Belt Tightening
US 12/18 (Madison Beltline), Whitney Way to I-39/90 - Dane County (Wisconsin Department of Transportation) A counter-intuitive way to reduce congestion is to go on a road diet or, in this case, belt tightening. On July 24, 2019 Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials held a well-publicized public involvement meeting about a plan called “ US 12/18 Madison Beltline Improvement Alternatives ” dealing with a ten mile stretch between Whitney Way and I- 39/90 (see graphic). The stretch is in need of repairs, a perfect time to consider modifications and “upgrades” to the current arrangement. The two alternatives presented were: 1) Resurfacing the median area with drainage improvements and replacing deteriorated sections of the existing barrier wall; or 2) Performing #1 with slight modification to enable the use of the inner median as an additional traffic lane during peak commute times, a practice referred to as "dynamic part-time shoulder use" (DPTSU).