Meetings and Updates Week of April 22

• City Meetings:
  • Transportation Commission 4/24 (lots of important agenda items)
  • Housing Strategy Committee 4/25
• Reflecting on one year in this role
• Several Important Items on Wednesday’s Transportation Commission Agenda
  • August bus stop changes and consolidation
  • Six Safe Streets Madison Traffic Projects in District 3
  • Interstate Corridor Study Design Alternatives Concurrence Resolution
  • Traffic Signal Priority List Projects
• Hearings Scheduled for 205 South Stoughton Rd Rezone Proposal
• 2024 City of Madison Property Tax Base Information Released
• Events & Announcements

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

City Meetings

Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 24, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include changes to Metro Transit bus stops including changing and closing some bus stops, approving certain August Metro Transit bus stop changes, responding to WisDOT’s I-39/90/94 Project Concurrence Point 2, and the Traffic Signal Priority List. NOTE: see section below in this post for more information about these for District 3 residents).

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment
• Watch Online

Housing Strategy Committee

The Housing Strategy Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, April 25, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include a presentation on displacement data, a review of a report comparing the approval process durations in the greater-Madison area, and a staff report.

• Meeting Details
• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment
• Watch Online

Reflecting on one year in this role

This past Thursday, April 18th marked one year since the current Common Council term began, which is also one year since I began this role. It’s been a wild experience. There’s a ton of information that comes at the alders every day and we do our best to keep up, track the topics that are important to our districts and our values, and stay focused on our goals as we decide what to work on and how to vote. I’m grateful to City staff for all of their support in helping me to understand how the complex processes work and figure out where I can make a difference in this role. I especially appreciate those District 3 residents and leaders who do important service work in the community, who watch out for their neighbors, and who reach out to me to raise issues where the City might be able to help or to offer me advice. Please continue to reach out any time: district3@cityofmadison.com.

I want to take this opportunity to remind residents of an awesome way to get involved in City government: by sitting on one of the many Boards, Commissions, and Committees that work on various areas of City policy and programming. Use this City webpage to see committees with vacant seats; you can apply to a vacancy by following the steps on this City webpage.

Important Items on Wednesday’s Transportation Commission Agenda

Feel free to weigh in on these items at the Transportation Commission meeting by sending comments to transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com, or by emailing me and I will share with the commission.

August Bus Stop Changes and Consolidation Proposed

The Transportation Commission agenda for Wednesday’s meeting includes an approval for changing about 250 bus stops in August. Here is the staff memo explaining changes and listing all impacted bus stops. Changes like this come quarterly because Metro Transit plans and adjusts driver shifts on a quarterly basis. Of the 250 updates, 126 are improvements to existing stops to improve accessibility of those stops.

About 30 stops are proposed to be removed, most proposed to be consolidated with nearby stops, the purpose of which is to “help with on-time performance.” Per the staff memo about this, “all new boarding locations are under 0.1 miles away from the eliminated stop” and “None of the stops removed are more than 0.2 miles away from an alternate, accessible boarding location.”

Impacts in District 3:

• Improvement: the Eastbound D1 route bus stop along Milwaukee Street at Milo Ln is getting a concrete boarding pad (finally).
• Removals: both the Eastbound and Westbound C1 route stop along Cottage Grove Road at Inwood Way is being removed. The nearest stop is 0.1 mile west at Meadowlark Ln.

Note that there are more impacts further east along the D1 route on Wyalusing. See the staff memo for more details about these and other changes.

Six Safe Streets Madison D3 Projects Recommended For Approval

There are six traffic calming and traffic safety projects in District 3 that staff are recommending the Transportation Commissioners approve as part of the Safe Streets Madison Program. Here is the list of projects proposed for approval, and here is a sheet explaining the terms and jargon used in the project list.

