Another round of things in my e-email inbox you might be interested in. Mostly City and Community Announcements
Lake Monona Bike Path Closure – Williamson and E. Wilson
MG&E is replacing gas main on north side of Williamson from Blount to Blair. Contractor is replacing sanitary sewer on north side of Wilson from Blair Franklin and storm sewer on Wilson from Blair – Franklin.
Williamson and Wilson will remain open to through traffic. Expect lane closures and traffic delays
Blount St will be open to local traffic only while under construction.
Lake Monona bike path: Open April 12-15. Closed April 16 – 19. Closed April 22 – 26. During the closure the detour will be the Capital City Path.
Project Description
Starting Monday, April 1, RG Huston will begin the reconstruction of:
- E. Wilson Street—S. Franklin St to S Blair Street
- Williamson Street—S Blair Street to S Blount Street
- S. Blount Street—Capital City Bike Path to Williamson Street
Only one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on East Wilson Street and Williamson Street, which will result in peak hour traffic delays. Williamson St. and E. Wilson St. have been reduced to a single lane of traffic in both directions. Currently, all turning movements through the intersection are allowed. The bike route along Jenifer St. and the south side of Williamson St. is closed and bicyclists are being detoured to the Capital City Trail at Livingston St. The bike route through the area will periodically change as construction continues, but a signed detour to the best route will be maintained. South Blount Street will be fully closed for approximately one month of the overall project. Project completion is scheduled for mid-August.
MG&E Gas will be performing localized utility work in this area beginning the week of March 25 and will continue work during the street reconstruction project.
In addition to this street reconstruction project, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad will replace the railroad crossing at the Wilson/Blair/John Nolen intersection, which will have major traffic impacts. The tentative schedule is Wednesday, June 19 through Sunday, June 23. Updates will be sent closer to that time.
The City has awarded the contract for this work to RG Huston Company. MG&E will be performing utility work in the area beginning the week of March 25 and will continue to work in the area during the street reconstruction project.
In 2019, the City will reconstruct portions of E. Wilson St., Williamson St. and S. Blount St. This work will include replacement of curb, pavement, sanitary sewer main and laterals, storm sewer, and the installation of improved bicycle facilities, including a new signal at the intersection of S. Blount St. and Williamson St. Additional bike facility improvements include the installation of a cycle track along Williamson St. and S. Blount St. with a separate sidewalk for pedestrians, and marked buffered bike lanes on E. Wilson St., within the project limits. The street design being installed with the 2019 project will be consistent with the design that was approved by the Common Council as part of the Blair St / John Nolen Dr corridor study.
This project will also include replacement of the railroad crossing through the intersection.
Preliminary plans and plans for the ultimate design of the Williamson-Wilson-Blair-John Nolen intersection can be found here:
2019 Williamson – E Wilson Plans PDF
Williamson-Wilson-Blair-John Nolen Ultimate Design PDF
Anticipated schedule: April 1, 2019 to August 8, 2019
Public Meeting
A Public Information Meeting was held on 12/18/18. The presentation from that meeting can be found here: PIM Presentation PDF
Free STD Testing at Planned Parenthood in April
From County Board Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner sharing an email from Planned Parenthood:
As you may know, there are two Planned Parenthood health centers in Dane County: The Madison South Health Center on South Park Street and the Madison East Health Center on Orin Rd.Our Madison South Health Center is a family-planning clinic which means it provides preventive health services including well-person exams, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, pap tests, pregnancy testing, miscarriage care, and education. Our Madison East Health Center provides abortion care. Attached are factsheets about care provided and patients served in Madison and Dane County for more background.Get-Yourself-Tested MonthApril is in important month at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin because we join other healthcare providers across the country in celebrating STD Awareness Month by offering free STD testing at all of our family-planning health centers, including Madison South. Making an appointment either by phone or online is quick and easy.I encourage you to share information about free STD testing with your constituents and community partners, perhaps via your district newsletters, new releases, or blogs. Please see the attached informational poster (in English and Spanish). Here is a blog post about GYT Month you may wish to share too.Please let me know if you have any questions about GYT or any other Planned Parenthood service or program.Thank you for sharing the word about these important health services with the community.
