Monona Drive: The Walls and Sight Distance

Some questions have been raised about the intersection features on Monona Drive and whether drivers on the side roads have adequate sight distance. It's a natural question and I know it looks like the walls will obstruct the view, but the answer from the engineers is a definite 'yes'.

The side roads intersecting Monona Drive within the project limits were re-checked for Intersection Sight Distance (ISD) based on the plans and the criteria in the Facilities Development Manual Section 11-10-5 . These intersections were evaluated for the conditions in Stage 4, Stage 5, and the final (completed) condition per the plans. ISD for the posted speed of 30 mph is met or exceed during construction while an ISD of the design speed of 35 mph is met or exceeded in the final condition. No intersections were found to have substandard ISD.

The Facilities Development Manual is WisDOT's manual of roadway standards. You can view it at http://roadwaystandards.dot.wi.gov/standards/fdm/index.htm. Free registration is required to access the DOT extranet.

Starkweather Creek Bike Trail

I discovered the Starkweather Creek Bike Trail today. It runs along - yes - Starkweather Creek. It goes over East Wash and USH 30 on the fancy bike bridges. Here are some pix. More are posted here at Photobucket.

Airing out the wings

High water flowing fast

View from the East Wash bridge

Robin Roberts Field
Who uses it??
The MATC Madison College Wolfpack

Starkweather Creek neighbors at work

Madison city bike map.

Monona Doug Optimized for Mobile Phones

I made some changes to the HTML code for Monona Doug that supposedly make it easier to read on a mobile phone - because I know you are reading it while driving down the Beltline.....stop doing that!

But I digress, I don't know if the change really helps or not. I assume it does not change the way the blog looks on a PC. Feedback welcome.

Bloggy

Thunder, rain, and lightning have made me bloggy. I even caught up with some posts on my book blog. Incredibly clever title of mononadougbooks. You will want to rush right over.....go....now....

New posts on:

Mayhem by Robert Janes

OpenLibrary

Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon by Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart

The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune 1870-71 by Alistair Horne  What? I read a book by Bush's favoritie historian and liked it - a lot?

OK, hop to - stand not upon your order of going, but go at once!

http://mononadougbooks.blogspot.com/

Watch Joe Chern Explain Why Monona is Great

At the July 19, 2010 Monona City Council meeting, Monona resident Joe Chern described a recent experience that reminded him why Monona is a great place to live.

It involves a ladder, bees, and Monona's EMTs, Gary Clark and Mike Jawson.

Watch it here: http://www.mymonona.com/pages/city_government/city_council/details/1/

His comments start about the 5:40 mark and last for three or four minutes.

Thom Evans

Monona resident, former Madison teacher, parent, husband, and all around good guy Thom Evans took a very nasty spill off his bike recently. He went for a ride around Lake Monona and ended up with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a blood clot in his brain. He's recovering in the UW hospital.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomevans

Keep his daughters Mara, Elena, and Jenna and wife Kim Miller in your thoughts and in your heart.

Strand Associates Picked for Phase Three Engineering Services

The Ad Hoc Monona Drive Committee met this morning to interview three candidates for Phase Three Monona Drive engineering services. The Committee unanimously selected Strand Associates over Foth and Graef.

Phase Three extends from the Pflaum/Nichols intersection north to Winnequah Road and is the middle section of the Monona Drive corridor. Phase Three is the final phase and is planned for construction in 2013. Phase One, extending from Broadway to Pflaum/Nichols, will be completed later this fall and Phase Two (Winnequah to Cottage Grove Road) is scheduled for 2011 2012.

The recommendation must be formally approved by the respective governing bodies of city of Madison, Monona, and Dane County, but each of those entities are represented on the Committee.

MDC Agenda July 10

MDC Packet July 10

Woodland Park Update

You may have noticed a couple things going at lately at Monona's Woodland Park. First and most obvious, the city has allowed the Monona Drive contractor to use part of the front grassy area as a staging area. This use actually dovetails nicely with the Woodland Park restoration plan. The overall goal is to re-establish an oak savanna.

The grassy area was seeded with some variety of yard grass a few years ago (let's not go into the who, how, and why that happened because I'm not sure of the details and it's in the past). The plan is to seed that area with native wildflowers and wild grasses and the grass needed to go. We will also be reseeding that part with a native grasses and flower mix that will have some showy colors all year long. To see the planned mix go to:
http://www.prairiemoon.com/seed-mixes/madison-wisconsin-mixed-height-prairie-seed-mix/

The city also recently completed some forestry mowing as part of our management plan to restore Woodland Park to an Oak Savanna. The park is “overstocked” with black cherry’s, shagbark hickory, box elder, black locust etc that have been “out-competing” the oaks for sunlight and not allowing the oaks to re-sprout because of these other species. (My observation, however, was that many black cherry and shagbark hickory trees were left in place where they were not out-competing the oaks.)

