John Nolen plans call for more green space, slimmer lanes 

Madison’s Transportation Commission will consider reconstruction plans today for John Nolen Drive that would narrow lanes and create more green space between drivers and the pedestrian and bike path, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. 

John Nolen Drive sees around 48,000 vehicles and 4,000 bicycles per day. The new measures — which follow last August’s speed reduction on the causeway to 35 miles per hour — are intended to transform it from a highway-like to an urban road, calming traffic and balancing vehicle needs with the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. 

The causeway replacement is set to cost $30 million in total; the pavement and six bridges between North Shore Drive and East Lakeside Street will be replaced. The project could begin as early as 2025. 

The final design will incorporate feedback from the Transportation Commission, the Board of Public Works, and the City Council and then go out to bid likely in fall 2024.