The State Street Design Project committee consulted with city traffic engineers to start plans for Gilman Street reconstruction in a meeting Thursday night.
By 2009, the section of Gilman between University Avenue and State Street could become a two-way street with improvements made to sidewalks, lighting and landscaping if the committee proceeds with plans approved in 2002.
The committee's goal is a pedestrian-friendly street that attracts retail development and improves access to lower State Street.
My vision of the street is, for this block, it would be better than State Street,"" said Mike Rewey, design committee member.
Committee members decided in 2002 to convert the street to a two-way, but at the meeting Thursday traffic engineers raised concerns about adding another direction to the street.
Two-way traffic would cause congestion on University and impede traffic flow to Frances Street by adding a fifth street to the intersection, said some members. Assistant city traffic engineer Dan McCormick suggested the street stay as it is to allow more space for wider sidewalks.
""It's not recommended to have a sort of another fifth leg here for the intersection ... it can be done, it's more of a choice for the town council. There would be traffic impacts on Gorham as well as on Frances Street,"" McCormick said.
Other members argued a two-way would allow access for more service-related vehicles on Frances and Gorham and reroute bus traffic off State Street.
""The whole idea here was that we wanted to improve the access to State Street, the Kohl center and those activities,"" committee chair Ted Crabb said.
Traffic engineers will provide final plans to the committee for the reconstruction once a meeting with community members occurs. The committee also advanced plans to add art or a fountain to the Frances Plaza between State Street Brats and University Avenue. Over 40 artists from across the country submitted designs for the Madison Arts Commission to review.
As part of the design project, workers will break ground on the 500-600 blocks of State Street on March 31 to add new sidewalks, lights and bicycle racks. The project will be completed by Sept. 12, with additions of trees and benches to come after Halloween.