• Jackson Quarry Lane: add a speed bump to reduce speeding and reckless driving. This has been a top priority for Harmony Apartments residents, the new Harmony Resident Council members, and several other nearby neighbors in response to observed reckless driving in this area, and because last year’s incidents of gun violence involved the perpetrators making a fast get-away by car. Jackson Quarry Lane is also expected to see more use as Galaxy Park amenities are built in 2025 (more info on that to come in the future).
• Lien Road from East Washington Ave to Thrierer Road: a “road diet” to convert both directions of this stretch Lien Road to one lane each way, with a center lane for left turns and with buffer bike lanes and lane delineators on either side. This improvement is to improve multi-modal traffic safety in the area and is proposed in response to the tragic March 15th death of an east side resident bicycling through the area who was hit and killed by a vehicle driver. The victim was a father on his way home to his 10-year-old child.
• Lien Road near Parkside Drive: add sidewalk to fill a gap in the sidewalk network.
• Ziegler Rd, Stein Ave, Portland Parkway: add signage and markings for a bike boulevard along the route of the new Autumn Ridge ped/bike path.
• South Stoughton Service Road: add a sidewalk to Portland Parkway to fill a gap in the sidewalk network in the event that the 205 South Stoughton Road rezoning proposal passes.
• Cottage Grove Road ramps at Stoughton Road: add green pavement markings to improve visibility of bike crossing for drivers.

Safe Streets Madison project approvals by Transportation Commission are final. The next steps for approved projects include refined engineering design, advertising a bundle of projects in a for bids by contracts, and finally contracting projects to firms for construction. I’ll share more details on those timelines as they’re shared with me.

Interstate Corridor Study Design Alternatives Concurrence Resolution

WisDOT’s Interstate Corridor Study is moving along quickly and will result in a blueprint document that will guide the State’s future expansion and redesign of the Interstate corridor between Madison and Wisconsin Dells. The City of Madison is proposing to provide feedback to WisDOT on the current list of WisDOT’s proposed “preferred alternatives”, which are still subject to adjustments over the next couple of months. This feedback will be reviewed by the Transportation Commission, where they may suggest changes. The resolution with feedback will then go to Common Council for a vote on May 7th.

Here are some of the more notable items for District 3:

• At the Badger Interchange where Hwy 30 intersects from the west and I-94 heads east to Milwaukee, the City agrees with WisDOT’s proposed alternative that uses slightly less right-of-way space and eliminates the very odd left-side westbound exit lane for Hwy 30. NOTE: this alternative includes a full replacement of the much-too-narrow Milwaukee Street Bridges over the Interstate.

• At the potential Milwaukee Street Interchange, at I-94, the City concurs with WisDOT’s preference for the partial0cloverleafe alternative that places the westbound on-ramp farther east than the diamond alternative. The fact that the cloverleaf allows drivers to merge into traffic farther east allows more distance for merging before entering the Badger Interchange. It’s well-understood that short merge distances are more dangerous for drivers because they require more sudden maneuvering in traffic. 

  

  • NOTE on this interchange: WisDOT shared with the City their traffic volume impact data. Compared to a no-build scenario, an I-94 interchange at the end of Milwaukee Street would have these impacts on points in District 3:
    • Modestly increase traffic on Milwaukee Street at the bridges over the Interstate, currently 8,000 cars per day, by 200 cars – a 2.5% increase.
    • Increase traffic on Milwaukee Street west of Sprecher Road, currently 6,700 cars per day, by 800 cars – a 11.9% increase.
    • Barely increase traffic on Sprecher Road north of the Milwaukee Street crossing, currently 12,800 cars per day, by 100 cars – a 0.7% increase.
    • Decrease traffic on Sprecher Road North of County Highway T, currently 9,700 cars per day, by 1,100 cars – a 11.3% decrease.
    • Modestly increase traffic on Sprecher Road South of Milwaukee Street crossing, currently 14,300 cars per day, by 600 cars – a 4.2% increase.
  • Also note that this new interchange would require some portion of local financing from the City, perhaps through the creation of a new Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) District where property taxes from new value created by new development in the TIF District pays for the project, or using the City’s Interchange Assessment Policy where assessments on the sale of property in a “benefit area” pay for the project. This means that the interchange isn’t *for sure* happening until the City agrees to pay for its local share. The money wouldn’t be spent (and the way it’s paid for wouldn’t be decided) until the year that the potential project begins, which is expected to still be a few years down the road.
• Along the roadway corridor itself, the City disagrees with WisDOT’s preferred alternative to add a new, full, general-purpose lane of traffic because of concerns about the increase on roadway use that we see usually follows adding capacity to major highways. That’s another way of saying that higher capacity invites more traffic over a few years, which nullifies the benefits of adding the new lane in the first place. Transportation planners call this concept “induced demand”. As an alder representing neighborhoods right next to this highway corridor, I’m also concerned about the increases in road noise from higher traffic volumes due to induced demand from a general highway capacity expansion. The City instead prefers WisDOT’s alternative that uses a Managed Lane available during peak hours. The drawback of the Managed Lane alternative is that it leaves less space for an inner shoulder to the left of traffic lanes.
• For the stretch of the Interstate corridor between the Badger Interchange at Hwy 30 and the East Washington Avenue/Hwy 151 Interchange, the City “discourages” the addition of Collector Distributor roads along both sides of the mainline highway. I think this one is a pretty big deal. The addition of these Collector Distributor (CD) roads effectively takes a 6- to 8-lane section of freeway and converts it to a 12-lane section of freeway. At a recent neighborhood meeting where WisDOT staff presented this concept, I asked about the space for this in their existing right-of-way and they shared that the state will need to acquire more right-of-way along the Interstate for these lanes in some places. The City proposes to discourage the addition of these CD roads in its feedback to WisDOT. I agree.

