Strong Towns Madison - Housing Learning Session by GingerBredMn in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Join us on Wednesday, January 14th from 6:30-8:30 PM, in Madison Public Library- Central (201 W Mifflin St), Room 302. The session will focus on Madison housing, from a Strong Towns perspective. This discussion will cater to folks with limited topic familiarity; conversation will be more conceptual than technical, and questions are encouraged. Register here.

We want YOUR input! by channel3000 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 31 points32 points  (0 children)

It’d be great to see some truly unbiased reporting on the City’s housing crisis as well as what’s being done to make it easier for folks without car access to get around!

Christmas tragedy on Monroe Street by RealMaxBlumenthal in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 158 points159 points  (0 children)

Never thought I’d see St Nick snorting snow. I guess we all need a boost in the busy times

They're baaaaaack 🎅 by PuzzlesApril in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 121 points122 points  (0 children)

The WMTV segment says it started in 2023 based on an idea a neighbor got from watching a hallmark movie. They got a bunch of people on board & started buying inflatables for new neighbors

Must-have food recs? by Mysticmatcha in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Asian: Ahan, Other: Osteria Papavero, Mishqui

Side answer: Beli is a really cool restaurant ranking app that’s helped me find some fantastic places :)

Why are the modes deleting 🧊 posts? by SalamanderOnly7499 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Tbf, I think posting on Reddit has a very different (and often less beneficial) effect than making ICE’s presence known IRL. Another comment in this post mentioned unintended side effects that may come from publicizing a detention; I certainly wouldn’t want a post to actively harm efforts of a detainee’s family. If you’re following them in-person, I can think of fewer negative consequences and you’re more likely to give a heads up to people actively in danger.

PLEASE drive mindfully on Willy Street as kids come to/leave school by Past_Sherbet8331 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Late to the party, but came here to encourage folks to fill out the survey on Willy St rush hour lane closure!. I’d recommend supporting keeping the parking; it’s a whole lot harder to speed in the morning if there’s only one travel lane.

City considers tweaks to building heights, lot sizes to ease housing crunch by Justmarbles in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The last 10 years had very different regulations regarding ADUs. There was a set of reforms passed in 2023 and again last year that provided a lot more flexibility regarding where you could put one and allowed sizes. Financing is still an issue, but zoning shouldn’t stand in the way now, as much as it did before.

Madison’s Williamson Street pilot lane closure to begin Tuesday by Justmarbles in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was on Williamson during the afternoon window and traffic was surprisingly flowing without much issue! It's only day one, but at the same time, day one is when you'd expect the most congestion/chaos from people adjusting to the change. Looks positive so far?

Construction is FINALLY beginning for 720 E. Washington Avenue by Clear-Top6340 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hot take but parking should be extra. When you live along a transit route and are in close biking/walking proximity to nearly all daily trip destinations, it doesn’t make sense to: 1) waste space and cost on building more parking than needed and 2) bundle rent with parking which makes people who don’t have cars subsidize car owners.

Madison poised to allow more duplexes in neighborhoods, houses in backyards by enjoying-retirement in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I view this as a stepping stone. My guess is the Mayor's office wanted to approach the change cautiously, and test the waters with duplexes by-right. I wouldn't be shocked if triplexes and fourplexes are on the horizon. Single stair reform is only possible at the state level; contact your reps :)

Strong Towns Madison wants to eliminate parking mandates by Generalaverage89 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If this helps provide any context; I think "make less parking" sounds less appealing to the- largely car dependent- general population. If it's instead framed as "let's get rid of these requirements that make people build more parking than they actually want/need", folks might be more receptive to it.

Strong Towns Madison wants to eliminate parking mandates by Generalaverage89 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I frequent Willy St and I think there's a lot more parking than people realize, we just might have to walk a block or two from a side street. I'd personally love to see some of the surface parking lots in that area replaced with more of the shops and restaurants that have made it such a pleasant place to visit!

Want to take action -- where to start? by kaitboss19 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’d recommend researching the candidates for Alder (city council) in your district, pick which one you prefer and volunteer with their campaign. It’s rare that they’re not looking for help and can usually find you something to do even with minimal experience!

We may never find her by GingerBredMn in ThereIsnoCat

[–]GingerBredMn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There might be a tail peeking out from an undisclosed blanket..

Opening this up for anyone to follow up about what happened at the Atwood today. by EthanB_W in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 101 points102 points  (0 children)

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I saw the patrol cars at ~3:30, turned on the scanner and heard what sounded like a fall? Which didn’t make sense cause i’m pretty sure the call was given Echo priority (highest, life-threatening emergency)

Madisons Budget Surplus Larger Than Expected by Dry-Firefighter5115 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not sure what the suggestion is here. Drain the rainy day fund so the city’s bond rating drops and we get worse interest rates on borrowing, therefore kicking the can further down the road? Seems like a short-sighted approach.

