Alder Erik Paulson
Contact Information
- Phone: (608) 628-0288
- district3@cityofmadison.com
- Contact Alder Erik Paulson
- Contact Council
Council Office
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Room 417
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 266-4071
Fax: (608) 267-8669
WI Relay Service
Alder Paulson’s Updates
Week of Jan 30: Door Creek ski trails closing for a few days, D3 traffic safety projects, snow plow naming voting, and more
Several planning meetings, Door Creek Park ski trails closing for a few days, D3 traffic safety projects moving forward, a Biden shout-out, snow plow naming contest ending this week, and more this week.
- Madison reactions to the murder of Tyre Nichols
- District 3 traffic safety projects update - most projects recommended!
- Northeast Area Plan - kickoff meetings Tuesday!
- Hawthrone-Truax Neighborhood Draft Plan - Monday in-person 6:30pm @ East Madison Community Center
- Door Creek Park tree removal - cross country sky trails closing for a few days
- City jobs - lots of openings, solar installer trainee positions closing on Feb 5th
- Snow Plow Naming Contest - voting ends Friday the 3rd
- Madison electric buses get a mention from President Biden
- "Frozen Assets" panel on connecting Madison to Lake Monona presented by Clean Lake Alliance and Downtown Madison, Inc.
A general reminder: Sign up for updates from the City's Snow Plowing Updates email list to get the latest on the City's snow removal actions during snow storms, or just check out the City's 'Winter' website as the event unfolds. You can also follow their page on Facebook or on Twitter. And don't forget to grab some free sand from many locations around the City.
Madison reaction to the murder of Tyre Nichols.
You may have seen the news or perhaps even watched some of the horrific video coming out of Memphis. A few links:
- Community support: Resources available following release of video in Tyre Nichols' case
- From MPD: Chief Barnes issues statement ahead of police video release in Tyre Nichols' case
- From the Mayor: Statement by Mayor Rhodes-Conway on Death of Tyre Nichols
District 3 Traffic Safety Projects update - most projects recommended!
Last week I wrote a blog post highligting several projects being recommended for funding in the first round of Safe Street Madison for 2023. I'm happy to be able to share that most of the projects were approved by the Transportation Commission! There are still a few steps to go before it's all official, but getting Transportation Commission approval was the big one and the remaining steps are mostly formalities. (There's also a big question of will there be enough contractors available in 2023 to do all of the projects, so it's possible we'll still not be able to get shovels into the ground in 2023 for some of these). A quick summary of what was moved forward:
- Speed humps near Kennedy Elementary on Meadowlark
- Pedestrian Crossing improvements and left-turn arrows on Cottage Grove Road at Acewood
- Milwaukee Street Bridge over I90 - lane shifts to create more pedestrian space
- Improved Crosswalks on Cottage Grove Road for future bus stops between I90 and Sprecher
The project that did not advance was speed humps on Milky Way. I knew that this was going to be a challenge, but it was a good discussion with the Transportation Commission. I think the TC is open to adding speed humps to Milky Way because they understand that the speed humps on North Star are exacerbating traffic on Milky Way and the scoring doesn't account for that, but the TC would like to look at similar potential projects from elsewhere around Madison and prioritize that list. There will be another round of projects in March and we'll keep working at it.
Northeast Area Plan - Kickoff Meetings Tuesday!
The Northeast Area Plan will be one of the first planning processes following the City's new Planning Framework. The Planning Framework is a shift in how Madison approaches planning for areas of the city. The new framework will simplify and standardize the City's sub-area planning and it is intended to achieve more equitable outcomes by covering the entire city with 12 discrete Area Plan geographies. The City is inviting residents, community organizations, neighborhood associations, businesses and others to chart course of action for the next 10 years. The Plan will cover land use, transportation, parks and open space, and other elements of the City's Comprehensive Plan.
To get started, there will be public kickoff meetings on Tuesday January 31st. There will be two options that day:
- Virtual Meeting (Zoom only) noon-1pm
- Hybrid Meeting (in-person at the Nakoosa Trail Fleet Facility, with a Zoom option) 6-7pm
The Northeast Area Plan covers the parts of the 3rd district that are north of Highway 30, so it does overlap a bit with the new Hawthorne-Truax plan. It also covers areas that are outside the City of Madison but that will eventually come into the City. Here's a map:
Hawthrone-Truax Plan Draft review - Monday Jan 30 at East Madison Community Center, 6:30pm
The project team will host public meetings and attend community-led activities to share the draft plan and invite comments. Copies of the draft plan will also be available at the Hawthorne Public Library - 2702 E. Washington Ave., 53704 and East Madison Community Center - 8 Straubel Ct., 53704.
Door Creek Park Tree removal - cross-country ski trails closing for a few days
A gas pipeline company, as part of their 75-foot easement, needs to remove trees & vegetation for safety and access, in Door Creek Park during the week of January 30, 2023. The ski trail will be closed during this time. We anticipate their work will be completed in 3-4 days. We anticipate the hiking and snowshoeing trails will remain open. The easement (signed in 1966 by prior owners of the land) allows the gas pipeline company as an easement holder to remove trees and shrubs as needed for access and safety purposes. See MAP for location.
City Jobs - Solar Installer Trainees (Closes in a week!)
The City has a number of jobs open right now, and as always I encourage you to take a look if you or someone you know are looking for a new opportunity. I wanted to highlight one in particular - The City of Madison Engineering Division is recruiting to fill multiple positions for our GreenPower solar training program.
Solar Installer Trainee (Hourly)*
Salary $20/hour
Madison Public Library
Closing Date 2/5/2022
For more information about these exciting positions, please watch this video.
Snow Plow Naming Voting ends on Friday!
The election is at www.wisaltwise.com/NameThesePlows .
The finalist names have something for everyone. From classic television (Deputy Briney Fife) to local legends (Aldo Leocold) to sports stars (Giannis Intent-to-Scoop-Snow) to the just plain weird (Pennyfarthing McChuckalot).
Over 2,200 votes have been received so far! This is great, but we can do better. As with all elections, turnout is key. You have just one week left to rally your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and social media followers to vote for these plow names.
You can read more about it in the Streets Department blog post.
"It's a Big Deal" - Madison gets a mention from President Biden
Last wek, President Biden gave a speech to the US Conference of Mayors at the White House, which included an unexpected pat on the back to Madison for the city's efforts to improve the climate and public health with the purchase of 46 electric buses.
Madison's planned bus rapid transit (BRT) system will be fully electric. The City placed an order for the zero emission buses in the summer of 2022. They are expected to begin arriving summer of 2023, while BRT will launch in 2024.
With each of Metro's current buses using approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel each year, electric buses are expected to conserve nearly a quarter million gallons of fuel annually. Without diesel engines, transmissions, intakes or exhaust systems, electric vehicles can also save up to $125,000 in maintenance costs per vehicle during the lifetime of the bus.
Converting Metro's fleet to electric is one of the most important things the City can do to take climate action. Transportation is responsible for about 40% of Madison's greenhouse gas emissions and diesel exhaust is a significant contributor to childhood asthma and other health conditions.
Transcript of Biden Remarks
BIDEN: Transportation Secretary Pete is here. Look, we know the -- better known as "Mayor Pete" -- (laughter) -- but he's working with many of you to address those quality-of-life issues that really matter to people you serve, not just through big bridges and highway projects, but through -- though they're important -- but also through smaller projects that are critical to your cities. Like in Madison, Wisconsin, where Mayor Rhodes-Conway is buying 46 electric buses, replacing those dirty diesels -- bad for the health of the environment and making it clear. No, I'm serious. It's a big deal. (Applause.) There you are, okay. (Applause.)
MAYOR RHODES-CONWAY: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. And it means our kids aren't going to be inhaling that diesel fumes when they get off the bus. For real. It matters. Environmentally, it matters, as well.
"Frozen Assets" panel presented by Downtown Madison on Wednesday Feb 1
Join Downtown Madison, Inc and Clean Lakes Alliance for a special event during the week of Frozen Assets! During this event, attendees will have an opportunity to hear a panel discussion and update on the Lake Monona Waterfront project. Complimentary coffee and tea will be provided.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 - 8:00 am - 9:00 am, at the Edgewater Hotel.
Panelists:
- Allen Arntsen, Chair, City of Madison Lake Monona Waterfront Ad-Hoc Committee
- Raj Shukla, Board President, The Friends of Nolen Waterfront
- James Tye, Executive Director & Founder, Clean Lakes Alliance (panelist and moderator)
- Mike Verveer, 4th District Alder, City of Madison
- Ellie Westman Chin, President & CEO, Destination Madison
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