The study includes other interchanges and the City is offering comments on those, too. This WisDOT presentation from the January 2024 Public Information Meeting #3 shows their updated alternatives throughout the Madison-area portions of the corridor being studied.

Traffic Signal Priority List with Two D3 Proposals Not Recommended for Approval

Two intersections in District 3 were recommended by Traffic Engineering Staff for further study and analysis to determine their eligibility for stop lights to control traffic: Milwaukee Street and Sprecher Road, and Meadowlark Lane and Cottage Grove Road. The data for both of these locations failed to meet either one or both of the criteria that the Traffic Engineers use to study traffic volumes, crashes, and delays. That is disappointing because they have both been carrying more traffic each year as the far east side continues to build out. As a result, the Traffic Signal Priority List recommendations in the Transportation Commission on Wednesday are recommending no changes for either of these intersections.

Notably, the Traffic Engineers’ comment about the Milwaukee Street and Sprecher Road intersection mentions that the addition of traffic signals here should be coordinated with other upgrades that may come to Milwaukee Street if the Interchange at I-94 is built.

Hearings Scheduled for 205 South Stoughton Rd Rezone Proposal (Occupy Madison)

The City notified me this past week that the public hearings for the proposal to rezone 205 South Stoughton Road from Industrial Light (IL) zoning to Tiny Home Village (THV) zoning are scheduled for:

• Plan Commission on 6/10 at 5:30pm
• Common Council on 6/18 at 6:30pm

See my March 24th post for background on this proposal. My blog posts the weekend before each of these meetings will include details about how to submit comments, register a position, or register to speak. Like with other rezoning proposals, there will also be a Zoning staff report available the week before the Plan Commission meeting that will describe staff’s analysis of the proposal and whether it meets the zoning standards that apply to the proposal. I’ll share that information as well when it’s available.

2024 City of Madison Property Tax Base Information Released

Per a release from the City Assessor: “Locally assessed real estate increased 9.3% for 2024. Commercial assessments increased 10.5% ($15,584 to $ 17,223 million) and residential assessments increased 8.5% ($25,826 to $28,021 million). Steady growth and continued development contributed to the increase. …. A report is available including tables that focus on the compositions and rates of locally assessed real estate growth.”

The impact of this growth on next year’s budget isn’t known yet but the City Finance Department staff are working on providing a more updated version of that information, along with other updated information they need in order to project the City’s budget situation, over the summer.

Residents should expect a postcard in the mail with 2024 property tax assessments soon. That information is also available now on the City Assessor’s website.

As per state statute, a period for “examination of the assessment roll” - what is referred to as “open book” - is provided. This period of time is an opportunity to discuss property value and provide reason for changing value, if appropriate. This "open book" period is set aside for property owners to discuss their assessments with Assessor's Office staff prior to completion of the assessment roll. If any details are incorrect, the Assessor’s Office will correct the error and adjust your assessment. Errors might include a change in the number of rooms or a building permit that was not completed on January 1, 2024. During this period, staff can also explain the methods and information we use to assess your property.

