Public Meeting Scheduled to Discuss Planned Improvements to the Mineral Point/Junction Road Intersection of City's West Side

The City of Madison will host the second in a series of public meetings on planned improvements to the intersection of Junction Road and Mineral Point Road (CTH M and CTH S) on Madison's west side. The meeting, which will be open to the public, will be held the evening of July 24 at the Wisconsin Community Bank. This meeting invitation is extended to all businesses, commuters, pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders and other members of the general public who are interested in the future of this critical intersection on Madison's west side. The intersection currently fails to meet the needs of commuters during the peak commuting hours. The length of these gridlocked periods will grow longer as future additional development plans for this area promise to add even more traffic. Over the past several months, city engineers and planners have been developing a number of potential alternative improvements to handle existing and future traffic. A new alternative has been developed based on the comments received. They are now looking to gather more feedback from the public. Meeting attendees can expect to see new drawings of the new alternative, discuss the issues, and offer ideas about the intersection. People can submit written comments that will help to guide the project team in their efforts to design an effective intersection that works for all users, including not only the motoring public, but also pedestrians, bicyclists and bus riders. At the first public information meeting held in February, the City's engineers presented several alternative intersection configurations that could handle the significant amount of traffic. Public input was received from a number of business owners, the motoring public and bicyclists. This input was considered by the City and helped to shape the revised alternative. While understanding the importance of moving auto and truck traffic through this intersection, project engineers concentrated on how to also accommodate transit, bicycle and pedestrian movement through the intersection. Adopted long term plans for the nearby Pioneer Neighborhood and future UW Research Park have increased the need to provide for the use of alternative modes of transportation such as walking, biking and busing. "The solution will provide the maximum benefit to all users of this intersection," states the project's manager Rob Phillips of the City Engineering Department. "In addition to meeting the needs of automobile commuters, the proposed intersection design also enhances the ability of other travelers to safely use the intersection." Buses will also be served under the proposed plan. The City will present a traffic simulation model that shows what traffic conditions will be like with the new proposal. The public can view the simulation video and staff will be present to answer questions and take comments. The meeting room is located at Wisconsin Community Bank, 8240 Mineral Point Rd, Madison, WI. A 30 minute presentation of the recommended alternative will begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors will be open from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. with project staff available for informal discussion both before and after the presentation. Exhibits of the project area, the alternatives considered and the preferred alternative will be on display. Persons with an interest in or knowledge about historical and archeological resources in the project area are invited to present such information to the City. Identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse effects on minority, low-income, disabled or elderly individuals will help achieve environmental justice and promote nondiscrimination in your community. If you know of anyone who may be impacted by this project and whose voice is not being heard, please contact the consultant project manager, Jack Bartman at (608) 294-5014, jbartman@hntb.com. The meeting site is wheelchair accessible. If you require an interpreter, translator, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access these sessions, call (608) 267-8721 at least three business days prior to the meeting (by Monday July 21, 2008). Other questions about the project and requests for additional information can be directed to Jack Bartman at (608) 294-5014, jbartman@hntb.com or Rob Phillips at (608) 266-4090, rphillips@cityofmadison.com. The project website can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/CTHM/CTHMS.