New stop signs on Commonwealth at bike path; Lucia Crest sports field resting for season; Water main flushing; Events & Announcements

Hello neighbors,

Many of you may have noticed the new stop signs on Commonwealth Avenue at the bike path, and wondered why I didn't warn you about their addition. I couldn't, as I wasn't informed about their placement prior to their installation. This item also did not go before the Transportation Commission, and I'm trying to understand what the criteria are for when items like this do and do not go before that body. 

Similarly, I was not informed about the decision by Parks to close the turf field at Lucia Crest Park to let the turf rest for a year. We have an athletic field specialist in our operations team that surveys all athletic fields in the system each year to check on the health of the turf. Based on the survey last year, Parks decided to rest the Lucia Crest field this year to allow it a full year to grow without use, however I was not informed of this decision prior to the closure of the field.

Please know that I take very seriously my duty to inform the neighborhood of everything that I can, and these lapses in communication have been reported to city staff, with a request for process improvement.

Water main flushing this week will occur between University Ave. and Regent St. east of Franklin Ave.

Tuesday August 11 is the partisan primary election. Polling places are open from 7am-8pm. Check MyVote.Wi.gov for your polling place and what is on the ballot. PLEASE NOTE: In a partisan primary, you may only vote for candidates in ONE party on this ballot, otherwise your vote will be invalidated. You do not need to be a registered voter for any party in order to participate.

Updates and Notices

• Brush Collecting Ending Soon: Believe it or not, fall is around the corner.  And that means the Streets Division's collection of sticks, branches, and tree limbs is coming to an end soon.  Get the date when you should put your brush out for pickup by going to our brush collection website.

Announcements and News Releases

• Mooveapalooza: A Donation & Mattress Recycling Event: On Friday, August 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Center there will be an event where you can donate items for free to St. Vincent de Paul and Habitat for Humanity. And you will be able to recycle mattresses for a fee with 7 Rivers Recycling. Mattresses are not normally recycled in Madison, so this is a special opportunity.  
• August Student Moving Days Are Here! If you, or someone you know, are involved in the annual August 15th downtown apartment shuffle, everything you need to know can be found on our Moving Days website.
• Lane Closure for Bridge Repair – W Badger Road: On Tuesday, August 11th at 7:00am, Zenith Tech will close a lane on W Badger Road in order to conduct repairs on the roadway bridge over the railroad.
• N Sherman Avenue Closure for Railroad Crossing Replacement: Beginning at 5:00 am on Monday, August 17, Wisconsin and Southern Railroad will close N Sherman Avenue just north of Oxford Place to replace the railroad crossing.
• Temporary Milwaukee Street Closure - August 10 and August 12 On Monday, August 10 and Wednesday, August 12, between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, Milwaukee Street between Fair Oaks Avenue and Walter Street will be closed to through traffic.
• Road Closure – Pleasant View Road: Starting on Monday, August 10 at 6:00 pm, Parisi Construction will close a section of Pleasant View Road overnight, from Mansion Hill Drive to Junction Road, to continue progress on the Hill Valley project.
• Friends of Hoyt Park seeks input into Oak Savanna Restoration projects. 

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Madison Black Restaurant Week is here! Explore restaurants and caterers participating in this year's Black Restaurant Week. Bon Appetit!
• New Men's Shelter Open House, Monday, August 10: The new Men's Shelter at 1904 Bartillon Drive will begin serving our community on September 1st. Before that transition occurs, the City wants to invite the public to see the facility. An Open House is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2026, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
• Goodman Pool 20th Anniversary Celebration, Friday, August 14: Join us as we celebrate 20 years of the Goodman Pool! We'll have music, games, prizes, food carts and fun! The first 500 people will receive a Goodman Pool yellow duck! Free leis while supplies last.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, August 15: Eken Parklands ~ Join Tara Daly and Friends of Starkweather Creek at the Eken Park Festival to learn about Starkweather Creek and the parks and natural areas right in the heart of east side Madison.
• Adapted Swim, Saturday, August 15: Open to all individuals with disabilities and their caregivers and families. Pre-registration is not required.
• Friends of Hoyt Park Volunteer Workday, Saturday, August 15: Join Friends of Hoyt Park from 10am-noon to help maintain the trails in the park. Bring a shovel if you can, and work gloves. Please wear long pants and closed toe shoes. Light snacks and water await at noon!
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, August 16: Nature Writing ~ Join Naturalist Lynn Persson for a free guided walk and fun writing activity. Bring a pen and paper and take time to stop along the way to contemplate things. 
• Summer Salsa Bash, Sunday, August 16: Join us for the inaugural Summer Salsa Bash, celebrating Latin dance in Madison! The Capitol Social and Monona Terrace are excited to partner to bring you a relaxed, fun-filled dance experience all while soaking in the beautiful views from the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens at Monona Terrace.
• Friends of Hoyt Park Third Thursday Walks, Thursday, August 20: Join FoHP Volunteer John Harrington for our Third Thursday Walk series highlighting the prairie flowers found in both the Ready and the Overlook prairies from 6:30-7:30pm. Families welcome!
• Healing in the Outdoors Community Art Festival, Monday, August 24: From 4-8pm at Galaxy Park, the area will be transformed into a space for visual and performing arts, creative expression, and community building. Create a giant mural, enjoy hip hop and spoken work performances by young artists, and join art stations for all ages.
• Save the date: Madison Good Neighbor Gathering 2026, Sunday, September 13: Come to Brittingham Park from noon-4pm for this family-friendly festival of fun!
• Save the date: The 7th Annual Regent Neighborhood Art Walk will be on Saturday, September 26th from 10:00am-4:00pm (rain date is 9/27).

Parks Alive Dates!

Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city and throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you! Events start at 5:00 p.m.

• Parks Alive | Allied Park, Monday, August 10
• Parks Alive | Aldo Leopold Park,  Tuesday, August 11
• Parks Alive | Warner Park (Trailsway), Wednesday, August 12

Interested in volunteering for Parks Alive? Volunteers Welcome! Learn more and register online!

Movie in the Park Dates!

• Movie at The Glen | The Lego Movie, Sunday, August 16

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

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 at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, August 10, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in District 15 and District 19.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Transportation Commission: The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing a contract for planning and engineering services related to intersection safety improvements.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Park Commissioners: The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing the use of up to $125,000 in federal CDBG grant funds to support the construction of a shelter at Sandburg Park.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

If you would like more information about becoming a member of the City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Take care,

Regina Vidaver