Madison's Everyday Engineering

The City of Madison is the second largest city in Wisconsin, and if it seems like we’re growing, it’s because we are. Building, developing you name it—it’s happening right here in Madison—but why? and how? City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Planning Division Director Heather Stouder and City of Madison Engineering Division Deputy City Engineer for Public Works and Development Chris Petykowski to talk about how the City is growing, how a city grows and how that impacts the future of development and growth in the City of Madison. There are other things that matter too, like HOW we grow and how fast a city develops. We cover it all in this episode of Everyday Engineering.

The City of Madison’s first purpose-built shelter-- what does that mean? More importantly, what does that mean for the City of Madison, Wis., community? Those are two questions we answer in this podcast episode as City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Community Development Division’s Linette Rhodes and Engineering Division Project Manager and Engineer Jon Evans. Definitions, site selection, a deeper understanding of the Trauma-informed report guiding decisions for future use and so much more, it’s all covered in this episode of Everyday Engineering.

Located in the Southwest part of the City of Madison, Wis., two phases, added bike lane, and an impact to Whitney Way, just a few things Hammersley Road construction will be disrupting and impacting this construction season. In this episode, City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Engineer Aaron Canton talk about how this project will impact residents and what residents can expect for disruptions.

Three years in the making, a project that is proof community feedback is heard and used to make changes for a better street for our community. Davies Street and Dempsey Road has a few-year history so far, longer than a typical road reconstruction project, but it's time to start bringing the design to life with construction. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Engineer Aaron Canton talk about how this project will impact residents and what residents can expect for disruptions.

The City of Madison Engineering Division is doing Watershed Studies—where the division’s engineers comb through the City of Madison, looking at where the stormwater infrastructure system can be improved to prevent or minimize flooding, and then present results of the studies to the public.

There has been a need for even more clarity, so in this episode, the City takes some time to dig into the results that we are presenting, and what they actually mean for planning—potential construction and really how they’ll be used moving forward toward finding long-term solutions to flooding in the City of Madison.

City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Principal Engineer of the Stormwater Section Janet Schmidt and Stormwater Engineer Jojo O’Brien.

No matter what time of year, it’s always a good time to recycle. However, what if you don’t know where to start? You’re in luck, the City of Madison has a Recyclopedia, put together and updated each year to serve the needs of the community to support recycling habits and needs. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Streets Division Public Information Officer Bryan Johnson to talk about how the Recyclopedia came to be and how to use it, including some of the most helpful chapters to apply to everyday recycling.

The intense pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic forced municipalities to find solutions for homelessness in the community—and the City of Madison was no exception. In just the last two years: the City of Madison Engineering Division led five huge projects to help people struggling with homelessness. It’s an incredible amount of work to address an issue in our community that really cuts to the core of people’s livelihood. All of this work changed based on resources changing during the pandemic. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Facilities Services Coordinator Stephen King and Facilities Management Engineer Jon Evans to talk about how the move came to be and how it fits into the bigger picture of helping the community address homelessness.

After over a decade of process, the Madison Public Market is officially happening. It’s really happening. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts two key people in the Public Market Process: Engineering Division Facilities Management Project Manager Brent Pauba and Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development, Economic Development Division Director Matt Mikolajewski to talk about what it means to make it over the final financial hurdles of approval to make the Public Market come to life in the community.

Two major reconstruction projects are underway in 2023 in the City of Madison: Pleasant View Road and Atwood Avenue. Pleasant View Road is on the City's west side, and Atwood Avenue is on the City's east side. Both projects impact our community in multiple ways. Atwood is known for its vibrant connection to the east side of the City, and known for being bike-friendly and a path that plays host to a true "Madison" experience. The experience will look different with construction underway-- in hopes of a better and safer experience when finished. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Principal Engineer Andy Zwieg to talk about how these two projects will impact the communities, and what goes into projects that inevitably disrupt the community short-term for better paths in the long term.

A snowy mess moves into our area, and we look directly to our City of Madison snow professionals--- why? Because the snowy system impacts everything we have planned that day, our family’s plan, our work plan, children’s plans, school and any other extra activities. Snow removal is so important, and that process includes brine! However, brine can’t be used every snow system. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Streets Division Assistant Superintendent Roger Kleist and City of Madison Engineering Division Water Resource Engineer Phil Gaebler to talk about when the right time is to brine.