Finally, Something Useful from Madison “Community Policing”!
This is about the Midtown Crosswalk Near Yuma, but it might also answer questions for other places around Madison
Many questions have come up regarding the bike/crosswalk with overhead lights on Midvale Blvd near Yuma.
- Who has to stop?
- What about the small stop sign on the bike path?
- What does “a person riding a bike in a manner which is consistent with the safe use of the crosswalk by pedestrians” mean?
This is considered a crosswalk at an uncontrolled intersection.
- What does that means for vehicular traffic? Those entering and in the crosswalk have the right of way.
- What does that mean for pedestrians and bicyclists? You have to show intent to cross the roadway to signal for traffic to yield. This can occur by pushing the button which causes the lights to flash or stepping off the curb to continue your travels.
- When is the pedestrian or bicyclists potentially in the wrong? As a pedestrian, if you make sudden movement into the roadway, which doesn’t give motorists the opportunity to see you and stop, you could be at fault. As a bicyclist, you must always be moving at a slow enough pace to, again, allow for motorists to see you and stop. This is the “bike in a manner which is consistent with the safe use of the crosswalk by pedestrians”. Bolting into the roadway could potentially find you at fault but will also probably hurt.
- Why don’t the bicyclists have to stop for the mini stop sign? Because it’s a mini stop sign, therefore it is not official.
- Why don’t the police enforce the mini stop sign? The bicyclists still have the right of way, the stop sign is not official, and law enforcement can only enforce traffic laws on public roadways. (With the exception of Hit and Run, OMVWI, Reckless Driving, and Driving over a Fire Hose.)
City to install 4 new outdoor sirens
Reminder to public: apply a layered safety approach in severe weather season
The City of Madison in cooperation with Dane County will install four, new outdoor sirens this summer. The expansion of the siren network will help keep the public safe during severe weather situations. While the sirens are one way to keep families safe, the City and County would like to remind the public of a layered approach to safety, and not to rely on just one form of notification when severe weather impacts the area.
Safety layers include:
- Sirens
- NOAA All-Hazards Radio
- Smart Phone Alerts
- Telephone Notifications
- Email, Social Media
- Local broadcast Media
For more detailed information about each layer, visit the County’s website for descriptions on why each layer is something residents should apply to their emergency response plan for severe weather events.
Plan for new outdoor sirens
Siren coverage in Madison is a cooperative effort between the City and the County. As of April 17, 2019, there were 55 sirens in Madison. Of those, the City owned 23 and the County owned 32.
In all, there are 136 sirens in the city and county, owned by city, county and other jurisdictions across the county.
The four new sirens are scheduled to be installed by late June 2019 at the following locations:
1. Near the new water tower located at 10451 Old Sauk Road
2. In City of Madison greenway space on Autumn Lake Pkwy between Golden Dusk Pkwy and Levitan Lane
3. Northeast corner of the I-39/90/94 and State Highway 30 interchange, adjacent to the Little League baseball complex
4. Behind the new Fire Station on Dairy Drive
A first test will happen the first Wednesday in July. A second test will happen the first Wednesday in August. Siren No. 1-3 will be added to cover new areas of development from the past three years. Siren No. 4 is being installed to improve coverage.
The siren system is a partnership between local jurisdictions (including the City) and the County. The County will operate and test the new sirens along with the rest of sirens as one, countywide system. Many of the sirens in the system are locally owned, but they are operated as a system.
The range a siren covers, locations of current sirens in the city and county can be found on the County‘s website PDF .
Contacts
- Media inquiries: Hannah Mohelnitzky, City of Madison Public Information Officer, Engineering Div.608-242-6003 hmohelnitzky@cityofmadison.com
- Dave Janda, Assistant Director, Dane County Emergency Management 608-266-4330
Marquette Neighborhood Egg Hunt
This is one of our favorite MNA events all year, it’s all about the kids!
