Updates for the week ahead, a little weekend treat for you!
NEWS
In order to keep the news up to date a little bit better, I have a new format for news. You can look on the homepage under “Konkel Round Up” and I will update that information periodically throughout the day, depending upon what else is going on.
MO’ MEETINGS
Will also be putting Mo’ meetings with the news items, so they are more timely.
CALENDAR
You will now see a calendar on the front page and a tab to the full monthly calendar. This calendar will eventually include all the events I put in this round up. At the moment, I’m still working things out, most are in there, some aren’t. They will be in the very near future (starting soon?)
FROM THE MADISON ACTIVIST CALENDAR
To post events or announcements for future listings, please contact: jepeck@wisc.edu
For an online version of this calendar, please visit: https://madinfoshop.wordpress.
This calendar is brought to you by the friendly volunteer collective of the Madison Infoshop, 1202 Williamson St., Madison, WI 53703 https://madinfoshop.wordpress.
We are a non-hierarchical freespace and activist clearinghouse that needs your support to survive and flourish. Check out our free lending library (videos, books, periodicals, zines), our other community resources (art supplies, theater props, graphix and stencils, megaphones, and button maker). We also host meetings and help organize events.
This week’s items
Sun. Oct. 20th 2:00 – 6:00 pm Thurber Park (3325 Thurber Ave. off of Fair Oaks & Milwaukee St.) Good Noise Neighbors’ Festival! Come dance together in Blooming Grove and support the Safe Skies Clean Water Coalition! We will have information about the proposed F- 35s fighter jet expansion for Truax and ways you can share your opinion. Plus, there will be special guests, food, beverages, and more fun! Live music includes: 2:00 pm Forward! Marching Band 3:00 pm Jimmy Sugarcane People
4:00 pm Tony Castaneda’s Latin Jazz Thing and 5:00 pm VO5 More info? Visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/
Tues. Oct. 22nd7:00 pm UW-Madison Arboretum (1207 Seminole Hwy.) Using Indigenous Experience and Knowledge to Guide Sustainable Forestry in the Twenty-first Century. Michael J. Dockry, assistant professor, Forest Resources, University of Minnesota! Part of the Fall 2019 series on Indigenous Knowledge Inspired by the Land. More info? Visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/
Thurs. Oct. 24th 6:00 pm Orient House (626 S. Park St.) Radicals & Progressives Meet & Eat! Info? 608-284-9082
Sun. Oct. 27th2:00 pm Christ Presbyterian Church (944 E Gorham St.) Dreaming of Freedom: Palestinian Youth Under Siege and Occupation – talk with Yousef Aljamal, Gaza Writer and Activist. Aljamelgrew up in a refugee camp in Gaza and lived through the three devastating Israeli military assaults between 2008 and 2014. He will share his experiences and insights about the lives of youth there and elsewhere in Palestine, including tens of thousands imprisoned by Israel’s military regime in the West Bank since 1967. Yousef is also a contributor to Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories From Young Writers in Gaza Palestine.Yousef’s talk will be preceded by brief remarks from Rep. Mark Pocan.Info?http://www.madisonrafah.org
UPCOMING DEMOLITION
Please be advised that Stacey Oehrke will be filing a demolition permit application on November 20, 2019 for Plan Commission review that calls for a 1 story commercial building & 1 story building located at 2033 Atwood Ave Madison, WI 53704 to be demolished. For more information regarding this forthcoming application, you may contact the applicant, Stacey Oehrke, Knothe Bruce, 7601 University Ave Ste 201 Middleton, WI 53562 at soehrke@knothebruce.com or (608)836-3690 ext: 115.
Applicant’s Comments:
Demo of 1 story Straight Threads retail building and demo of the small red building to the east. Both buildings are the same zoning code.
BRT DOWNTOWN ROUTE OPTIONS MEETING
From Alder Mike Verveer
Please attend a public information meeting to learn more about the downtown route options for the City’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
The City of Madison is exploring options for a new Phase 1 East-West Bus Rapid Transit line to make our transit system work faster and smarter. BRT uses dedicated lanes where feasible and will operate 15-minute service during most of the day, including evenings and weekends. BRT will serve modern stations to provide fast and cost-effective service to jobs, entertainment and schools. Madison’s BRT will complement existing Madison Metro routes.
City project leaders will be in attendance to present details about the overall BRT project, and more specifically, will review BRT station locations and route options for the downtown portion of the service. Members of the public, especially downtown stakeholders, will be encouraged to provide feedback at the meeting.
