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Planners present Southeast and Southwest area plan updates; affordable housing and Highway 51 emerge as top concerns
Summary
City planning staff gave progress updates on the Southeast and Southwest area plans, highlighting public engagement results, priorities (including affordable housing) and transportation issues such as Highway 51 crossings, missing sidewalks and bus shelter needs.
City planning staff on June 25 updated the Transportation Commission on progress and public feedback for the Southeast and Southwest area plans, two of 12 ten‑year area plans the city is preparing to manage expected population and job growth.
Jeff Greger, planner and co‑lead for the Southeast Area Plan, and Ben Zellers, co‑lead for the Southwest Area Plan, told commissioners the plans address the comprehensive plan elements — land use and transportation, neighborhoods and housing, economy and opportunity, culture and character, green and resilient systems, effective government, and health and safety — and that staff will draft recommended actions this summer for community review in August.
Greger said the Southeast area contains about 11,000 housing units and roughly 25,000 people; the Southwest area contains over 16,000 housing units and about 37,000 people. Both plans include targeted engagement: over 900 responses to the first part of a scientific survey, a city‑wide “Madison madness” ranking exercise that drew about 1,400 participants and a business walk that reached more than 400 businesses across both areas. Greger said “affordable housing rose to the top” of priorities in the outreach results.
Transportation themes raised by residents included Highway 51 as a barrier for walking and biking in the Southeast; missing sidewalks in large residential pockets; speeding on neighborhood streets; requests for bus shelters and benches; and gaps in bike and shared‑use path connectivity. Greger noted the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting about Highway 51 intersection options July 15 at La Follette High School.
Zellers summarized Southwest feedback: concerns about speeding on Raymond Road, Schrader Road and South Gammon Road; student safety and congestion at neighborhood schools; missing sidewalks; and strong public interest in improved shared‑use path connections and bicycle facilities.
Staff outlined the schedule: draft recommendations and maps will be posted for public comment in August; staff check‑ins with city boards and commissions are expected around October; and plan adoption is anticipated in second quarter 2026 followed by implementation efforts.
No action was requested of the Transportation Commission on June 25; staff asked commissioners for input and offered to return with draft recommendations later in the year.
