City of Madison Engineering
The city of Madison and village of Shorewood Hills are proposing a series of improvements for University Avenue.
One of Madison’s busiest streets is getting a makeover in hopes of making travel easier for city residents.
With nearly 52,000 vehicles driving on University Avenue each day, the city of Madison and village of Shorewood Hills have partnered with KL Engineering to propose altering the stretch between Shorewood Boulevard and University Bay Drive.
The project plan, which aims to improve safety for drivers, bikers and pedestrians, was unveiled June 13 during a public meeting hosted by the city and the village. It calls for a slight narrowing of the driving lanes to calm traffic and to make room for pedestrian sidewalks along the north side of University Avenue and east side of University Bay Drive. The plan also includes bike traffic improvements, including the expansion in 2019 of a multi-use path between Marshall Court and University Bay Drive on the north side of University Avenue.
Hannah Mohelnitzky, spokesperson for the city’s engineering department, stressed at the meeting that the project plan is not finalized and that community members are encouraged to make suggestions on how to improve it.
During the question and answer portion of the meeting, some residents expressed concern for pedestrian safety due to the heavy traffic flow of the street. One resident suggested lowering the speed limit on University Avenue to make it safer.
Brian Veit, senior project engineer at KL, said a main goal of the project is to improve the “user experience” on University Avenue, especially for pedestrians. The project includes plans to improve traffic signals to make it easier for people to cross the street.
According to Karl Frantz, Shorewood’s village administrator, project leaders are working closely with residents to ensure their needs are met. “We want to do everything we possibly can to build a sustainable project that addresses some innate needs that are sometimes in competition with one another — we have a road with nearly 60,000 vehicles driving on it, and then we have bikes and pedestrians also.”
The University Avenue area experienced substantial flooding last summer, and Mohelnitzky said in an interview that the plan proposes stormwater management improvements, including updating existing storm sewer structures and inlets.
At least two more public meetings will be held to discuss the project before construction starts in 2021. And while the remodel is nearly two years away, the village of Shorewood Hills will begin work this summer on the bike path expansion.
[Editor's note: This article was corrected with the correct spelling for Karl Frantz.]