Sunday, April 21, 2019 at 9 AM – 1 PM
We welcome you to join us on Sunday, April 21st at 10:00am SHARP for the annual Marquette Neighborhood Egg Hunt in Orton Park. Children of all ages and their families are welcome to the FREE EVENT! Sunday hiding eggs at 9am, hunt at 10am. Bring a dish to pass in the gazebo.
The Marquette Neighborhood Egg Hunt in Orton Park was begun years ago and became a neighborhood tradition. As the original organizers kids grew up, MNA stepped up to make sure it will continue for years to come! A big Thank you to the families who created and are still involed in this family event.
Hope to see you there!
Facebook page,
Marquette Neighborhood Egg Hunt
O’Keeffe’s Top Chef Fundraiser
- A Pig in a Fur Coat
- Sardine
- Merchant
- The Coopers Tavern
- Lao Laan-Xang
- Forequarter
Study Finds Legalization of Medical Marijuana Would Result in Over $1 Billion Benefit to the State of Wisconsin
A recently completed cost-benefit analysis of medical marijuana has found a net benefit of legalization of over $1.11 billion over a five-year period. Legalizing medical marijuana with decriminalization of small quantities of marijuana possession results in an even greater benefit of 1.14 billion.
The study, completed by graduate students at the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs at the request of County Board Supervisor Yogesh Chawla, analyzed the costs and benefits of a number of factors, including administrative costs and benefits, consumer benefits, criminal justice benefits, opioid addiction and overdose risk reduction benefits, fatal accident reduction benefits, and certain health costs.
“Our analysis found that medical marijuana could have enormous benefits beyond the direct provision of healthcare including an economic impact of over a billion dollars. Despite the lack of federal-level research on the topic, our conservative estimates found a wide range of benefits including reduced jail sentences, arrests, and court cases while also providing another tool to tackle the opioid crisis.,” said Jennifer Johnson on behalf of the UW research team.
Wisconsin residents do not currently have legal access to marijuana for either recreational or medical use. Bills related to the legalization of marijuana for either medical or recreational use have been introduced but have not passed in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Public opinion is increasingly in favor of, at the minimum, legalization for medical use.
In the 2018 November mid-term elections, 16 counties supported non-binding referenda calling for legalization of medical marijuana. In Dane County, 76 percent voted yes to the question “Should marijuana be legalized, taxed, and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?” A Marquette University Law School poll in August found 61 percent support full legalization, with 36 percent opposed.
“The people of Wisconsin have clearly spoken in favor of marijuana legalization, taxation and regulation. In addition to relief it provides patients who are suffering, this report clearly states that there are numerous financial benefits that will reverberate throughout our economy, ” said Yogesh Chawla, Dane County Board Supervisor, District Six.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential social impacts of a medical marijuana program in the state. In addition to recommending the legalization of medical marijuana and decriminalization of possession of small quantities, the study recommended that the state launch and sustain a targeted public health and safety awareness campaign and evaluate the implementation and performance of the program after two years. Finally, the state agencies responsible for implementing and administering the proposed legalization and decriminalization policy should adopt best practices from other states that have successfully implemented similar policies.
The full report can be found on the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs website:
The press release is also archived on the Dane County Board web site:
https://www.countyofdane.com/press/details.aspx?id=4481
The research team from UW included: Ari Brown, Mikhaila Calice, Ben Dederich, and Jennifer Johnson
Upcoming Bus Detours
Routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 – Saturday, April 20 until 3:10 p.m.
For the Farmers’ Market, buses detour from the State St. corner of the Capitol Square – closing only two stops on the Capitol Square. Board at Stop #1100 on Mifflin at Pinckney or the ‘special event’ stop on Dayton St.
Route 71 (via Discovery) – Begins Monday, April 22
Due to construction, buses cannot serve University Ave. between Park and Parmenter – passengers can board at stops on Franklin Ave.
