Thoughts on Rhythm and Booms Moving Downtown (Madison, Monona: neighborhood, bus)

[Folks3000]

Thought it might be an interesting thread to discuss Rhythm and Booms. Personally I'm glad it is coming Downtown, I think it will be a boon for downtown businesses to have 300,000 people coming in, many of them eating dinners, going to bars after, etc. This is my favorite Madison event, far larger than any other in Wisconsin (well this year was a little smaller because it was scaled down).

[Chelito23]

Downtown seems like the place it always should have been, I'm not sure why Warner Park was ever chosen. I am excited and think it will make the city more urban and exciting to have this huge event in the center of the city.

[ranger17]

I was up in Madison a couple weeks ago and knew R&B was changed this year but didnt know it was moving. Where are they planning on holding that many people downtown? There's been good crowds on the square for Taste and the art fairs, plus back in the day Halloween on State st could bring in 6 figures worth of attendees, but i must be missing something as in my mind it seems to be a congestion issue in the works. And of course i could be wrong lol

[r_k]

They plan to set off the fireworks from a barge in Lake Monona, off the convention center presumably. Traffic congestion will be pretty bad, I am sure, due to the nature of the isthmus. I assume most people will not actually be downtown, but opt to watch from other places along the lake, like Olin Park, Olbrich Park, even Monona.

[7G9C4J2]

On the upside, though, the city bus routes are all pretty much designed to funnel through downtown, so it may not be quite such a huge undertaking to get everyone in and back out again as it was up in Warner Park. More city parking ramps downtown as well, though you won't catch me driving anywhere near downtown on the day of the event.

[Folks3000]

Originally Posted by r_k

They plan to set off the fireworks from a barge in Lake Monona, off the convention center presumably. Traffic congestion will be pretty bad, I am sure, due to the nature of the isthmus. I assume most people will not actually be downtown, but opt to watch from other places along the lake, like Olin Park, Olbrich Park, even Monona.

Yea I'd assume that it would be a TON less congestion than they had at Warner. At Warner you had Sherman Avenue and (113?) to get people out of the area, basically no parking at all (not enough for 300,000 people anyways). Every major throughfare in the city goes down the isthmus, and it is practically right off the beltline. If there is ANY area that can handle the congestion, it would be Downtown. Plus it can be a huge boon for the city, people coming in can probably have dinner downtown, visit bar after the show, etc. By Warner there weren't very many businesses that could benefit from the show, so it would more of a burden on the neighborhood than a benefit. It could bring a lot of money into Madison and local businesses. The fact that there would be a lot to do for visitors before and after may also help to distribute the traffic flow over time, so it wouldn't be as crazy as a "get in-get out" rush that it is at Warner. Dinner beforehand, bars and clubs after, etc. (Though Warner used to be more of an all day event, making the get in a little bit more bearable). Add to what was already said about ramps Downtown, Alliant Energy Center parking, many different viewing locations all over the city (Olbrich, Olin, Law, John Nolen Drive, Alliant Energy Center Area (I think), Monona Bay). All can help to spread the congestion out geographically and over time. Sure, it is far larger than a day at Summerfest or a Packer/Badger/Brewer game, but I think Downtown Madison can handle it. All the bus lines converge there too, and the fact that it is back on the weekend will mean commuting traffic will be at a minimum. I had always wished Madison would fully embrace this event, many communities would kill for an event that could draw this many people in!

There are some concerns about Lake Monona, but really it has to go somewhere, and lots of cities shoot it off over water, so I can't imagine it being anything terrible. (Though people will still complain, but they'd complain no matter what and no matter where it is). That is my 2 cents haha.

[Megan1967]

I think that has to be one of the worst ideas I have heard in a long time. It will be a nightmare to get in and out of the area.

[Folks3000]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

I think that has to be one of the worst ideas I have heard in a long time. It will be a nightmare to get in and out of the area.

Worse than Warner? There was like one 4 lane road to get out.

[liquidsmoke]

It kind of makes sense although yeah the traffic will be completely nuts.

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

I think that has to be one of the worst ideas I have heard in a long time. It will be a nightmare to get in and out of the area.

i'd actually agree on this one. If they fire them off on Monona but hold "events" at various parks in the area to split up the crowds then it may not be too bad. But if the idea is to congregate that large of a crowd downtown, ouch. Even with bus service and the couple roads in and out of the capital area, where do you put that many people? Warner was nuts afterwards (like a Packer game or nascar race is any different), but it was a large park with decent areas for people to sit/watch.

I'm sure many of us have had the 'joy' of getting around downtown when there's been tens of thousands during one of the annual festivals, but hundreds of thousands? Well even if we were still back there, that's not something i'd go anywhere near. Sorry, just my .02