Study Location

 East Memorial Drive, from Parker Drive to Milton Avenue.

Study Description

The City of Janesville has conducted comprehensive citywide crash analyses that identified various intersections and corridors where safety concerns exist. These reports include the 2018 Safety Screening Analysis and the 2022 Road Safety Plan. The E. Memorial Drive corridor, between the N. Parker Drive ramps and Milton Avenue, is listed as a potential candidate for a 4-lane to 3-lane conversion (Safety Conversion) in both the 2022 Road Safety Plan and the Janesville Area MPO Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). For that reason, the City hired MSA Professional Services to complete a corridor study of E. Memorial Drive to evaluate safety and traffic operations between the existing 4-lane cross section and a potential 3-lane cross section.

The goals of the study were to develop recommendations and improvements to reduce crashes, improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and maintain efficient traffic operations along the corridor. Community engagement was critical in the development and direction of the corridor study. The safety improvements that were considered include: 

1. Pedestrian crossing improvement alternatives, and
2. Implementing a Safety Conversion on E Memorial Dr between Parker Dr and Milton Ave, by reducing the cross section from a 4-lane to a 3-lane cross section consisting of two through lanes and a center Two-Way Left Turn Lane (TWLTL)

The E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study has been finalized and the recommendation is to implement a conversion from a 4-lane cross section to a 3-lane cross section consisting of 2 travel lanes, a two way left turn lane (TWLTL), and a paved shoulder (hereinafter referred to as a Safety Conversion) for the following reasons:

• A safety conversion is likely to reduce crashes and reduce speeds along the corridor,
• Intersection sight distance will be improved with the addition of a paved shoulder,
• Pedestrian safety will be improved for crossing E. Memorial Drive,
• The 4-ft paved shoulder has the potential to serve bike traffic, and 
• The traffic modeling results conclude that a 3-lane cross section will operate within acceptable industry benchmarks during peak hours in the projected design year of 2043.

Public comment and feedback were collected during and following the Community Engagement Forum regarding the possible Safety Conversion improvements. Both positive and negative feedback was received. The primary comments focused on the need to remediate existing speeds and on concerns regarding traffic delays and queueing due to the proposed reduction in travel lanes on E. Memorial Drive.

Historically, the City has had success with implementing 4-lane to 3-lane conversions with the most recent example being E. Racine Street, between Forest Park Boulevard and Randall Avenue, which was implemented in 2021. Follow up studies of that corridor confirmed a 50% reduction in crashes over the last 2 years and confirmed that the operations and delays were consistent with what the traffic modeling predicted. In some cases, operations actually improved with the Safety Conversion compared with the previous 4-lane cross section. The positive result of the E. Racine Street Safety Conversion project builds confidence in the successful implementation of a Safety Conversion on the E. Memorial Drive corridor.

The condition of E Memorial Drive warrants a street rehabilitation project. Engineering staff is recommending the submittal of a Municipal Street Improvement Supplemental (MSIS) grant application through WisDOT, to seek additional funding for a rehabilitation project. The MSIS grant offers a 50% match for eligible construction costs. The grant is competitive and the selection is based on four criteria including safety, rehabilitation type, high traffic volumes, and comprehensive planning. Safety is listed as the top priority for selection. The E. Memorial Drive corridor between Harding Street and Milton Avenue is a strong candidate for the competitive MSIS funding due to the condition of the pavement, being a designated truck route and a high traffic volume corridor, and having opportunities to improve safety as documented by the E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study.

The MSIS grant application will be based on implementing the recommended   Safety Conversion alternative, Alternative 3, from the E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study. Additional parameters will be evaluated as part of the design process including how the Safety Conversion will tie into the N Parker Drive ramps, the length needed for the eastbound dual left-turn lanes at Milton Ave, and the lane configuration at the Harding Street intersection.

Study Documents and Information

2023 E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study:  October 2023

• E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study Reports & Exhibits
• E. Memorial Drive Corridor Study Appendices

2023 Community Engagement Forum Materials:  May 10, 2023

• Project Handout
• Powerpoint Presentation
• Proposed Safety Improvement Corridor Alternatives
• Corridor Crashes
• Corridor Maximum Queuing
• Corridor Volumes & Operations

2022 Comprehensive Citywide Traffic Study

• Road Safety Plan, Submitted February 18, 2022

Schedule

• Previous Comprehensive Studies: 2018-2022
• Begin Corridor Study: Spring 2023
• Community Engagement Forum #1: May 2023
• Finalize Corridor Traffic Study: October 2023
• City Council to Consider Authorizing the MSIS Grant Submittal:  November 13, 2023
• Grant Submittal Deadline to WisDOT:  January 2024
• Proposed E. Memorial Drive Reconstruction:  2027

Contact Information

Karissa Chapman Greer
Project Engineer
Phone: (608) 755-3163
E-mail: chapmank@janesvillewi.gov