Short version: Tuesday, March 5, 6:00 PM, Madison Common Council will vote on changes to North Sherman Ave. We need you there. If you can't make it, or if Snowpocalypse makes travel impossible/dangerous, please send an email to [email protected]
These changes involve increased safety for ALL road users, and will reduce speed, make crossing the street by foot safer and easier, and will provide bicycle accommodations for the first time. Longer version: Forwarded below by signature line is an email from Amanda at the Bike Fed, but I want to add some points about this as well. I was asked by someone for three reasons why this was a good idea. My response is below. I appreciate you asking my opinion. 1. Today, we would never build a street such as Sherman - an arterial with no bike lanes and with very poor accommodations for pedestrians (no refuge islands, for instance.) The Madison Traffic Engineering Dept - not the most radical bunch - considers it a "substandard street" because of the lack of accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians. 2. The traffic engineers feel that the changes will actually make the road safer for DRIVERS as well as walkers and bicyclists. The center turn lane will reduce the conflict points for people turning left from seven possible conflict points to two points. Left turns are especially problematic on Sherman, accounting for a disproportionate percent of the crashes. 3. The changes will likely slow traffic, though not as much as most people think. Slower traffic will be safer for all users. Right now, the 85th percentile - that is the speed at which 85 percent of people drive that speed or slower - is far too high, more than 5 mph over the speed limit. 4. There have not been many studies of 4-lane to 3-lane conversions and their effect on economic activity, but the ones that have been done have shown either no change or a POSITIVE effect on businesses. 5. Traffic Engineering feels that the new configuration can handle the same volume of traffic. Four lanes undivided is fairly inefficient, because a left-turning car will jam up one whole lane, and people will stack up behind that car. The center turn lane removes the left-turning cars, and the rest of the traffic can continue to move smoothly. 6. There are two schools on Sherman, and it is really unconscionable to have an arterial road in front of a school without proper pedestrian accommodations. Now, those are the reasons why this is a good configuration or change is needed from what is there now. I'd also like to address some concerns that have been raised as well. In some cases, there is no proof for what I am about to say, though there have been plenty of studies indicating that I am right in my assumptions. *Concerns voiced: * *Businesses will lose out because people will go another route.* There may be some people that chose to drive on Packers instead of Sherman. However, those people are likely through-traffic - going to Aberg, Northport, or other routes out of town. Few of these people stop at businesses now, and losing them to Packers is not going to affect the businesses. However, the remaining traffic will be able to more easily turn into the businesses when not stuck on a dysfunctional road. Drivers will be going more slowly, so better able to SEE the businesses. In addition, the area will benefit from more pedestrian and bicycle traffic - and you know we do spend money. *There should be a different bike route.* Granted, bike lanes on Sherman are not ideal for the "interested, but concerned." But right now, it's the only route we have. All attempts to get a route through on either the east or west side of Sherman have failed because of one or more property owners not wanting to grant easements. Besides, bicyclists need to go the same places that drivers do, and so we need safe accommodations on Sherman even if there are other routes. That's where the businesses are. *There aren't any bicyclists, so why are we building lanes for them.* You and I know that bicyclists and pedestrians are often invisible to people that are not looking for them. Bicyclists are already using Sherman, but the majority of them are riding on the sidewalk, endangering pedestrians and putting themselves at risk at each driveway. There is a fairly large elderly population, and they have consistently complained to the alder - Satya Rhodes-Conway, who works across the hall from me - about bicyclist on the sidewalks. There are also the "strong and fearless" - about 1% of bicyclists - that are taking the lane because they have no other choice. *There just isn't space to add these features and still handle the traffic, buses, etc. * As I mentioned above, Traffic Engineering is not in the habit of suggesting wild, traffic-clogging designs. They wouldn't go anywhere near this if they thought that this wouldn't handle the traffic. They have been advocating for this design for 20 years - long before anyone asked for bike lanes. 20 years ago, it was about making it safer for drivers. Today it's about making it safer for everyone. *No one wants this except those crazy bicyclists.* People have been begging the alder for this change since she was elected six years ago. The elderly population, parents of kids in school, bicyclists, pedestrians, and all sorts of other residents have been asking for this. When Sherman was repaved a couple years ago and the lanes remained the same, people were furious with the city and with Satya for not stripping bike lanes at that time. Finally, I'd like to make the argument that the current configuration of Sherman is hurting the neighborhood in ways most people don't realize. I have three friends - two with children - that specifically did not consider the neighborhoods off Sherman when they purchased a home because of the lack of safe bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The North Transfer Point is right off Sherman, meaning there is excellent transit service, except for one thing - it's really hard to cross the street. Everyone who has to board on Sherman has to cross the street at least once a day. People are terrified of this. Many people simply don't take the bus because they don't find crossing Sherman safe or convenient. This hurts property values, job choices, and businesses in the area. All those people that think their business will decline don't realize all the people that don't come because they feel they can't get there. A safer, slower North Sherman is going to benefit everyone and make the neighborhood much more pleasant and marketable. Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst State Smart Transportation Initiative www.ssti.us 608-263-9984 (o) 608-225-0002 (c) [email protected] *Reminder - Action Alert!* *Stand up for a safer North Sherman Avenue tomorrow night* *We need YOUR HELP to make bike lanes and other improvements on North Sherman a reality.* The Madison Common Council will vote TOMORROW NIGHT, March 5th, on whether or not to make these changes. There has been vocal opposition so attending the meeting and voicing support is incredibly important. Speaking at the meeting is very easy. Simply complete the brief registration form available when you arrive. Include that you are speaking in support of Agenda Item #27. When the time comes, you'll be called to come up and speak to the council for up to five minutes. If you can't attend tomorrow night's meeting, please email [email protected] to lend your support. Madison Common Council Tuesday, March 5th 6:30 pm City County Building, Room 201 (210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) See more about the safety improvements below. We’re happy to announce that the City has a plan to slow down car traffic and make bicycling and walking safer on North Sherman Ave. These recommendations are the result of a long-term, community-driven effort to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians in the neighborhood. First, North Sherman Avenue will become a 3-lane street from Trailsway to Fordem Avenue, consisting of a lane of traffic in each direction and a two-way left turn lane in the center. This change will make room for bikes lanes in addition to pedestrian refuge islands at five locations along the project corridor. These changes will greatly improve conditions for the countless pedestrians and bicyclists who live and travel in this area. Currently, bicyclists and pedestrians have to share the sidewalk as there is no safe place to travel by bike. You can find the Engineering report here: http://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=2307038&GUID=8CF94D09-4349-4B9E-AA4F-158FBD5E7577 A big thank you to the City of Madison Traffic Engineering and Engineering divisions and to Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway for making this major safety improvement a possibility.
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