Let's not lose out to Gary, Indiana

Just read this amusing letter-to-the-editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about transit (or lack thereof).

My favorite part:

"By 2016, Gary, Ind., will more than likely have a more viable transit system than Milwaukee and probably a new venue or two. Then Milwaukee can stand up and proudly say it lost jobs and income to Gary."

In a related MJS article, the Urban Mobility Report produced by the Texas Transportation Institute said that traffic congestion in Milwaukee cost about $307 million in extra fuel and lost time in 2007.

So, let's get our transit improved in Madison so that we don't lose time or money or lose out to Gary, Ind.

Approve the Edgewater Hotel expansion

For a city built around beautiful lakes, it's a shame there are only a handful of public places (non-beaches/parks) to gather on the lake. Take Lake Mendota, for example: you have the Memorial Union and the Edgwater Hotel (places like Captain Bill's are not adjacent to the lake, as they claim).

Developers have proposed expanding the Edgewater Hotel, and plans include giving the pier a make-over. Of course, with every proposal in the city, it has to be fought tooth and nail. As reported by the Wisconsin State Journal, the proposal is supported by Downtown Madison Inc., the Wisconsin Alumni Association, nearby First United Methodist Church and several neighborhood leaders, but not by Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. and the Mansion Hill Neighborhood Association.

An issue that was raised was concern over traffic and noise. That's odd, since the Edgewater is one block from Gorham (very busy) and on Langdon Street (home of Greek row). Anyone living in that vicinity should already be used to traffic and noise!

One thing that former Mayor Paul Soglin correctly points out in his blog is that we need to have density in downtown or face more sprawl.

Lastly, I think the Edgewater would make a nice north-of-the-Capitol complement to the south-of-the-Capitol Monona Terrace (which should also have a terrace like the Memorial Union's--save that for another blog).

Road construction: lessons learned?

In Business Magazine has a nice story about how the City of Madison completely botched the planning of the East Washington road construction and how it drove several stores out of business. Meanwhile, did the City learn its lesson for University Avenue?

According to Michael Gay, the City's Business Development Coordinator, "The first time we did this, we weren't so good."

Check out the story at: http://www.ibmadison.com:80/retail?id=139

Can't Drive in Madison

Drivers: please avoid campus and downtown if you can! Gorham, University Ave (downtown), Campus Drive and University Ave (west) are all one-lane at the same time. Not sure why that entire stretch was chosen to be worked on at the same time, but it's a nightmare going to and from downtown and the near west side.

Complicating matters is that the Mills Street construction has crossed Regent St., so now Regent is a parking lot. Plus, Mills Street (between University and Johnson) and Randall Ave. (between University and Johnson) also are closed, so it's hard to use Dayton Street as an alternative.

For those keeping track, that means three of your routes out (westbound)--University, Dayton and Regent--are fucked. Langdon Street has some building construction that has clogged the road, too. Try driving from the Capitol to Hilldale Mall in less than 20 minutes--it's nearly impossible.

Soon Farley Avenue (which becomes University Bay Drive and connects to UW Hospital) will be under construction, so you can't cut through the neighborhoods, either. Advice? TAKE THE BELTLINE!

(If we only had light rail...)

Road construction woes

How brutal is it now to drive through east campus? Drivers coming from the east side via Gorham Street or coming from the south via Broom Street have been feeling the pain of the construction of one of the busiest intersections downtown. It's just one lane on Gorham there, so cars turning left from Broom or coming down Gorham get severely bottle-necked. Most drivers have taken parallel streets (Gilman and Langdon), only to find themselves worst off (Gilman takes you back to that intersection, and Langdon is tight because of building construction).

Those coming up Broom and avoiding the intersection have tried Dayton Street, but that, too, is under construction near Randall where the new Union South is being built. The city never plans anything out well.

Move-out and graduation weekend (May 16-17) will be a complete cluster-fuck. Stay away from campus if you can that weekend!

Playboy Ranks UW No. 6 for Party Schools

Damn! The last time Playboy ranked party schools (2006), the University of Wisconsin-Madison was No. 1. This time around UW has fallen to No. 6 behind Miami, Texas, San Diego State, Florida and Arizona. At least Wisconsin is the northern most school!

I'm sure you can find more info at www.playboy.com.

Live Like You Mean It

I'm not the first to bash the state's choice for a new slogan, but I won't be the last, either. To reiterate, the state paid ad agency Red Brown Kle $50,000 to do the work, and all it did was steal a slogan that has been used many times before (e.g. by Bacardi)--"Live Like You Mean It."

Here's the piece of crap we have to deal with for at least a year.

Here's my favorite parody so far: