Northeast Area Plan Meeting Today + $6.3M Grant Award, Safe Streets and Roads for All + Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 18, 2023

Hello Neighbors, 

Please note that I'll be away from email for the next two weeks so that I can take a break over the holidays.  I will return to email and weekly updates on January 2, 2024. 

Today's update includes info for today's Northeast Planning meeting, what's included for District 17 in the Safer Streets grant, and meeting & event highlights for the week. 

Happy Holidays to you and yours, 

Alder Madison

Review the Northeast Area Plan draft recommendations, ask questions and provide your feedback!

What to Expect:

City of Madison Planning Division Presentation:

• Review the Northeast Area Plan draft recommendations, ask questions and provide your feedback.
• See  residents’ priorities for spending $400,000 in the Northeast Area’s community action areas.  

Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (DOT) Presentation:

• DOT staff will share their proposed changes to key intersections along Highway 51 (N. Stoughton Road), including East Washington Ave., Lexington/Commercial Ave., and Anderson St. See  US 51 North Study webpage for more information in advance of the meeting.

Have questions or need more information? Contact Dan McAuliffe at  dmcauliffe@cityofmadison.com or Angela Puerta at  apuerta@cityofmadison.com

Be a part of the conversation that shapes the future of the Northeast area. Your insights and input are invaluable!

Madison Awarded $6.3 Million in Federal Funding for Vision Zero Project

Proposed improvements for District 17:

The City of Madison was awarded 6.3 million dollars in federal funding from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to fund Forward to Vision Zero: Safe System for Vulnerable Roadway Users projects. The award comes from funding established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Madison is one of 48 communities selected to receive a SS4A implementation grant from hundreds of applications. 

“Making streets safer for everyone is one of my top priorities. This is about making sure everyone arrives safely, and that no family loses a loved one in a traffic crash,” said Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “I’m grateful to President Biden for making these funds available to cities. This grant will accelerate our work on Vision Zero and allow us to continue to make Madison safe for people walking, biking, taking transit and driving.”

The projects funded focus on low-cost, high-impact strategies that are proven safety countermeasures to prevent fatalities and serious injury crashes for people walking, biking and accessing transit. 

Projects and activities funded include: 

• Building sidewalk and path along E Washington Ave (US Hwy 30 to Annamark) while also improving crosswalks and lighting.
• Traffic calming and crosswalk improvements along Schroeder Rd.
• Improvements at 21 intersections near transit stops.
• Improvements at 6 shared-use path crossings.
• Increased funding for the Madison Safe Ride program and other impaired driving initiatives.
• New safety studies to help determine future improvements in 4 locations – Regent St (W Washington Ave to Speedway), S Whitney Way (Schroeder Rd to Williamsburg Way), N Fair Oaks (E Washington Ave to Commercial Ave) and Winnebago (Thornton to 2nd St)/Atwood Ave (1st St to 2nd St)
• Working with teens to find better ways to address common types crashes for their age group 
• Additional planning to support better engagement, improved reporting and updating the high injury network map

You can review the full Safe Streets and Roads for All application here. 

“The City appreciates the support of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan and our federal partners for their support and efforts in securing this grant,” said Tom Lynch, Director of Transportation. “We are ready to implement the funded infrastructure and planning projects.”

“We want to thank our elected and appointed officials, residents and Vision Zero stakeholder groups for their support on our Vision Zero work and in pursuing the federal grant,” said Yang Tao, Director of Traffic Engineering. “When we join forces like this, we can make real progress.”

The City of Madison will continue working with our regional partners to find, and apply for, funding that support safety improvements on roads in the Madison area.  These funding opportunities allow more projects to be implemented and help move us closer to eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes.

Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of December 18, 2023

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 here.

