Waunakee adopts County Q corridor visioning plan as long‑term guide after months of debate

The Waunakee Village Board on Monday adopted a long‑term County Highway Q corridor visioning plan intended to guide future safety and streetscape work along the village’s southern entry.

The plan, prepared by MSA Professional Services, lays out short‑, mid‑ and long‑term recommendations that prioritize safer pedestrian crossings, expanded median refuges at key intersections, targeted sidewalk and multi‑use path infill, and modest character enhancements such as pedestrian‑scale lighting and limited planting beds. The board approved the plan as a guiding document after public comment and a multihour discussion.

The plan’s consultant, Steve Tremlett of MSA Professional Services, told the board the study focused on “how can we make it safer, more attractive entry point while still maintaining access for existing and future development along the corridor.” Tremlett summarized technical work that included traffic counts, stakeholder interviews and an open house; the counts showed higher than desirable northbound speeds through portions of the corridor.

Public comment reflected mixed views. Resident Don Tierney, who spoke in person, described local history around a nearby clinic and urged the board to consider context in any safety work. An online commenter and former police bicycle officer warned the proposed removal of on‑street bike lanes in portions of the corridor could push fast commuter cyclists onto multi‑use paths used by children and families and create conflicts.

MSA’s final recommendations limit median curb impacts compared with earlier drafts, trimming the total curb and gutter removal to about 1,400 linear feet and three inlets (down from larger earlier estimates). High‑impact, short‑term items the firm highlighted include painted ladder crosswalks, added street trees and completion of missing path segments. Mid‑ and long‑term ideas include targeted median widenings at Woodland and Peaceful Valley intersections, selective slip‑lane removals, and new pedestrian lighting and limited planting beds to create a unified corridor character.

Board members emphasized safety and future land use. Trustee Robert McPherson said the corridor’s design affects how safe he would feel letting children walk or bike to school: “There’s no way, pardon my language, there’s no way in hell I’m letting my child cross Highway Q the way it is right now,” he said, urging measures that would slow traffic and improve crossings.

Several trustees and staff noted that some design elements and timing depend on future development — including a proposed grocery site on the west side of the corridor — and on separate traffic‑impact analyses already prepared for those projects. The village’s mobility review and the Kilkenny Farms West traffic studies informed the plan’s assumption that the corridor would remain a four‑lane roadway with targeted intersection modifications.

The board voted to adopt the County Highway Q Corridor Visioning Plan as a long‑term guiding document. The motion passed with six votes in favor and one abstention.