The City Transit and Parking Commission approved recommendations for a mid-State Street parking ramp Tuesday.

Construction of an additional downtown parking ramp has been debated for more than a decade.

The first construction attempt was in 1995, when a proposal was made for a ramp located on the corner of Broom and Gorham Streets. The project was denied approval by the City Council and has not been brought to light until now.

Committee members decided to form a subcommittee to assist in creation of the new parking ramp, which would be located behind Pizzeria Uno’s, 222 W. Gorham St., in the Buckeye Parking lot.

“It was necessary to form a small committee to deal with the size of the ramp, traffic-related issues, housing issues above the ramp, and the demolition of houses located on Gilman Street,” said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. “It creates a special city committee that would do nothing but make recommendations on the parking garage.”

The project was proposed to increase the amount of parking in Madison and to help control traffic in the downtown area.

However, it was initially denied approval due to public concern over the ramp’s construction. The plan includes the possibility of destroying three homes, currently rented by students, located on Gilman Street behind the site. Critics also suggest additional traffic problems may occur from cars attempting to enter or exit the ramp.

While the proposal for recommendations has been passed, there is nothing permanently decided.
The subcommittee, headed by Verveer, will work along with the City Council, which will take up the issue at its May 7 meeting.
“People in neighborhoods are concerned about what’s going on in their neighborhoods; it’s very important that this was created,” said Robin Williams, the city’s parking manager.