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Public input pushes Middleton consultants to revise High Road design to prioritize safety and bike connections
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Summary
Design consultant Vierbecker Engineers presented preliminary High Road cross-sections and stormwater options after a Jan. 28 public meeting. Committee members and Alder Lisa Hanayro urged continuous west-side sidewalks, traffic calming (narrower lanes, trees, raised crosswalks), protected bike lanes and alternatives to avoid wetland impacts; staff expect revised options in April.
Dan Perry of Vierbecker Engineers briefed the joint Pedestrian, Bike & Transit and Public Works committees on the High Road reconstruction project and results from a Jan. 28 public involvement meeting. "It was a good turnout," Perry said, summarizing the firm’s early plan, schedule and the typical cross‑section that guided the initial design.
The consultant presented a preliminary section showing a median-separated northbound and southbound alignment, an on‑street bike lane with a 2‑foot buffer, a 10‑foot multi‑use path on one side and a 5‑foot sidewalk on the other, with space for left‑turn lanes where needed. Perry cautioned the design is early stage, noted wetlands on the east side that could be impacted by the proposed typical section and said staff will coordinate alternatives with the Department of Natural Resources.
Alder Lisa Hanayro (District 6) told the committees she attended the public meeting and urged the city to ensure a continuous west‑side sidewalk to Spring Hill Drive. "It's imperative that the sidewalk on the west side of High Road continue uninterrupted," she said, and called for adherence to the city's Complete Streets policy. Hanayro also urged reconsidering left‑turn lanes and the typical cross‑section because she said design choices could give cars priority over vulnerable users and increase speeding.
Committee members echoed safety concerns. Kirsten said many public comments focused on downhill speeding and recommended narrower lanes, trees in the median and raised crosswalks to increase pedestrian visibility. "Trees have been shown to calm traffic and slow traffic down," she said. Alder Oliver Myers cautioned that raised crossings and speed humps must follow engineering standards and recommended collecting 85th/80th‑percentile speed data before installing measures that could expose the city to liability. Ted (committee member/engineer) reviewed traffic counts near Century Avenue—about 2,600 vehicles per day at the north‑of‑Century count from August 2022—and presented alternative intersection sketches, including Michigan‑left concepts for Bellefontaine.
Staff described stormwater options, including a potential bioretention basin near the Bellefontaine intersection, and said updated cost breakdowns are expected in April. Perry said the consultant will work with staff to produce revised design options reflecting the committee’s and public’s feedback and expects to present new alternatives in April.
No formal decision was made; the committees limited their action to recommendations to the design consultant. Perry said the firm will incorporate the input and return with multiple options for the committees to review.