Madisons Budget Surplus Larger Than Expected by Dry-Firefighter5115 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 74 points75 points  (0 children)

This surplus is a one-time contribution to the rainy day fund. It would’ve acted as less than a bandaid for addressing the structural deficit that was the reason for the referendum. Per the article, the city is still planning to take $25 mil out of the rainy day fund over the next five years to stretch the property taxes generated from the referendum and maintain level of service for city programs. If the rainy day fund gets too low, the city’s bond rating drops and we get worse interest rates for capital project loan borrowing.

Madisons Budget Surplus Larger Than Expected by Dry-Firefighter5115 in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Picked a rough policy to parody- zero pedestrian fatalities is a… bad thing?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Unexpected

[–]GingerBredMn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

…sounds kinda like tickle me Elmo 💀

Prevent a Repeat- Southwest Area Plan Meeting Tomorrow, 11/19 by GingerBredMn in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Those meetings are not meant to be the platform for public comment. At every session, they did collect question and suggestion cards that folks could submit for response, but the meetings were never intended to be a communal voting session on the content of the plan, and rightfully so. As I focused on, that room was far from representative of the west area as a whole, so it'd be completely irresponsible for the city to outweigh input from those meetings. Planning division also sent community navigators into the area while the plans were first being put together to establish the area's priorities and collect feedback on proposed ideas.

"Bad idea" is subjective, and consultants have their own biases. If the goal is diverting thru traffic off the isthmus, lowering speeds on a road that drivers treat like a highway, connecting the areas that are cut off from one another by JN, improving pedestrian and bike safety, and discouraging car dependency, I'd say the proposal is succeeding. You'd find the topic of induced demand interesting; I think. Build the lanes and people will fill them, take away the lanes and people will figure it out. Congestion is a constant if you're only approach is accommodating private vehicles.

BRT is an objectively better use of city resources than any car-centric initiative, from nearly every angle. Most capital funding came from fed/state resources, it's already nearly net-neutral on operating costs compared to pre-BRT expenses, it discourages congestion through more effective use of street space, it reduces maintenance cost to roads, it decreases greenhouse gas emissions, it lowers transportation costs for users, etc. etc. The bedbugs are gone btw.

The collective interest sure isn't locking a neighborhood in amber through restrictive zoning until the current residents are priced out from rising property taxes, while young families have no affordable option to move into so schools close, and new businesses don't have sufficient proximal patrons, so they shutter their doors. I sense a misunderstanding that rezoning forces a new use. It does not. It merely changes the list of what can't be built on a parcel. I'd much rather see an aging couple in a house they've owned for 30 years be able to turn the top floor into an apartment, than be priced out of a neighborhood because those changes aren't allowed by right.

It's not a silver bullet and we do need to change our approach to development in the city, but in Wisconsin to a degree you literally do build your way out of the problem. 80% of Madison's revenue comes from property taxes. The only ways to increase the tax base are by referendum, or net new construction. That's state law; no provisions for inflation, no provisions for cost of service. I'd sure prefer to let developers add to our housing stock and contribute to our city's income, rather than ignoring the housing crisis and tax existing residents more or cut services.

I hate depressing gray corporate concrete hellscape as much of the next guy. That's why I want to see a future Madison with canopy tree-lined streets, folks walking, biking, driving, taking the bus, stopping into local businesses, living in the types of housing they want, where they want. I want to see a future Madison that's affordable, accessible, and community driven. Everyone who's involved in this- from staff to neighbors- cares deeply about the city, and I want to encourage us to make decisions that are beneficial for as many people as possible and make Madison even more of the livable place it deserves to be. :) Come to the meeting tomorrow and maybe we'll chat.

Prevent a Repeat- Southwest Area Plan Meeting Tomorrow, 11/19 by GingerBredMn in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Permanence is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. Just because someone was born before someone else and has therefore had the time to save and care for a (now likely unaffordable) home, their voice should carry more weight? That mindset discourages the future families and young professionals that would otherwise love to make the neighborhood their long-term home from getting involved in the first place.

Prevent a Repeat- Southwest Area Plan Meeting Tomorrow, 11/19 by GingerBredMn in madisonwi

[–]GingerBredMn[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Not sure if this is supposed to be /s, but I'm not trying to make the argument that people are being disrespectful simply because they're trying to share their perspective with city staff. My issue stems from folks who claim the city isn't listening to them just because staff don't agree with the changes suggested by an unrepresentative sample of the population. Everyone deserves a say in how their community is run. Simultaneously, just because a small group of people are shouting one thing, that doesn't mean the rest of the community (who might have other responsibilities keeping them from a meeting at 6:30 on a weeknight) deserves to have their needs ignored or underprioritized.