Response to the Petition from UW-Madison Director of Transportation Services
Thank you to all who have signed and shared the Petition in this collective action! Since the last update, we have nearly doubled our numbers. We are now approaching 1,000 people!
I sent the Petition and Comments to UW-Madison Officials when we reached 850 signatures. Yesterday, I received this email from Patrick Kass, the UW-Madison Director of Transportation Services:
Subject: RE: Over 850 People Petitioning to Keep Arboretum Drive Safe During Covid-19 Pandemic
Ms. Lehner:
Thank you for sending me your concerns and the latest petition information on the reopening of Arboretum Drive. I do understand that the temporary closing of the roadway was a benefit to many people during June and July.
The decision to close most of Arboretum Dr. to motorized traffic was made with the clear understanding and assurance to the Town of Madison and its residents that it was a temporary condition. Many of the residents have not been happy with the closure of what they consider their local road and the access to a traffic light to access Fish Hatchery Road. We have also heard from those who rely on a motor vehicle for accessibility needs to view many areas of the Arboretum.
We are certainly aware the closure of Arboretum Dr. has been popular among those using it for walking and biking. We are also aware this use of the drive has stabilized and has started to slowly decrease, something we expect will continue as we move into the fall. Thus, the decision to reopen Arboretum Dr. on July 31 was made as part of a larger community and campus plan of reopening facilities and as part of a process honoring the assurances we made when this temporary closure was first proposed. The City of Madison has miles of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian trails and paths that are still available for people to use during this time.
Specifically regarding safety concerns--UW-Madison Transportation Services, Arboretum, and Police Department have been looking directly at the issue of road safety for more than a year. We will be comprehensively revising signage and pavement markings this year to improve safety generally. For example, the speed limit along Arboretum and McCaffery Drives is being reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph.
Other changes will come as soon as work schedules permit, beginning with road markings to more clearly delineate pedestrian crossings and lanes. We continue to work closely with the UWPD on enforcement of rules that help to ensure road safety. Finally, we are considering larger changes such as reconfiguring lanes, dedicated facilities or one-way traffic, but these are long range possibilities that we cannot implement immediately.
Safety on Arboretum roads will always be an issue; even during the road closure, we received many complaints from pedestrians that bikers were not behaving safely, and from bikers who said that pedestrians were not behaving safely. The constraints imposed by the narrowness of the road through a wetland mean that everyone needs to be considerate of other users.
All of us at UW Transportation Services, Arboretum, and the UW Police Department are looking for ways to address the needs of the many different users of the Arboretum and McCaffery Drives. We will continue to work on improving road safety for pedestrians and bikers, but ultimately, road safety will also depend on the users.
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Kass, CAPP
Director Transportation Services
Facilities, Planning & Management
University of Wisconsin-Madison
P: 608-265-3200
Here’s a link to continue to share the Petition: https://www.change.org/KeepArboretumDriveSafe