Middleton ped-bike committee asks staff to submit comment opposing BeltLine lane expansion

The Middleton Ped Bike Transit committee voted to ask staff to submit a public comment opposing capacity-expansion elements of the Wisconsin BeltLine study and to include a short technical note on collisions and congestion.

The committee heard from staff that the state study covers possible future changes—including flex lanes, interchange improvements and a park-and-ride—that could affect sections within Middleton and that a public comment period ends next week. Staff said the portion touching Middleton is not necessarily a physical widening but could add flex lanes that change traffic patterns and air-quality outcomes.

Why it matters: committee members said the addition of lanes can increase traffic, collisions and local congestion and argued the city should weigh alternatives such as transit investments. The committee agreed it lacked time to draft a full resolution before the public comment deadline and opted to have staff convert a short committee comment based on Fitchburg’s resolution, with an added paragraph summarizing technical collision/congestion concerns.

"You increase the likelihood of collisions," one committee member said while urging the comment include technical details from the study’s own materials. Committee members also invoked a longer-term goal of pursuing east–west transit connections rather than adding lanes.

What the committee asked staff to do: the motion directed city staff to rewrite the Fitchburg resolution text into a committee public comment suitable for submission, incorporating a short paragraph drafted by Tad/Ted that highlights where flex‑lane additions coincided with higher collision rates and greater congestion. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Next steps: staff said they would draft the paragraph and submit the combined comment to the BeltLine public comment process before the stated deadline.