transit:” Read Article Here
This source provides insight into the users and volunteers of WTA, as many first-hand accounts are included. Much like the previous source, the writer of this article spent time riding around with WTA, allowing them to gain valuable insight into the people who used and operated the organization.
“Formal Complaint Against the Women’s Transit Authority” and “Statement by Mary Rouse, Dean of Students:” Read Complaint Here & Read Statement Here
The first source is a list of grievance filed by Peter Deignan, who claims the WTA discriminated against men. The second source is a response by Dean of Students, Mary Rouse, where she ultimately explains why UW has to stop funding the WTA.
Madison Capital Times Article “End of the Road for Women’s Transit Authority:” Read Article Here
The source explains the factors that contributed to the closure of the Women’s Transit Authority and the resulting effects on the Madison community.
Recommended Readings:
Center for Campus History Sifting’s Blog Post Driving Change: The Legacy of the Women’s Transit Authority.” By Andrea Linsmeier. Read Blog Post Here
Additional Primary Sources:
Article “WTA: A History of Strengthening Through Safety:” Read Article Here
This source, written by the WTA director at the time, gives a general overview of the history of the WTA up until 1991, including the start of WTA and some of the challenges faced by the organization.
WTA Memo “Help WTA Stop City Funding Cuts:” Read Memo Here
This memo highlights the impact of funding cuts on the WTA and its attempts to fundraise additional monies.
Daily Cardinal Article “Rape All-American Crime:” Read Article Here
This source gives insight into how the number of rapes and sexual assaults in Madison was rapidly increasing.
Additional/Alternative Readings:
Jenna Fortunati. “What is women-only rideshare, and do we need it?” The Eno Center for Transportation. April 21st, 2017. https://enotrans.org/women-rideshare-need/. Read Article Here
Tarife, Pauline M. “Female-only platforms in the ride-sharing economy: Discriminatory or necessary.” Rutgers UL Rev. 70 (2017): 295. Read Article Here
Discussion and Questions
Primary Source Discussion Questions
WTA Volunteer Articles
- What could a night look like for WTA drivers and volunteers?
- How did the WTA help UW students and Madison community members?
- What were some of the challenges that WTA operators and volunteers mentioned, and why do you think that was the case?
Formal Complaint and DOS Response:
- Why do you think dying again brought this complaint against the WTA? What possible reasons could they have had?
- Why did the university cut funding to the WTA, despite Rouse’s claims that it benefited UW and the Madison community?
End of the Road Article:
- What were some of the impacts that the author noted that the ending of the WTA would have on Madison community members?
- This article does not mention the lawsuits that Linsmeier mentions in her blog post. How do you think the lawsuits factor into the back taxes owed and the decisions to close the WTA?
- Is the omission of the lawsuits in this article an issue, why or why not?
Reading Discussion Questions
- Why was the WTA created, and what purpose did it serve?
- How did the WTA function, and what challenges and limitations did they encounter?
- How did the WTA impact students, Madison community members, and the volunteers who worked there?
- Why did the WTA ultimately close? Consider the lead up to it closing before their legal challenges.
Discussion Norms: These are based on Walter Parker, Teaching Democracy: Unity and Diversity in Public Life, 138-9
- Do not raise hands
- Address one another, not the discussion leader
- Invite others into the conversation
- Cite and/or reference the texts to support your texts
- Base response in the reading/sources
- Listen to and build on others’ comments
- Critically Agree and Disagree
For more ideas about structuring discussion and asking good questions, see The Discussion Project
Source Citations
Ann Lamboley, “On the Road With Women’s Transit,” December 31, 1982, Women’s Transit Authority records 1974-2005, Accession 2006/003, Box 3, Newsletters Folder, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
Charlotte Feldman, “Women’s Groups Demand Protection Against Rape,” The Daily Cardinal, Jan. 23, 1973, UW Digital Collections.
Mary Decker Kilgore, “They Drive by Night,” Wisconsin Alumnus 82(4), May 4 1981, UW Digital Collections, pg 5.
Mary Rouse, “Statement on safe nighttime transportation,” April 2, 1992, Dean of Students records 1968-2010, Accession 1999/024-41C3, Box 2, Women’s Transit Authority Folder, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
Mary Worzala, “Help WTA Stop City Funding Cuts,” August 9, 1988. Women’s Transit Authority records 1974-2005, Accession 2006/003, Box 3, Newsletters Folder, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.
Pat Schneider, “End of the Road for Women’s Transit Authority,” Madison Capital Times, Jan 14, 2006, p. 1A, Proquest.
N.A. “Rape All-American Crime,” The Daily Cardinal, Nov. 15, 1972, UW Digital Collections.
Susan Podebradsky, “WTA: A History of Strengthening Through Safety,” 1991, Women’s Transit Authority records 1974-2005, Accession 2006/003, Box 3, Newsletters Folder, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives.