Meetings and Updates Week of November 6th
postedMeetings and Updates Week of November 6th, 2023
- City Meetings: Common Council 11/7 and Transportation Commission 11/8
- Two District 3 Traffic Signal Request Studies in 11/8 Transportation Commission
- Put Your Pumpkins in Your Leaf Piles or try composting!
- Reindahl Imagination Center Public Information Meeting 11/6
- Events & Announcements
City Meetings
Common Council 11/7
The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 7, in hybrid format at 6:30 PM. Agenda items with action being taken (as opposed to introduction, action at a later date) include:
- Honoring resolutions for Transgender Day of Remembrance and Homelessness Awareness Month
- An ordinance to reduce the time allotted to each alder for discussion and debate
- Two Public Works contract approvals in District 3: surface pavement work in Northeast Grandview Commons and underground sanitary sewer under Parkside Drive
- Meeting Agenda
- Register for Public Comment
- Watch Online
Transportation Commission 11/8
The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 8, in virtual format at 5:00 PM. Agenda items include rate changes for parking garages and Traffic Signal Priority List Review and Selection, including two intersections in District 3 (more on this below).
Two District 3 Traffic Signal Request Studies in 11/8 Transportation Commission
Cottage Grove Road and Meadowlark Drive
Milwaukee Street and Sprecher Road
At my request and at the request of several past District 3 Alders, City Traffic Engineering has been measuring traffic volumes at these and other intersections annually on the Traffic Signal Priority List. These are both non-signalized intersections that carry a growing volume of traffic as the City’s far east side neighborhoods continue to grow.
Based on the measured growth in traffic volume, City Traffic Engineering staff now recommend that the Transportation Commission approve an additional round of in-depth study, beyond the routine annual traffic volume monitoring, to determine eligibility for traffic signals of those Priority List projects that qualify.
Per the City Traffic engineer: “Madison’s Priority List is an annual effort to evaluate relative needs for traffic signal control at major un-signalized intersections. While all of the data on the Priority List is valuable, additional factors are also considered and evaluated before decisions to install signals are made.” This next round of study is intended to measure those additional factors. If additional study for these intersections is approved by the Transportation Commission on Wednesday, 11/8, staff will study he manual peak hour turning count and the AM peak traffic delay at both intersections. This extra study is not the same thing as approval for traffic signals, but traffic signals at these intersections are a possible outcome so I think this is great news.
I can’t join this week’s Transportation Committee because I’m already double-booked with conflicts at that time. However I will send them a letter with my comments encouraging approval of additional study of these two intersections for traffic signals because I’ve seen how busy these have become and the traffic volume at these intersections was a major theme that many raised with me at their doors this spring. If you want to weigh in on this process or express your support for a particular traffic signal change please consider sending your comments to TransportationCommission@cityofmadison.com.
And, as always, let me know if you have any questions or comments: district3@cityofmadison.com.
Put Your Pumpkins in Your Leaf Piles or Try Composting!
This is yard waste collection season! I highly encourage folks to try composting their yard waste (leaves, pumpkins, post-season garden plants) to create a free and naturally high-quality material useful in gardening and yard maintenance. However, if you prefer to have your yard waste collected, Madison Streets Division crews will collect pumpkins along with your leaves and other yard waste materials. This includes other compostable fall decorations like corn stalks and hay.
Imagination Center at Reindahl Park
Virtual meeting, Monday November 6th
The City’s Imagination Center at Reindahl Park is ready for the next step in the construction process, and the City needs your input at its next virtual public information meeting, 6 p.m., Nov. 6, 2023, via Zoom. Registration prior is required. Nov. 6, 2023 Public Information Meeting Registration
Events & Announcements
Madison Parks Hiring Fair, Wednesday, November 8: Make this a winter to remember and work for Madison Parks! Join us at Madison Central Library on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 for the Madison Parks Hiring Fair!
Learn to Stargaze, Wednesday, November 8: Do you know how to find the Big and Little Dippers in the night sky? How about Orion the hunter or the queen Cassiopeia? Join Madison Parks and UW Space Place and learn about the night sky. The evening begins with a short program on what is visible in the current sky presented by UW Space Place followed by, weather permitting, a view of the constellations and planets with the use of provided telescopes.
Hayride through Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Saturday, November 11: See the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park aboard a haywagon! No reservation is needed.
Hayride through Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Sunday, November 12: See the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park aboard a haywagon! No reservation is needed.
Open enrollment on HealthCare.gov began November 1! Enrollment is open through January 15, 2024. Sign up by Dec. 15 for coverage to start January 1st. Get free, local help from unbiased experts to find the best plan for your health and budget: coveringwi.org
