By Katie Nash
Northside resident
Woodward Drive is a wide road — but not always a safe one for the people who actually use it. While much of its width serves as parking for trucks and SUVs towing boats, the road runs alongside some of the Northside’s most active public spaces. Families walk and bike to Warner Beach, runners and dog walkers share the corridor, and kids play in nearby green spaces. Yet Woodward Drive is built almost exclusively for driving and parking, not for the many people moving through it without a car.
That imbalance puts people at risk, and it doesn’t reflect how this space is used or its potential for improvement. There is an opportunity to change this. In 2028, construction is scheduled to begin on a bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure project along Woodward Drive, funded through the Transportation Alternatives Program via the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The project would add a separated shared-use path between Marcy Drive and Forster Drive to the north and connect south to the existing path along Sheridan Drive. This would close a critical gap, linking Warner Park to neighborhoods, schools, jobs, and businesses to the north.
But funding alone does not guarantee the final product. These projects continue to move forward with consistent support from the community. Northside residents can contact their alders now and make it clear: this shared-use path is essential, and the community expects it to happen.
Just beyond Madison’s city limits, another major road construction project is approaching. In 2026, the Town of Westport plans to widen Westport Road, including the bridge over the Yahara River. The current plan includes the expansion of the shoulders to five feet of asphalt and a two-foot concrete flat ribbon curve, which will provide a full seven-foot lane. There will be bike lanes in both directions. This is a huge win for Northside and Town of Westport residents – as this corridor will transform into a safe route for biking and walking between Troy/Green Drive, County Highway M, and the North Mendota Bike Trail. While this project is not directly part of the City of Madison, all who travel on Westport Road after the expansion will feel its impact directly, and hopefully feel safer on foot, on bicycle, or in vehicles. A big thank you to the Town of Westport officials and transportation engineers for making much needed changes to Westport Road that will help improve bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure on the Northside.
Transportation infrastructure shapes communities for decades. The choices being made today will determine whether the Northside remains fragmented by car-centric corridors or becomes safer, healthier, and more connected for people of all ages and abilities. Woodward Drive and Westport Road are opportunities. Let’s not miss them. Speak up, reach out, and advocate for streets that truly serve the Northside!
To learn more, visit cityofmadison.com/finance/documents/budget/2025/capital/CapRequest2025-EngBicyclePedestrian.pdf
and experience.arcgis.com/experience/47e3248872e14df595616a5156006161#data_s=id%3AdataSource_2-TIP_6194-4%3A362.
