This is a guest post by Dan Pensinger. Dan attended last week’s public input meeting on potential changes to the Howard Temin Lakeshore Path on the UW campus. Our regular newsletter is taking a break this week.
Edit (Nov 13): The post was edited to clarify the scope of the study. The study only looked at the path between Willow Creek and the Limnology building. We also added links to the video of the meeting and the full slide deck on the project page: https://cpd.fpm.wisc.edu/howard-temin-lakeshore-path-paving-and-lighting-study/
The Lakeshore Path is a major connecting route between the Memorial Union, lakeshore dorms, Picnic Point, Eagle Heights, and the UW Hospital. Last week, the UW held a meeting about a study looking at the section of the path between Willow Creek on the west and the Limnology Building on the east (see image below). The path sees a lot of traffic from walkers, runners, and cyclists. The area under study is currently surfaced with crushed limestone, which gets muddy and washes out with rain, and is icy and hazardous during the winter. The part of the path along Muir Woods is tree covered on both sides, making it pitch black at night. This makes many path users afraid to use it after dark, and increases the risk of collision between pedestrians and cyclists. These difficulties with using the path sometimes force cyclists onto narrow Observatory Drive where they have to contend with traffic passing on a very steep hill, or to busy University Ave, which is much more hazardous when traveling westbound.
The University commissioned landscaping group Damon Farber to study the issue and make recommendations. The results of their online surveys indicate that about a third of interested parties want no changes to the path’s current state. The other two thirds are not necessarily opposed to paving and lighting options, if these options are cognizant of environmental and wildlife concerns along the lake. Damon Farber split the path into a west section by the dorms and an east section by Muir Woods for separate consideration. After the presentation by Damon Farber staff there was a small group breakout session for attendees to provide feedback.
Paving the path
Damon Farber presented two paving options for the western section. Both options included asphalt for cyclists and a more shock absorbing shoulder material for runners. The main difference between these options was the shoulder material being made from a porous rubber or something less water permeable but still considered environmentally friendly. There were questions about how winter salting would be handled with different surfaces and proximity to the lake. Professional ecologists were present to give informed discussion, and some criticism on the current salting procedure used by the University. I would say that overall attendees to the meeting were supportive of paving options, with several cyclists present giving similar input. There were a couple of folks who objected to making any changes to the path.
The east section options presented included a permeable asphalt or a raised boardwalk. Other attendees and I raised A LOT of concerns about the boardwalk option. Wooden boardwalks can be extremely slippery for bikes when wet. It was also not clear how the boardwalk would interact with the university’s snow removal equipment, and if the boardwalk might encounter the bridge effect where airflow underneath leads to icing. There are potential ADA issues with some boardwalk surfaces, and the boardwalk may obstruct emergency vehicles. The raised nature of the boardwalk also increases the stakes for path conflicts between walkers, runners, and bikers. Furthermore, students returning home to the lakeshore dorms are sometimes inebriated and would be more likely to hurt themselves falling off the boardwalk. Hopefully Damon Farber takes this feedback into account in their recommendation to the University.
Lighting
On the subject of lighting, in general those who opposed it tended to be those who also opposed paving. The rest of the attendees supported lighting with some caveats. Damon Farber prepared their proposals according to recommended best practices for reducing light pollution and minimizing wildlife impact. This means avoiding lighting containing blue light on the eastern section through the woods, as many studies have indicated blue light is harmful for both wildlife and humans at night. Other color options suggested by Damon Farber were red and amber. Red is considered wildlife-friendly, but studies have shown that it is not favored highly by people compared to amber, which is also considered wildlife friendly, and Damon Farber included more example materials of amber lighting. Lighting on the western section of the path by the dorms could be either white or colored, but for colored lighting to have the desired impact, current exterior lights on the dorms would also need to be changed from bright white.
The other lighting discussion points were about the design/height of light fixtures and whether a curfew for the lights should be implemented. I strongly opposed a light curfew as light helps avoid collisions and the path usage would be increased at night if it was well lit. From personal experience, I know students study late at College Library, which is the 24-hour library on campus and located directly on the path. Students then take the path back to the dorms at all hours of the night, but often report feeling unsafe doing so without lighting.
Conclusion and what’s next
The Howard Temin Lakeshore Path is a scenic area and one of the most utilized multi-use paths in Madison. The path extends 2 miles through campus with a single street crossing, making it exceptionally safe from a traffic standpoint. Both paving and lighting will make the path more usable during all weather conditions, and at all times of the day. Hopefully, the University moves forward with these options in an environmentally conscientious way. Damon Farber plans to have a few more student-focused feedback opportunities next week, and to present their final recommendations to the University near the end of the year. If you want to watch a video recording of the meeting or see the full slide deck, you can do so on the project page. Any member of the public can email the Damon Farber team at jrefsland@damonfarber.com