Public Meeting on 10/24/23 at 5:30 pm about Tree Removal on Mineral Point Road for Sidewalk Widening

posted October 20, 2023 - 5:11pm

Hybrid Meeting about Tree Removal on Mineral Point Road for Sidewalk Widening

Date & Time:

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Location(s): In-Person / Zoom

In-Person

Vel Phillips Memorial High School - Wisconsin Neighborhood Center
201 S Gammon Road Madison, WI 53717

Zoom (Pre registration is required)
https://cityofmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucuigrT8jGdBEhnWiw3kjar6QbDkuHnZ4#/registration

Event Cost: Free
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Sponsoring Organization(s): City of Madison - Transportation
Pre-Registration?: Yes
Registration URL:
Additional Registration Information
American Sign Language (ASL) Provided?: No
Event Website: Bus Rapid Transit Info

Source Website: www.cityofmadison.com/calendar/brt-meeting-mineral-point-rd-sidewalk-widening

ABOUT:

Learn more about the sidewalk widening plan (Legistar 77167) on Mineral Point Rd. due to implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The meeting will discuss the current BRT project, as well as a separate 2024 BRT project that seeks to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Mineral Point Rd. Effects on terrace trees and sidewalks will be discussed. Despite earlier city assurances that only a handful of trees would be removed for expanding the sidewalk widening project, on 9/18/23 area residents began to notice that 66 trees along Mineral Point road were marked with yellow dots for possible removal. Alder Kristen Slack (19th District) and I intervened right away and got city staff to agree that NO trees would be cut down on Mineral Point for the sake of BRT until an additional public meetings was scheduled to discuss the revised plan with the community. This message was reinforced by Director Lynch at a 9/21/23 neighborhood gathering at the South Kenosha Greenway that was recorded and available to review online. That public meeting will now be held in-person and Zoom on October 24th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Wisconsin Neighborhood Center at Vel Phillips Memorial High School.

LEARN MORE:

Mike Cechvala, left, Metro Transit's capital projects manager, and Ald. Bill Tishler discuss options to preserve more trees along a stretch of Mineral Point Road. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL — Mike Cechvala, left, Metro Transit's capital projects manager, and Ald. Bill Tishler discuss options to preserve more trees along a stretch of Mineral Point Road. Photo: JOHN HART, WI STATE JOURNAL

District 11 Blog Post 9/24/23: "NO Tree Removal On Mineral Point Road for Widening Sidewalks Until Additional Public Meeting"

Newspaper Article 10/3/23: "Amid protests, Madison officials promise to remove fewer trees for Bus Rapid Transit" Dean Mosiman | Wisconsin State Journal

Legistar 77167: Resolution passed Common Council on 5/16/23 that authorizes the acquisition of property and property rights for the construction of planned public street and station improvements for the East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Total right of way acquisition costs are estimated to be $1.8m and are funded within Transportation's 2022 adopted capital budget within the E-W Bus Rapid Transit program. This East-West Bus Rapid Transit - Mineral Point Road Segment of the project calls for the acquisition fee acquisition areas, permanent limited easements and temporary limited easements as identified on the Transportation Project Plats.