The 2024 Open Book Period to correct assessment records is April 22 – April 26, 2024. To correct an assessment record, please contact us at:

• Email: openbook@cityofmadison.com
• Call: 608-266-4531

If your property details are correct but you disagree with the assessed value of your property, you will need to file an objection with the Board of Assessors by 4:30pm on May 3, 2024. If you have general questions concerning assessments, please contact the Assessor's Office at assessor@cityofmadison.com or (608) 266-4531.

Events & Announcements

• MPD starts body-worn camera pilot program: MADISON, Wis.- The Madison Police Department started its body-worn camera pilot program on Monday. Last summer, the Common Council voted in favor of the 90-day pilot program for officers in Madison’s north district. These officers and their… [posted April 16, 2024 by Madison Police Department]
• Upcoming Public Meetings - North/South Bus Rapid Transit: Join Metro Transit staff and learn more about continued planning on Metro Transit's proposed North/South BRT line. Metro Rapid Route B will be the second bus rapid transit route in the Madison area. The route will generally follow the current Route B… [posted April 19, 2024, by Metro Transit]
• New State Street Night Vending Program hours begin: People visiting downtown Madison during the nighttime hours will have more opportunities to get a bite to eat from local vendors starting this week. [posted April 17, 2024, by Planning & Community & Economic Development]
• Common Council votes to approve more housing options for residents: People in the City of Madison will have more access to another housing option after a unanimous vote from the city’s Common Council on Tuesday night. [posted April 17, 2024, by Planning & Community & Economic Development, Building Inspection]
• The Madison Common Council Announces New Leadership: The City of Madison Common Council is excited to announce the results of last night’s leadership elections. Please join us in congratulating District 10 Alder Yannette Figueroa Cole, who was selected by her peers to serve as the new president, and... [posted April 17, 2024, by Common Council]
• Lake Monona Waterfront Springs Closer to Reality: Madison Parks is pleased to announce Madison Common Council approved the Lake Monona Waterfront Master Plan! The Council's adoption of the plan sets a new community vision for one of the city's foremost public lakefronts. The master plan is the… [posted April 17, 2024, by Parks]
• Community Development Block Grants preserve hundreds of affordable housing units in Madison : Through federal Community Development Block Grant funding, the City of Madison awarded approximately $2 million in 2023 to help rehabilitate and preserve more than 300 affordable housing units. [posted April 16, 2024, by Planning & Community & Economic Development, Community Development]
• Learn to Play Soccer with Forward Madison FC, Tuesday, April 23: Madison Parks and Forward Madison Football Club are partnering to bring you Learn to Play Soccer! This free event is perfect for kids ages 10-12 years old, who will learn basic soccer skills and work through multiple skill stations. Advanced registration is required and may be done online or by calling (608)266-4711.
• Financial Wellness Workshop #1 (Movin' Out), Tuesday, April 23: Having financial goals is important. In this session, we will cover your “WHY” for changing your current financial state. We will discuss your goals and your relationship with money and how to shift from a scarcity mindset to a money mindset.
• Learn to Fall Safely, Wednesday, April 24, 2024: SAFELY Learn to fall safely and to get backup without injury. Falls are a leading cause of death for older adults in Wisconsin. We will use thick “crash mats” for practicing. Classes are progressive. Attending all 4 classes recommended. Scholarships available.
• Free! - Hands Only CPR, AED and First Aid class! Wednesday, April 24 at 8:30 a.m.: This class will teach you Hands-only CPR which focuses on the key element of chest compressions (location, rate, depth & recoil). The class will also cover the placement and operation of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and basic First Aid. This class is a non-certification course and was created for the lay-person in the community to learn the basics of CPR and First Aid. With this goal in mind, you can be a vital link in the chain of survival until further medical help arrives.
• Open House: Park & Open Space Plan, Thursday, April 25: The City of Madison Parks Division is updating its Park and Open Space Plan (POSP) and is seeking input from area residents on the plan! The purpose of the POSP is to guide and inform public parks policy and park facility decisions in the City of Madison.  Parks, working with a consultant planning team led by MSA Professional Services, Inc., is hosting a series of open houses to introduce the project and gather input from attendees.  The open houses will be held at various locations throughout the city in April and May and are considered “drop-in” sessions – feel free to attend for the entire time or just stop in for a short while to share your thoughts & ideas with staff.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, April 27: Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walk will begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet outside at the Children's Shack. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . No registration is required. No pets are allowed.