Southwest Area Plan Draft Actions

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 11:01PM on page 33

Suggestion

In addition to a community orchard, edible landscape/foraging should be added to Elver Park.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 11:00PM on page 33

This is really important. This path is used by dozens of people everyday, and making sure cars actually see the path and the people walking will improve safety for families/bikers/kids and all ages using the path.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:56PM on page 25

Suggestion

I would love to see edible landscape/foraging be added to the master plan for Elver Park. It is an important resource for so many people, and allowing people to forage fresh food from parts of the park would be lifechanging for some.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:55PM on page 33

This would be great. The Shopping Center is very car oriented, but I almost get there exclusively by bike. It would be great to shift away from car/parking and more to pedestrian access

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:54PM on page 33

I LOVE this idea! Edible landscape/foraging is such an important resource to give people, especially as grocery prices continue to rise.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:52PM on page 32

This initiative of edible landscape/garden is fantastic!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:49PM on page 30

This would be great!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:48PM on page 30

Thank you for including this! This has been a concern for families in the area for many years! We cannot be asking young kids living N of the road to walk themselves across Schroeder -- especially in the morning during rush hour! So many of these kids aren't able to get to school because of that, and this would decrease their truancy and help them make it to school!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:36PM on page 29

Suggestion

I would MUCH MUCH rather resources be put into traffic calming improvements than traffic enforcement. Traffic enforcement doesn't get at the root issue of people speeding, but road diets or other physical changes to the road WILL (and better yet, adding more public transit or bike infrastructure aka getting more cars off the road.)

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:31PM on page 28

I can't believe this isn't already done - it's a small thing but it will be a lifesaver for so many families who wouldn't have means to make it downtown easily.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:27PM on page 28

I love the Meadowridge Library and go to it every other week. I think it would be great to expand the library and what they are able to provide the community!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:22PM on page 26

I really love the idea of community gardens. It creates an additional safety net for neighbors who might need fresh produce or are food insecure.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:19PM on page 25

This would be great to give people (especially kids) things to do in the summer!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:08PM on page 23

This would be great!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:08PM on page 23

Suggestion

The bike/walking Beltline Overpass of the Southwest Commuter path would be a great place to add culture and character to! Right now it is just an ugly cage around the path.

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 10:03PM on page 35

Wow, that is really cool! This would be great to celebrate and have more people know about!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 9:58PM on page 21

This would be a great idea!

Aedan 1 Nov 27 2025 at 9:54PM on page 21

This area could become a great small local shopping area, especially with the bike path going under the beltline to connect to.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:42PM on page 19

This is very important!

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:37PM on page 19

I would love to see more small, local shopping areas in these Missing Middle development areas! I would gladly walk or bike to local small shops, rather than drive to, say, Atwood or Monroe St.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:34PM on page 18

As someone who commutes on this road daily, a dedicated path will be great!

And also, it will connect the Seminole Hwy bike path to the SW Commuters Bike Path!

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:33PM on page 18

Extending this shared-use path in the green space will be great, especially to connect it with the Hammersley path

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:21PM on page 14

This would be fantastic. I looked at a map of all the BCycle locations around Madison and do not understand why the West side has nearly none of them. At minimum Elver Park would be a great initial location!

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:18PM on page 13

This would be great, especially considering the current and future plans for this small shopping/community area

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:17PM on page 13

Very happy to see this consideration! We've heard from the school how dangerous the school drop off/pick up is on Woodington Way. It will make the kids and parent's lives better!

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:15PM on page 12

Thank you for including the flashing beacons as a potential development! It is surprising how little pedestrian safety measured there are along the (very few) crossings on Schroeder. And this is becoming more important with the new apartments and kids needing to get to school in the Greentree neighborhood

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:13PM on page 11

I am VERY excited about this. The Hammersley path has greatly improved safety for bikers to and from the SW commuter path.

Before that dedicated path was implemented, I was hit by a car on my bike as I biked towards the SW commuter path on Hammersley. With a protected path leading all the way from SW commuter path to essentially Elver Park, so many more people will be able to bike safely!

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:11PM on page 11

This is great! I one biked through Elver park and was disappointed to find that the paths didn't lead through. I just ended up on the driveway near someone's farm

in reply to Adam Biewer's comment

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:10PM on page 11

I 100% agree with James here. Painted lines on the road aren't enough on a road like Whitney way, especially with traversing under the highway underpass. Protected bike lanes would allow bikers of all ages to use Whitney Way to travel N-S on their bike.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:09PM on page 11

I am very excited for this upgrade!

in reply to Alexandre Minot's comment

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:08PM on page 11

Suggestion

I would love to see more bike infrastructure on Raymond Rd that allows all age biking. I often bike along Raymond Rd on my commute to/from work to the library. It is always nerve racking when a parked car opens their door into the bike lane. At the very least, can the bike lane and parking pane be swapped, so the bike lane is fully protected by parked cars?

in reply to Nick Davies's comment

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 2:00PM on page 8

I agree. I use this path often to get No of the beltline on my bike. While the bike path could use some maintenance, it should stay a bike/walking path and not allow cars.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:55PM on page 7

I live in the Greentree neighborhood, and if there were more development here/small local shops, I would definitely walk or bike here often!

