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Middleton staff present draft Active Transportation Plan, aim for public input in May
Summary
Associate planner Scott Heacock presented a draft Active Transportation Plan that prioritizes missing links, sidewalk gaps and regional connections. Committee members asked for earlier public input, crash‑map detail and outreach to regional partners; staff plan a March committee review, April draft circulation, May public engagement and a June recommendation to council.
Scott Heacock, associate planner, presented an in‑house draft of Middleton’s Active Transportation Plan and the updated maps included in the meeting packet. He described goals to identify linkages for new trails and paths, to prioritize sidewalk gaps consistent with the comprehensive plan, and to provide a concise "one‑pager" strategy format that staff and elected officials could use for decision‑making.
Heacock said the timeline calls for Ped, Bike & Transit to review a completed draft in March, circulate an updated draft to committees and council in April, hold public input in May (two open houses and a public survey), and aim for a committee recommendation to council in June. "The goal of this approach is to make sure the version the public weighs in on is most reflective of the city's position on these topics," he said.
Committee members generally praised the document's format and goals but urged more and earlier public engagement. Charles recommended an earlier public input session tied to committee reviews to increase participation. Members asked that crash‑location maps (2020 to present) be included and that staff distinguish collisions likely preventable by engineering from those caused by impairment or other factors; Charles and others said the city attorney and Water Resources/Stormwater utility should be consulted on liability and funding for safety improvements.
Questions also covered regional connections and specific gaps (North Mendota/northshore segments and the University Avenue bike lane ending at Branch Street). Staff said tiering of map priorities (Tier 1: long‑standing; Tier 2: longer‑term or constrained) informed the selections and that some right‑of‑way constraints prevent immediate extensions.
Next steps: staff will incorporate committee feedback, consider earlier public outreach, coordinate with regional partners and produce the March first draft for committee review.
