MADISON, Wis. -- A busy thoroughfare on Madison's north side could be in for some major changes.

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With summer construction finished, North Sherman Avenue is once again the gateway to the north side. The four-lane artery of North Sherman Avenue is heavily traveled by those heading to Warner Park or a number of businesses in area.

But there are persistent traffic and safety concerns about the corridor.

"I live nearby, so the road is nice but it's not biker-friendly enough," said a bicycle rider. "You need a better bike lane or something like that."

"I've heard from a number of constituents that they're concerned about pedestrian safety, they're concerned about traffic speed and safety and they're concerned about bicycle access," said Alder Satya Rhodes-Conway.

Rhodes-Conway said that since construction on the artery is finished, a serious conversation about the future look of North Sherman Avenue will now begin.

"This is absolutely going to shape the future of the north side," she said. "And that's why it's important that we take our time doing it."

Rhodes-Conway said there are several parts of the avenue that residents would like to have changed.

"It's still possible that we could add more crosswalks, or lights or islands," she said.

Among the most controversial possibilities is changing the four-lane avenue to two-lanes with bicycle and turn lanes.

John Kavanaugh, a north side business owner and a member of the Northside Business Association, said that changing the lanes would only hurt business.

"I think they need to just leave well-enough alone," Kavanaugh said. "We certainly aren't looking for us to have any less traffic or any less business. We just put a new sign up, a new parking lot, a new kitchen in."

But his Common Council representative disagrees, pointing to several studies showing reducing lanes would not have a negative impact on business or traffic.

"The whole point of having a main street would be to benefit businesses and the community," said Rhodes-Conway. "How do we bring more customers, get people maybe who are driving through, speeding down Sherman and not stopping, how do we get them to stop?"

It's an issue residents and business owners have talked about for years, but one that could end soon.

"We need to come to a community consensus about what we want," said Rhodes-Conway. "The most important thing is we continue to have a community conversation and that we not let the fear of change or what people think about other peoples' opinions get in the way of having a conversation."

Rhodes-Conway said while there’s no timeline, the next step involves community input.

Proposals will be accepted and introduced to the community. Rhodes-Conway will then decide whether to bring a plan before the Madison Common Council.

Two north side meetings have been scheduled. One is being held at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Lakeview Lutheran Church. The second meeting is set for Dec. 13 at Northside Town Center.

Related Resources:

Northport-Warner Park-Sherman Neighborhood Plan
North Side Market Analysis (PDF)
Lane-Conversion Study By The Center For Transportation Research And Education