We used to go to Michael's frozen custard on Schroeder all the time in the summer for ice cream and miss them since they have closed this location. This would be a great place for a new ice cream shop or other local restaurants to open up!

in reply to Jonathan Mertzig's comment

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:52PM on page 6

Seconding this! We should also make sure this area is well connected to the bike paths that are planned in Elver Park and beyond.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:50PM on page 5

I bike to this small shopping mall all the time to come to the library! This could have the potential to become something like the area around the Sequoia Library, which has small shops and is a great hub for the community.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:49PM on page 5

I like the idea of building up this small mall up more. But I REALLY hope that the community spaces and library are able to stay. I realize the library just rents the space, but if the city can provide a path for them to stay here, that would be great.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:47PM on page 4

We come here all the time for the Poke restaurant and Pick N Save. We'd love to see more shops (especially local businesses) in this area!

in reply to Todd Astroth's comment

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:42PM on page 4

I agree with Will. We don't need to have all this lawn space for every building. Consider an old city street in, say, Pennsylvania or New England, with row houses and just a sidewalk. Those neighborhoods are great, have character, and are all walkable communities.

Aedan Nov 26 2025 at 1:37PM on page 2

I am excited about the possibility of having more pedestrian marketplaces / shopping areas in the SW area

Fieldstone Neighborhood Resident Nov 22 2025 at 9:42PM on page 29

Suggestion

Please include McKee Rd. It carries heavy traffic and is highly unsafe. Not sure why it is not included in this list. The Intersection of Maple Valley Dr and McKee Rd needs some type of traffic control. People living in the Maple Grove Apartments and folks working at the daycare center use that to access the bus stop on McKee in front of Walgreens. It is very dangerous to cross that intersection.

Gilbert Rd Resident Nov 19 2025 at 9:29AM on page 11

Excellent plan to reduce close calls with inattentive drivers and make it safer for bikers and pedestrians to traverse the Gilbert Rd hill for access to the adjoining neighborhoods and sidewalks in the area.

in reply to Todd Astroth's comment

Will 1 Nov 18 2025 at 11:20AM on page 4

Strong disagree: even if this area wasn't a neighborhood of the City of Madison (i.e. technically not a "suburb" at all) the absence of compact neighborhood centers within comfortable walking distance for nearby residents is a massive *defect* in the postwar U.S. suburban residential development style, not something to be celebrated or aspired to.

Will 1 Nov 18 2025 at 11:10AM on page 3

Suggestion

A central goal here should be to make Badger Prairie into a useful thru route for cyclists and pedestrians, but *not* for cars. Add trails crisscrossing it in every direction (especially an east-west trail parallel to Cross Country Rd) and a north-facing entrance or two with a small parking lot, but under no circumstances should these entrances allow a driver to reach the parking lots in the southern half of the park.

Neighbor Nov 17 2025 at 5:40PM on page 10

Question

There is a church property along Gilbert Rd between Barton Rd and Tolman Terrace...why does the City not see this church property as an area to increase density as it did in surrounding neighborhoods?

Neighbor Nov 17 2025 at 5:27PM on page 10

Question

Why is St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church is the only church property in the SW Plan left with a future land use of "Special Institutional (SI)"?

Do you consider properties of other institutions with schools the same as St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church?

Neighbor Nov 17 2025 at 5:18PM on page 10

Question

The West Madison Plan calls for 5 story buildings in General Commercial land use along Odana Rd between Medical Cir and Odana Ct. Why treat the land south of Watts Rd differently than Odana Rd, and suggest 6 story building height here?

in reply to Neighbor's comment

Neighbor Nov 17 2025 at 5:04PM on page 10

Question

More specifically...the West Area Plan adopted in September 2024 calls for 6 story maximum building height east of Grand Canyon Dr. Grand Canyon Dr and Struck St align fairly closely on either side of the beltline. Yet, the SW Plan calls for 8 story building height east of Struck St. Why the difference?

Abigail Ryan Nov 17 2025 at 10:52AM on page 32

Suggestion

I'm interested if there would be some concrete infrastructure to support this as well such as a digital sign near revival ridge or at a future bus shelter to help get information about neighborhood connection activities to residents.

Todd Astroth Nov 17 2025 at 10:29AM on page 15

Suggestion

The speed limit is way too low along this stretch. The road is much wider, and there are fewer driveways than north of McKee. And it's a major arterial.

Todd Astroth Nov 17 2025 at 10:26AM on page 15

Suggestion

Is there perhaps a way to add a full new interchange here? The huge amount of traffic from West Towne Mall, Walmart, Woodmans, the Odana research park, Exact Science, and more, is just way too much load on the Gammon and Whitney interchanges. Traffic on Odana Rd is particularly bad during rush hour, on both ends.

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Southwest Area Plan Draft Actions

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