·     Sustainable Madison Committee: The Sustainable Madison Committee meeting will take place on Monday, December 18, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include an update on net metering, an update on the Sustainability Plan, and an alder update on sustainability topics.

o     Meeting Details

o     Meeting Agenda

o     Register for Public Comment

o     Watch Online

·     Parks Long Range Planning Subcommittee: The Parks Long Range Planning Subcommittee meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 20, in virtual format at 3:00 p.m. Agenda items include an update on the Parks and Open Space Plan, a review of the Trust for Public Land 2022 Park Score, and discussion and possible approval of the 2024 meeting schedule.

o     Meeting Details

o     Meeting Agenda

o     Register for Public Comment

o     Watch Online

Public Information Meetings & Sessions

·     Rutledge Street Reconstruction, Monday, December 18 (VIRTUAL): The project will include replacement of the asphalt pavement, gravel base, curb & gutter, and spot replacement for sidewalk and driveway aprons as well as pedestrian crossing improvements. The project also includes replacement of sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and water main, street signs, and pavement markings. A virtual public information meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Dec. 18, 2023, via Zoom. Registration prior is required: Dec. 18, 2023 Public Information Meeting Registration

·     Northeast Area Plan In-Person Meeting, Monday, December 18: The Northeast Area Plan team will present the plan draft recommendation. Join us and share your thoughts. Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be present to share information about the HWY 51 North Study. Food and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

·     Northeast Area Plan Virtual Meeting, Tuesday, December 19: The Northeast Area Plan team will present the plan draft recommendation. Join us and share your thoughts. Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be present to share information about the HWY 51 North Study.

·     Resurfacing Program 2024 Projects, Tuesday, December 19 (VIRTUAL): The Annual Street Resurfacing Program is designed to improve the quality of your street and delay the need for total reconstruction. The City Engineering Division rates streets and curb & gutter every two years. A public information meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Dec. 19, 2023, via Zoom. Registration prior is required. Dec. 19, 2023 Public Information Meeting Registration

Announcements & News Releases

·     Alder Kristen Slack Announces Resignation from Madison Common Council Effective January 10, 2024; Applications Being Accepted to Fill Vacancy: Today, Alder Kristen Slack, District 19, has announced her resignation from the Madison Common Council effective January 10, 2024, at noon.“It is with sincere regret that I announce my resignation from the Madison Common Council. Since the election…

·     Do Not Set Out Leaves for Collection: Leaf/Yard Waste Pickup Over Until Spring 2024: All City of Madison neighborhoods have received their last chance leaf collection opportunity. Residents should not place leaves out for collection at the curb again during the winter of 2023.There will not be another guaranteed round of leaf…

·     Madison Awarded $6.3 Million in Federal Funding for Vision Zero Project: The City of Madison was awarded 6.3 million dollars in federal funding from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to fund Forward to Vision Zero: Safe System for Vulnerable Roadway Users projects. The…

·     State Street Campus Garage, Lake Street Side, to close on December 27, 2023: The State Street Campus Garage, Lake Street structure, located at 415 N Lake St, will permanently close on December 27, 2023.  Staff is working with impacted Monthly Parking Permit holders to relocate them to alternative City facilities, or find…

·     2024 Neighborhood Grant Program: Have you and your neighbors been thinking about making community improvements or strengthening your neighborhood group? The Planning Division will once again offer funding through the Neighborhood Grant Program for Leadership and Capacity Building and Community Enhancement projects. The application deadline is February 12, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. In late December, we will post updated grant materials on our webpage for 2024. In the interim, you can refer to last year’s  guidelines for assistance. Once you are ready to start an application, please contact the Planning Division at  Neighborhoods@cityofmadison.com, and share project ideas with your alderperson. We also invite you to attend an optional orientation meeting: Neighborhood Grant Program Orientation January 11, 2024

·     Virtual, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Please sign up to receive an email with information about participating in the meeting.

·     In-Person, 6:00 p.m., Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 206. 

Events

·     Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, December 23: 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, Madison Audubon Society , and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . No registration is required. No pets are allowed.

Streets Division Updates

·     Leaf Collection Complete: Do not set out leaves for collection. All neighborhoods have received their last chance pickup opportunity. Curbside pickup will resume in the spring of 2024.

·     Drop-off Site Hours: Drop-off sites are on winter hours. Check the hours before loading your car.  Drop-off site information is available at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.

·     Winter Information: The City of Madison has a hub for all things winter from how to use salt correctly to winter recreation opportunities to free sand locations to snowplowing update email signups.  All of that is available at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter