Madison panel makes removal of Williamson Street peak‑hour lanes permanent after staff test

The Madison Transportation Commission voted Nov. 5 to make permanent the removal of peak‑hour travel lanes on Williamson Street after hearing staff results from a multi‑week test and public testimony.

City Traffic Engineering presented data showing modest changes in travel times and evidence that afternoon single‑file congestion produced longer gaps for side‑street turns, while pedestrians and cyclists reported feeling safer under the trial. Tom Moore of City Traffic Engineering summarized results from counters, gap studies and travel‑time series (including Google Maps comparisons) and proposed retaining the test configuration with shorter, permanent corner parking restrictions and added monitoring.

The details mattered in discussion. Moore told commissioners the test showed “travel times do not seem to be really an issue at all” in most periods and that the main tradeoff was increased difficulty finding gaps for side‑streets during afternoon peak single‑file flow. He recommended permanent signing changes, shorter corner no‑parking zones and, if feasible, traffic cameras to monitor operations and let staff fine‑tune signal timing.

The test included a public survey (about 1,700 responses) and on‑the‑ground observations. Several neighborhood speakers urged the commission to keep the lane removal for safety and livability reasons: Mike Tarby, co‑chair of the Marquette Neighborhood Association Transportation and Safety Committee, said the trial “made the street feel safer” and urged the commission to continue the change. Multiple other residents and business patrons told commissioners they felt crossings were easier and bicycle movements safer under the test.

At the Nov. 5 meeting, Alder Martinez Rutherford moved to make permanent “the removal of the peak‑hour travel lanes,” and Pepe Barrows seconded. Commissioners clarified that keeping the test configuration does not preclude further adjustments by staff; staff said permanent, smaller signs and some parking‑restriction tweaks could be installed within weeks and that camera installation would likely come in the spring, subject to budget and fiber/power access. The motion carried by unanimous consent.

What’s next: staff said it will install permanent signs for the revised no‑parking corners, continue refining parking bay lengths where businesses objected, and explore cameras and smaller curb changes in spring. Commissioners also asked staff to study extending the lane removal east toward the Riverside crossing and to route such small curb projects through the Safe Streets Madison list for prioritization.