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(MADISON, Wis.)—The reconstruction of Atwood Avenue from S. Fair Oaks Avenue to Cottage Grove Road is officially underway. Atwood Avenue will be reconstructed to fix aging infrastructure and enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety.

The public is also invited to attend an upcoming in-person public information meeting, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Feb. 27, 2023, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wis. The open house format meeting will provide the public an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the project. No formal presentation will be given.

Bike and Pedestrian Changes

The major safety improvements include separated vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities. There will be shorter pedestrian crossing movement access Atwood Avenue and improved connections for all users to Olbrich Park and Olbrich Gardens. Throughout the project there will be 5-foot sidewalk, 7-foot wide sidewalk, 10-foot wide paths, and 15-foot wide paths to assist users to their destination on the east side of Madison.

“One of the most important features of this project includes major updates to safety for pedestrians and cyclists in this area. We look forward to working with the community, and serving the community better in these areas on Atwood in this particular area,” City of Madison Project Manager Andrew Zwieg said. “We understand this project can be disruptive, but we are committed to working through the construction toward improving the usability and safety in this area for all.”

The project also includes sanitary sewer and storm sewer improvements as well as new street lighting, a traffic signal at Walter Street, new pavement markings and signs.

The project is scheduled to be complete by fall 2023.

For more information about the project, closure updates and more, please visit the project page on the City of Madison website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/atwood-avenue.

The City’s 2023 budget passed last night in the Common Council after two nights of debate and discussion. The Mayor issued the following statement.

I am pleased that the Common Council passed a series of amendments that improve my budget, including a Parks volunteer coordinator who can put the power of the people to work for our beautiful City parks, a Sustainability Coordinator to help us advance climate action more rapidly, and additional funding to support Madison CARES, a mobile response unit for mental health crises.

In the capital budget, we made investments in affordable housing; infrastructure projects geared toward helping our City take action on climate change; and to build healthier neighborhoods.

In the operating budget, we invested in our youth, in public safety and violence prevention, and continue to build a strong, resilient and heathy Madison. I am very glad that the Common Council took another look at the plans for the Madison Public Market and gave it some thoughtful consideration. The Council expressed strong support for the Market Ready participants and I agree that the equity and empowerment aspects of the project are its most exciting features. I look forward to the Public Market becoming a reality.

This budget puts our money where our values are, building a better Madison that will be strong and resilient for years to come. I thank the Common Council for unanimously adopting the budget.

Today, Mayor Rhodes-Conway released her 2023 Executive Capital Budget PDF  and 6-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which detail her funding proposals for buildings, infrastructure and other capital investments in Madison. The Capital Budget is one major piece of the City’s budget. In a month, she will introduce her 2023 Executive Operating Budget, which focuses on services, staffing and programs. (See included links for the full capital budget, summary and project map.)

“Infrastructure investments are not just about bricks and mortar, they are a reflection of our values. This budget puts our money where our values are, building a better Madison that will be strong, resilient and ready for the many challenges ahead of us,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway.

In this year’s capital budget, the Mayor increases City investments in affordable housing; funds infrastructure projects geared toward helping our City take action on climate change and build climate resiliency; and makes important investments across the City to build strong neighborhoods.

BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

With the population growth Madison continues to see, it will take a strong, sustained investment to meet the housing needs of our community.

• This budget increases the City’s investment in affordable housing to $60 million over six years. Since 2019, the Mayor has more than doubled the affordable housing fund.
• The City is also taking a transformative approach to homeless services by constructing our first purpose-built homeless shelter. With support from the county and the federal government, this $21 million facility will be constructed in 2024.
• The City will continue to spend $19 million over six years to help people purchase and rehabilitate homes, provide property tax relief to seniors and support homeownership down payment assistance.
• The budget continues investments to combat gentrification with $6 million in land banking funds.

BUILDING A RESILIENT CITY

It is becoming increasingly clear that dramatic climate action is needed to ameliorate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. It may not be glamorous, but the repair and reconstruction of streets, bridges, water wells, sewers and stormwater systems is the backbone of creating a strong and resilient city.

• The budget invests $22.2 million to support flood mitigation efforts. Since the 2018 flood, the City has rapidly advanced major flood mitigation projects on key streets and drainage areas.
• $23 million in federal Small Starts funding will be used to ensure the 46-vehicle Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fleet is comprised of fully electric buses.
• The City will be investing $1.7 million for the construction of an inter-city bus terminal in the State Street Campus Garage. This will allow students and residents to easily reach destinations across the Midwest from a modern transit facility.
• The budget also includes $350,000 to help locate and plan for Amtrak service.

BUILDING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS

This budget reflects the fact that building and supporting strong neighborhoods is a critical component of City activities. It continues investing in parks, playground improvements, libraries, sidewalks, crosswalks, bikeways and small businesses that strengthen our neighborhoods. In addition, the Mayor is strategically prioritizing some investments based on local need and opportunities, and that help advance equity.

• In the Sandberg area, the budget puts $15 million toward the construction of Madison Public Library’s Imagination Center.
• In the Brentwood-Northport area, the budget funds a $5 million expansion of the Warner Park Community Center.
• In the Hammersley-Theresa area, the budget funds improvements to the stormwater system to alleviate issues with basement flooding.
• In the Darbo-Worthington area, the budget reserves $2.5 million to purchase the Salvation Army site, providing them with needed capital for a purpose-built women’s shelter and providing the opportunity to support new community facilities in the neighborhood.

The budget also continues to invest in programs for affordable and equitable business access across our City, with $4.5 million in continued support for the Small Business and Equitable Recovery program, building improvement grants, and the Commercial Building Ownership program.

At every turn, the City seeks to leverage local dollars with state and federal funds. Madison is fortunate to have the strong support of the Biden and Evers administrations, with direct support in the federal budget, other major spending bills, and American Rescue Plan Act allocations.

“My goal with this budget is to build a beautiful city, a place that people are proud to call home. My goal with this budget is to build an affordable city, so that people who work here can afford to live and raise a family here. My goal with this budget is to build a greener, more resilient city—ready for the many challenges of a changing climate. My goal with this budget is to build healthy, strong neighborhoods, with libraries, parks, bike trails and family-friendly events that embrace the great diversity of our city,” said the Mayor.

The Mayor’s Executive Budget will be introduced at Common Council tonight and will be discussed at City Finance Committee meetings planned for September, with final Common Council action in November, allowing multiple opportunities for resident input.​