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Commission approves roadway geometry, closes one Babcock rail crossing to extend University Avenue westbound bus lane
Summary
The Transportation Commission approved design changes at the University Avenue/Babcock Drive railroad crossing to consolidate pedestrian/bicycle crossings as required by the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads and to extend a westbound bus lane as part of the BRT corridor work; the motion passed by unanimous consent.
MADISON, Wis. — The Transportation Commission on July 23 approved roadway geometry and a railroad‑crossing realignment at University Avenue and Babcock Drive, endorsing a staff plan to consolidate two pedestrian/bicycle crossings and to extend a westbound bus lane as part of the city’s BRT work.
What was approved: City staff presented a revised design that upgrades the existing north–south (west) Babcock crossing to be ADA accessible, closes the east Babcock crossing (closer to University Avenue) and cleans up the nearby curb geometry. As a result of the consolidation, the westbound BRT/bus lane on University Avenue will be extended west through the Babcock intersection and through Old University to tie into the westbound shoulder toward Campus Drive.
Why it changed: Staff said the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads required consolidation of the two crossings and other changes at the railroad connection. After earlier public discussion and input from the university, staff revised the design to retain the crossing that better serves north–south pedestrian movements near Babcock Drive, while closing and physically discouraging use of the parallel east crossing near University Avenue.
Action: Commissioner Chris (moved approval) and a second were recorded; the chair called for unanimous consent and, with no hands raised against or abstaining, the motion carried. Staff said the geometry approval allows final design to proceed and the project to be bid for construction in 2025.
Discussion vs. decision: Commissioners had discussed an earlier iteration of the design in December 2024 and recommended retaining the crossing that serves north–south pedestrian traffic. The July vote authorized staff to proceed with final engineering based on the revised plan; no divergent amendments or conditions were attached to the approval.
Ending: Staff apologized for the late agenda addition and said their next step is to finalize plans and proceed toward bidding and construction, consistent with the approved geometry.