Bus Rapid Transit – Downtown Route Options Public Involvement Meeting:
Tuesday, October 29, 6:30 p.m., Madison Senior Center, 330 West Mifflin Street
Please contact David Trowbridge with any questions or comments: (608) 267-1148 or dtrowbridge@cityofmadison.com. Additional information is available at MadisonBRT.com.
FLOODING UPDATES
Current Lake levels: Oct. 18, 2019
- Lake Mendota
- Current elevation: 851.66 feet
- Down 0.36 feet from last week
- 1.14 feet below the 100-year flood (which is 852.80 feet)
- 1.08 feet below historic high (Historic High is 852.74, June 6, 2000)
- Lake Monona
- Current elevation: 847.11 feet
- Down 0.32 feet from last week
- 0.59 feet below 100-year flood (which is 847.7 feet)
- 1.42 feet below the historic high (which is 848.53 feet, Sept. 6, 2018)
PFAS TESTING AND NEWS
Please see the news release below on PFAS test results for Madison’s seasonal wells.
You can find more testing result details on Madison Water Utility’s PFAS Testing and Information page.
Madison Water Utility has been conducting advanced testing of the city’s 23 water wells looking for a class of chemicals known as “PFAS.” The chemicals are widely used in cookware, food packaging, stain and water-resistant clothing, upholstery and firefighting foams. The compounds do not degrade and are showing up in dust, soil and water worldwide. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has recommended a groundwater standard of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for two types of PFAS called PFOA and PFOS. Levels at all Madison wells fall below this recommended standard.
Madison Water Utility tested its four seasonal wells for dozens of types of PFAS over the summer and received results this week. The utility generally operates seasonal wells during the high-demand summer and fall months. Results show that city’s four seasonal wells do have detections of the chemicals. That brings the total number of wells where PFAS have been found to fourteen.
- Well 23 on Leo Dr. is rarely used and was last pumped into the water system in the summer of 2017. The well has a mixture of different types of PFAS compounds at low levels. PFOA and PFOS were measured at a combined level of 6.6 ppt.
- Well 8 in Olbrich Park and Well 17 on S. Hancock St. each have a mixture of PFAS compounds detected at trace levels; most levels are too low to measure accurately.
- Well 27 on N. Randall Ave. has a mixture of PFAS compounds, all of which are at trace levels too low to measure accurately.
The levels of PFAS found are well below both the EPA Lifetime Health Advisory Level and Interim Wisconsin Groundwater Standards for PFOA and PFOS, both of which are set to protect public health.
Madison Water Utility water quality manager Joe Grande says testing technology has evolved to the point where labs can pick up detections of PFAS at incredibly trace amounts, in the sub-part-per-trillion level.
“The levels are so small. We can demonstrate that there are detectable amounts, but in many cases we can’t quantify those amounts with a lot of certainty,” Grande says.
Madison Water Utility plans to test all the city’s wells for PFAS again in 2020.
PFAS (or per- and poly-fluoroalkyls) have been used an a variety of consumer products for decades. High levels of PFAS exposure have been linked to a variety of health concerns, including increased risk of some types of cancer. So far, PFAS are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the type of advanced testing Madison is carrying out is not required. But Grande insists it’s important for the utility to continue to keep an eye on PFAS levels in Madison’s water.
“I think that there’s a lot of value in the known versus the unknown,” he says. “And there is an expectation that we know as much as possible about our water and that we communicate that to the public.”
UPCOMING BUS DETOURS
Upcoming Detours
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Routes 1 & 19 – MLK Jr. Blvd. closed for Wednesday Farmers’ Market.
In effect: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 start of service – 2:00 pm -
Capitol Square Detour – Buses detour from the Capitol Square.
In effect: Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 6:00 pm – end of service. -
Routes 80, 81 & 82 – Buses detour for Freakfest.
In effect: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 -
Freakfest Detours – Buses detour in the Downtown area for Freakfest.
In effect: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 -
Capitol Square Detour – Buses detour from the Capitol Square.
In effect: Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019
Current Detours
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Route 49– E. Cheryl Pkwy closed between Sunflower and Research Park
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Routes 27 & 44– Northbound Mills St. closed between University Ave. and Johnson St.
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Route 12– Bridge Rd. closed
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Route 20– Lien Rd. closed between E. Washington Ave. and Thierer Rd.
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Route 13 – Koster and N. Rusk Ave. closed
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Routes 16, 38 & 39– Buckeye Rd. closed between Monona Dr. and Stoughton Rd.
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Route 80– Dayton St. closed between Charter and Lake St.
TRANSIT TALK WITH MAYOR’S STAFF
Join the Madison Area Bus Advocates for a transit talk with Deputy Mayor Leslie Orrantia on Monday, October 28.
Deputy Mayor Orrantia will give an update on the Madison area’s newest transit initiatives and then conduct a question/answer session with attendees.
