Crossing at Few Street should boost City’s plans for park

The $14 million Central Park will feature trails, structures and amenities designed with Madison’s cultural, natural, and industrial traditions in mind. It will now also include a Bike-Ped rail crossing at Few Street (Right).

While at least one street crossing over the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad tracks through the near-east rail corridor is likely to be closed; another is opening. The City of Madison has successfully petitioned the Wisconsin Railroad Commission to open a pedestrian and bike crossing at Few Street.

State Railroad Commissioner Jeff Plale ruled in favor of the City’s request which would increase access to the still slow moving Central Park which is still in it’s early stages. The project had been stalled, in-part, due to the access issue. Plale ruled the crossing should be allowed, but that the city must install and maintain lights at the crossing and fencing to prevent crossings other than at Few Street which currently dead-ends at Main Street.

While the ruling is a great boost for the prospects of the park, Plale also said he would like to see more progress on the park before the crossing is allowed to be installed. You can read more about the decision in The Capital Times.