By Anita Weier

The results are in for a study of the effects of the 2013 redesign of North Sherman Avenue from a four-lane configuration to two lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes. The study by the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Department shows the street is safer, vehicle speed has slowed slightly and traffic is somewhat reduced, although critics note that the study does not include the effects on business volume or diverted traffic to Packers Avenue.

The results indicate that traffic volume declined 13 percent at 2200 Fordem Ave., 14 percent at 500 N. Sherman Ave. and six percent at 2400 N. Sherman Ave. Traffic increased 14 percent at 1800 Commercial Ave. but dropped 21 percent at 1700 Aberg Ave. Speed decreased from 38.2 miles per hour (mph) on the 2400 block of North Sherman Avenue to 37.5 mph. On the 400 block, speed decreased from 39.5 mph to 35.6 mph. Vehicle crashes were reduced from 22 in 2012 to 10 in 2014. 

Traffic Engineering also studied whether traffic queues would develop on Sherman Avenue at Aberg Avenue, the signalized intersection with the most traffic. It found that traffic queues currently clear the intersection during each green phase during peak traffic volume times. City staff said they could not make valid comparisons of traffic queuing at the railroad tracks because they could not control the variables of train length and travel speed. Using a recently installed traffic monitoring camera, staff observed the rail crossing and did not find a need to return to the four-lane configuration.

The study, which I requested when the City Council unanimously approved the lane changes, was required to show effects 18 months after the change on: congestion and delays, diversion of traffic to other streets, and increase or decrease in pedestrian, bicycle or motor vehicle accidents. The study did not include effects on business volume, and some have criticized that lack. Perhaps the Northside Business Association has data. 

Another criticism was that Packers Avenue was not studied to find out if diverted traffic affected traffic counts there. One critic noted that some drivers dangerously pass in the center lane on North Sherman Avenue to get around slower vehicles.