The event begins 6pm at the Madison Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St. (Room 301).
BIKE MADISON UPDATES
Bicycle Friendly Driver Class
The City of Madison Pedestrian Bicycle Program will be holding its first Bicycle Friendly Driver class on Wed, Oct 23 from 9-10:30am. This League of American Bicyclist program is an interactive class aimed at educating all drivers on the best and safest way to share the road with people on bicycles. Sign up for this class or request a class at your business or organization by emailing John Rider at jrider@cityofmadison.com.
UW-Madison receives Platinum Bicycle Friendly University Designation
Congratulations to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for being designated as a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly University. The are one of only eights institutions honored with the platinum level designation. More Information
CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Blount St
Work is ongoing on the bicycle signal and accessible pedestrian signal at Blount St. The City hopes to have it ready for use by late next week.
Koster St and N Rusk Ave
The contractor plans to pave the street on Oct 25.
Buckeye Rd
The contractor plans to pave up to Morningside the week of Oct 20.
Park St
The joint repair project has been completed and all lanes are now open.
E Johnson St – First St to Fordem Ave
The project is in Stage 4. The Johnson St underpass will be open during this phase. Only one crosswalk will be open at First St to cross E Johnson and it will vary as to which side of the intersection is open based on the progression of work. In addition, the railroad will be working on their bridge over the Yahara River so please watch for railroad vehicles when accessing the bus stop on the southside of Johnson near the tracks as they will be entering/exiting.Stage 4 Bike and Pedestrian Routing Plan
Southwest Path – Waite Circle Culvert Reconstruction
In 2017 the original stone arch culvert under the Southwest Path at Waite Circle began to fail and it was slip lined with a 60-in culvert as part of an emergency repair. This project will reconstruct the culvert and do other minor repairs to infrastructure in the area. This project will close the Southwest Path during construction which is anticipated to start Oct 28 and go until Dec 20. During this time a marked detour will use Council Crest, Yuma Dr and a protected lane on Midvale.
Crack Seal Work
Crews are out sealing cracks on many streets this time of year. Be careful around freshly sealed cracks as the sealant can be soft which can be slippery for bicycle tires. You can recognize freshly sealed cracks as they will have a white tissue paper like covering.
Additional City Projects
Information on additional city projects can be found on the City of Madison Engineering webpage.
UW Madison
- The Campus Drive Path behind the Veterinary Medicine building will close starting Oct 21 through March 2020. The detour will use Easterday Lane to Linden Dr. Detour Map
- The Limnology Lift Station project is expected to be completed by approximately Oct 25 which will reopen full access to the Lakeshore Path.
- Dayton St remains closed to east and westbound traffic from Charter St to Park S for a utiility project. This project is anticipated for completion in Nov 2019.
- Campus Construction Map
OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS
A number of events this weekend will impact the bicycle facility network. Please use caution in these areas or choose another route.
- Science on the Square on Fri, Oct 18 from 6-9pm including events on the Top of State St. Please use care if biking on the State St/Mifflin St bicycle route. Madison Bikes will be participating in the event with a series of “who wore it better – bikes or cars?” sustainability scenarios.
- Picnic in the Park on Sat, Oct 19 at Vilas Park from 4-10:30pm. Expect congestion on Vilas Park Dr, Drake St, Grant St, other neighborhood streets and the paths in the park leading up to the event.
- AppleFest 2019 on Sat, Oct 19 at Warner Park from 9am to 3pm. Watch for kids, classic cars, clowns and more if you are bicycling on the paths in the park.
- Movin’ and Groovin’ for MEDLIFE run on Sun, Oct 20 at 1pm. This 5k race starts at the N Park St cul-de-sac and use the Howard Temin Lakeshore Path.
- Freakfest on Sat, Oct 26 will close State St to all but ticketed event goers at 7pm and remained closed until around 3am.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
- South Madison Community Impact Session 2 on Thurs, Oct 24 from 6-7:45pm at the Urban Leage of Greater Madison, 2223 S Park St.
- BRT Public Involvement Meeting – Downtown Route Options on Tues, Oct 29 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W Mifflin St.
- 2019 Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable on Sat, Nov 2 from 9am to Noon at the Madison Public Library, 201 W Mifflin St.
- Winter Bike Fashion Show on Sat, Nov 2 from 1-4pm at the High Noon Saloon. Come learn how to prepare to ride during the winter or come and share your favorite tips and tricks. Stop by the City of Madison Pedestrian Bicycle Program table and talk to program staff.
WATER MAIN FLUSHING SCHEDULE
Water Main Flushing plans beginning Monday, October 21st (all flushing is daytime unless otherwise noted)