We will be replanting oaks next year in the section that is currently covered in rocks from the Monona Dr project.  We eventually hope to do the back side of the park that borders the ALNC property in the same type of native grasses/wildflowers.

I posted numerous photos of the forestry-mowing results and the construction staging area on photobucket. It may not look pretty right now, but it will give oaks a chance to flourish.

Actually, I believe our wonderful restoration contractor Driftless Land Stewardship LLC did the forestry mowing.



All of this work follows the city council-approved management plan. See it here:

http://www.mymonona.com/pages/parks_recreation/parks_open_space/details.php/50/parks_services/woodland%2Bpark%2Bplan/

This photo shows the opened areas around several oak trees. Note the lack of spreading branches.

This oak tree at the ALNC has grown up in an open area.

This photo shows the classic potato chip bark of a black cherry tree.

My friend the red-tailed hawk of Woodland Park perched on his water tower.

Andrew Nath - Caught Doing Good

Monona public library employee Andrew Nath has been busted and dusted - doing good. He and some friends are going to be wandering around the back roads of Iowa (wait - aren't they all back roads in Iowa?) putting on free concerts for seniors.

According to the Sioux City Journal,

Andrew Nath will spend his time away from work crossing the state while making music. He's driving an old John Deere, pulling a flat rack full of musicians. They'll stop and play free concerts almost daily over the next week and a half....

The tour wraps up with a concert July 31 at the World Horseshoe Tournament in Cedar Rapids. Nath has named it the, 'Please Don't Disturb the Livestock Tour.'...

"We'll play primarily for seniors, with a few stops to visit friends and family along the way," said Nath, the son of Roger and Renee Nath of Everly, and Gina Nassif of Cedar Rapids. "There are a few engagements that will be open to the public, which promise to pay just enough to keep gas in the tractor. We're not charging seniors or our family, because the seniors have certainly paid their dues, and our families have had to tolerate us for years."

New Monona Fire Department web site

The Monona Fire Department has a new web site at http://mononafire.com/.

It's new and kind of empty so far. Check back or subscribe to their RSS feed.

Monona City Council Summary - July 19, 2010

The Monona city council approved the three items noted in my earlier post with little discussion:

Consideration of Resolution 10-07-1712 Approval of Settlement with Homburg Equipment, Inc. and Homburg Realty, Inc. (City Attorney). (Amount of $5000).
Awarded a bid for the 2010 Slurry Seal Program (City Engineer). Streets in the program are Arrowhead, Vogts, Tonywatha, Roigan, Shore Acres and Lamboley. Also Kilgust Drive.
Approved extending the life of Tax Incremental District #3 For the Purpose of Funding Renew Monona Loan Program (CDA).

The item that generated the most discussion was the Presentation of Draft Designs and Plans for Entryway Feature, Ken Saiki Design, Inc. The entryway feature located at Monona Drive and the Beltline needs updating. The proposal calls for much more extensive work to the tune of almost $300,000. The council has budgeted $160,000 for the project. Most of the council rebelled at the amount, me included.

How important is an entryway feature to the city's image or otherwise? How is it important? Does it really define the city? How important is the city's image? Is $300,000 too much? Is $160,000 too much? These are not rhetorical questions; I invite your comments.



Monona City Council Preview - July 19, 2010

Monona City Council Preview - July 19, 2010

The Monona City Council meets tonight after a six week hiatus (or was it seven?) due to the one-meeting-per-month 'summer schedule' (thatextends from May through September).

AGENDA 7/19/10

Among the items to be considered are Consideration of Resolution 10-07-1712 Approval of Settlement with Homburg Equipment, Inc. and Homburg Realty, Inc. (City Attorney). The Homburg companies sued the city over the value of property taken for the Monona Drive project. Out of the many dozens of acquisitions this claim is the only one filed in court.

The council will also likely award a bid for the 2010 Slurry Seal Program (City Engineer). Streets in the program are Arrowhead, Vogts, Tonywatha, Roigan, Shore Acres and Lamboley. See the map for detailes on the locations.

The council will also consider extending the life of Tax Incremental District #3 For the Purpose of Funding Renew Monona Loan Program (CDA). As described in the resolution, under this program the "City of Monona will use funds from the extension of tax incremental district #3 to improve its housing stock and benefit affordable housing using the program adopted by the CDA which offers deferred, 0% interest loans of up to the lesser of $10,000 (or 50% of total improvement costs) to Monona residents or those looking to purchase a home in Monona. Loan funds may be used for making home systems, efficiency, and space upgrades."

The council will also see a Presentation of Draft Designs and Plans for Entryway Feature, Ken Saiki Design, Inc