For those interested, here is a link to Engineering's presentation from last week's joint PBMVC/LRTPC meeting on future transporation projects: TIP 2015 presentation.pdf <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4RtNErivWC-V3RBT080TG92anRLMVN4UXhuT3NVNTFRT01r/edit?usp=drive_web> and another to a video recording of the presentation: http://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/e098e471187f4f6796ca4c4517fd8e781d?catalog=df63df8e-d5a2-4d53-ab5e-bc7e1880e490
My thoughts are summarized in the comments I submitted below. Grant Some specific highlights that stood out for me: - Lake Loop/Olbrich Park plan: This one hits close to home and I can't wait to have it in place. Along with accommodations for bicycles, I would encourage planning staff to really look to bring the park together for people on foot. This park is an incredible asset for our community and the current, overbuilt roadway divides the park in two and creates a major barrier for users. I'm also encouraged to hear the plans to continue bike facilities from Walter to Monona/CGR and hope that this can be accomplished sooner than later. - Charter St. crossing: Can't wait. - Eau Claire/Old Middleton/Path: This is a huge improvement in safety and am really pleased with the design. - Beltline Path from Grand Canyon-High Pt.: Another significant addition to our cycling infrastructure.* Is there an update on the path extension from Medical Circle to Whitney and from Whitney to the Southwest Commuter?* Once this is complete it will provide a level of service similar to what the beltline provides motorists today. I also hope that adding bike facilities to Odana Rd. is on a future project list. A segregated path along the beltline will greatly improve access through this area, but a road like Odana needs to also be accessible by bike given the high concentration of commerce. - Cannonball from Fish Hatchery to Wingra: This will really open up the doors to less confident riders getting access to downtown and our greater bike network from south side of town. Please keep in mind the value of a future extension of the Cannonball from this Bowman Woods connector along the rail corridor to Park St. (and ideally all the way to the Wingra Creek path east of Beld St.). I would expect to see some development of the land between Plaenart, Park and the RR sometime in the next decade and it will be important to secure ROW for a continuation of this path at that time. - Buckeye Rd: Another big improvement to an important gap. In addition, I had a few questions on some of the project mentioned: - Capitol Square - Mifflin St. contraflow lane: I know this question was raised at the meeting and really just wanted to reinforce the extraordinary value of making it happen. E. Mifflin St. is a bike boulevard and one that is used frequently today. W. Mifflin is also a great route for cyclists. I believe the changes to Philosopher's Grove will be improving access for bicycle traffic and it will be really important to accommodate westbound traffic through this stretch. Going around the square on bike really is quite out of the way, requires a significant climb and puts the rider at odds with 6 traffic signals that are almost always red. I'm sure the design is complicated especially considering the Metro traffic, but please know that this is worth doing. - Monroe St: I didn't hear any mention of improving bike access along this vibrant commercial corridor. I'd like to strongly advocate for some intentional design here. This part of our city, along with areas like Williamson/Atwood need to support safe and comfortable navigation by bike. People on bikes visit more often and spend more money at local businesses than people in cars. Having a great bike path that runs parallel a few blocks away does not reduce the need/value of supported access on these streets themselves. - Sprecher - Milwaukee to T: There wasn't mention in the presentation or on the spreadsheet of adding bike lanes here, but perhaps they are already planned. This is an important escape route for recreational cyclists and one of the few on the eastside. - S. Park: As was mentioned at the meeting, bike lane markings on S. Park from W. Washington to the Beltline are inconsistent and in need of comprehensive review. There seems to be plenty of space on the roadway and I would hope that once the repair work is completed that we follow with some updated markings. Please also keep in mind the future crossing of the Cannonball path at Park St. during this work. - Mineral Point/Midvale intersection: To be honest, this slide made my heart sink a little. The current gaps in our cycling network on Mineral Point, from Glenway to Research Park and on Midvale, north of Mineral Point, are incredibly impactful. I was able to get some additional information on this plan and the challenges in including cycling facilities with this reconstruction, but I'm still left feeling like this is a missed opportunity. I'm not necessarily saying that the intersection shouldn't be rebuilt as proposed given the availability of federal funding and the safety issues that it will help correct, but I'm quite worried about locking ourselves into a place that prevents appropriate accommodations for people on bikes for the next few decades. It's very difficult to accept that the best solution involves dedicating 54' of road width to motor vehicles and 0' for people on bikes. There is simply no good alternate route for east-west movement between Kendall-Bluff-Regent and Odana Rd/Beltline Path to the south (and neither of these are particularly good options either). And as far as a north-south alternative to Midvale, there just isn't any. *Is there a long-term plan/vision for adding cycling facilities through here? What would be a rough timeline for those changes?* And a few items I'll include that I didn't see mentioned (though maybe they are part of the small project bucket): - RR crossing at W. Main St.: W. Main St. is a bike route connected to the SW path and this RR crossing is downright dangerous. Needs reconstruction ASAP. - Commercial Ave. from N. Sherman to Pennsylvania: It looks like the motor vehicle lanes were repaved at some point, but the curb/bike lane was not. Especially with the new bike lanes on N. Sherman, this is an important connector route. Pavement condition of the bike lane especially between the two sets of tracks is extremely poor and needs replacing. - W. Washington from Bedford to Henry: Another well-known gap. Need to connect the bike lanes from Bedford to Henry and do away with the unofficial 4 lane utilization. - SW path crossings at N. Shore and W. Washington and Midvale; Cap City crossing at Fair Oaks: These are all problematic crossings and very difficult to navigate during peak traffic times. The crossing at North Shore is particularly dangerous because of the adjacent curve. Am hoping there are additional supports planned for these crossings (i.e. activated flashers with yield to ped/bike signage). - Eastbound from Capital City path to Schenk's Corners: Need a way to get eastbound from the path at Winnebago to Schenk's corner. It does not work well today and users are taking to the sidewalk and entering into the one way on Winnebago. - Starkweather Creek path at Packers: Need improvements from the off-ramp to where the bike lane begins on Aberg. This is a really tough stretch with high speed traffic entering/exiting Packers/Aberg that was highlighted recently when a cyclist was killed riding the sidewalk through this stretch. - Odana Rd: As mentioned above, Odana needs bike lanes even after completion of a continuous Beltline Path. - Wilson St. contraflow on capitol hill: I believe this was proposed at one point, but didn't see any mention in the presentation. Is it still under consideration? The recent path construction highlighted the difficulty in moving across the capitol area by bicycle and a contraflow lane here could improve things.
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