Routes 1, 11 & 19 – Wednesday, April 24 until 2 p.m.
Due to the Farmers’ Market, buses cannot serve Main St., MLK Jr. Blvd. or Wilson St. Passengers can board at a temporary stop on S. Hamilton at Main St.
Routes 2, 4, 6 & 80 – Saturday, April 27 until 12 p.m.
Due to the Crazylegs Classic Race, buses detour at various times throughout the morning near the campus and downtown areas.
Routes 4 & 10 – Begins Tuesday, April 30
Due to the construction, Routes 4 and 10 (via Jenifer) detour from Winnebago St. via E. Washington Ave. Board at existing stops on First St. or E. Washington Ave.
Water Main Flushing
Water Main Flushing plans beginning Monday, April 22nd (all flushing is daytime unless otherwise noted)
MAP: http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/Documents/flushingschedule.pdf
Near East (Area 24) — E Washington Ave to lake Monona between Blair St and the Yahara River
South East (Area 9) — Monona Dr to Stoughton Rd from Pflaum Rd to Cottage Grove Rd
South (Area 18) — Fish Hatchery Rd to John Nolen Dr north of the Beltline
———————————————————————-
Questions: Shayne Santi, 261-9128
Flushing Information Line: 261-9178
DETAILS:
Area 24 (Near East): 4-6 runs per day
Run ID Run Description
24539.1 Williamson St – Paterson St to Blount St
24539.2 Williamson St – Paterson St to Baldwin St
24539.3 Williamson St – Baldwin St to Thornton Ave
24540 E Wilson St – Blair to Blount
24541 S Blount St – Williamson to Railroad St
24543 S Livingston St – Williamson to North End
24543.1 South Livingston (North side of street)
24544 Jenifer St – Paterson to Livingston
24546 S Livingston – Jenifer to Williamson
24548.1 S Ingersoll – Washington to Williamson
24548.2 E Washington Ave – Ingersoll to Thornton
24548.3 E Washington Ave – Dickinson to Thornton
24549 E Wilson St – Ingersoll to Brearly
24550 S Brearly – Williamson to Wilson
24551 Jenifer St – Paterson to Ingersoll
24552 Spaight St – Paterson to 1328 Spaight St
24553 Spaight St – Paterson to Few
24554 S Brearly St – Williamson to Harvey Ter
24555 S Ingersoll St – Williamson to Rutledge
24557 Jenifer St – Ingersoll to Dickinson
24558 S Baldwin St – Washington to Williamson
24559 S Dickinson St – Washington to Dewey Ct
24559.2 S Dickinson – Williamson to Dewey Ct
24560 E Main St – Dickinson to Thornton
Area 9 (South East): Conventional flushing opening multiple hydrants over a large area.
Area 18 (South): Conventional flushing opening multiple hydrants over a large area.
Isthmus Path Prairie Garden
If you haven’t had a chance yet, take a walk along the bike path and check out the signs of spring. The Prairie Garden, near the MG&E power plant, is starting to show signs of life.
A few flowers are up (see attached photo) and the Peregrine Falcons are nesting on the MG&E building. The new picnic table at Livingston and the Path is a great place to watch the birds.
If you want to see more picture from the garden, check out:
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1545921318815776/isthmus-path-prairie-garden/?hl=en
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PathPrairieGarden/
or a web page: https://gis.lic.wisc.edu/wwwlicgf/USERS/JSC/garden/location01.htm
External Design of the Valor
On May 2 at 7:30pm, Gorman and Company will present the final exterior design for the Valor, proposed for the Messner site on the 1300 block of E. Washington. This meeting will be held in the conference room on the top floor of The Lyric, 1010 E. Washington. Our apologies for the late start time, but some will earlier be attending a 6pm meeting at Festival Foods to discuss the ongoing E. Johnson/First Streets reconstruction project.
As detailed at http://www.tenneylapham.org/development.html, the Valor proposal has already obtained its public funding and all but one city approval. That last remaining city approval (other than building permits, etc.) will be a consideration of the building’s exterior design by the Urban Design Commission. The May 2 Steering Committee meeting will provide an opportunity for neighbors to provide input on fine-tuning of those exterior design features. Note that the building’s massing and size is generally set given that UDC gave preliminary approval and that Plan Commission and Common Council have approved.
Perscribed Burn at Owen Park Today
Please be advised that Madison Parks will conduct a prescribed burn on Saturday.
Saturday, April 20, 2019: Owen Conservation Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road. We expect to be on site between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
CDA has Affordable 5-bedroom Apartments!
On Monday, May 13, 2019 the Community Development Authority (CDA) of the City of Madison will begin accepting applications for the Truax Section 8 Project Based Voucher (PBV) Program for 5-bedroom apartments. The wait list will remain open until we have received enough applicants to fulfill future vacancies.
Truax PBV Housing application will be available on our website at
https://www.cityofmadison.com/housing
Truax Section 8 PBV
- 24 units of family housing extensively rehabbed in 2011 through federal low-income housing tax credits awarded to the CDA by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).
- Located along Wright and Straubel Street on Madison’s East side
- 23 two-bedroom (798 sq. ft.) units and 1 five-bedroom (1,636 sq. ft.) unit
- Units feature central air, new bathrooms, and new kitchen.
- All units are handicapped accessible
- Please visit our Applicants webpage for information on how to apply for other CDA housing programs, basic eligibility, waiting list information, and income limits.
Parks Department Seeking Volunteers
EARTH DAY CHALLENGE – Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers on Saturday, April 27 at over 30 park locations for just two hours – 10am to 12pm. Register online. LEARN MORE
EARTH DAY CHALLENGE – Next Saturday
Door Creek, Marlborough, Penn, Sycamore neighbors we need you! On Saturday, April 27 – 10am to 12pm. LEARN MORE
RIDE THE DRIVE – June
Join us at Ride the Drive 2019 on Sunday, June 2. Each volunteer receives a RTD tee and one-year Madison BCycle membership! Register online. LEARN MORE
Other Parks Events
LEARN TO STARGAZE – Monday night
The night sky is a mystery no more. Learn from the experts at UW Space Place on Monday, April 22at Garner Park. Thanks to the Madison Parks Foundation all Learn to classes are FREE to attend. Advanced registration is requested. LEARN MORE
BIRD & NATURE OUTINGS – This weekend
Join the Friends of Starkweather Creek for a special paddle & clean up outing on Saturday, April 20. OnSunday, April 21, take a walk with us at Warner Park. LEARN MORE
LEARN TO PHOTOGRAPH NATURE, presented by MPF
Grab your camera and join us at Warner Park for an outdoor educational session on nature photography! Volunteer photographers from PhotoMidwest are leading this free class at the Bird & Nature Festival – Sunday, April 28. LEARN MORE
LEARN TO DRAW BIRDS, presented by MPF
Learn a quick and easy way to draw birds with MSCR Arts at the Bird & Nature Festival on Sunday, April 28! All supplies provided. This class is free and designed for adults. LEARN MORE
BIRD & NATURE FESTIVAL
Hands-on activities, nature displays, and live bird presentations from Open Door Bird Sanctuary! Free, family fun at Warner Park on Sunday, April 28! LEARN MORE
BOOK YOUR TEE TIME ONLINE
Join a league, register for golf instruction and more! Visit golfmadisonparks.com
PICKLEBALL THIS SUMMER? Learn the game of pickleball this summer with lessons from the experts! Lessons are offered in a series of four classes in June, July, August, and September. Pick a series and register online. LEARN MORE
RTD VENDORS & VOLUNTEERS
Join us at Ride the Drive 2019 on Sunday, June 2. Register online to volunteer. Contact us for vendor information. LEARN MORE RIDETHEDRIVE.COM
