How Madison Addresses Speeding and Pedestrian and Biker Dangers

Why discuss Madison’s response to vehicle speeding concerns?

• I have been receiving a definite increase in emails and phone calls from District 19 residents concerned about speeding vehicles and vehicles ignoring traffic controls. Other alders have shared that they are also seeing increased resident speeding concerns. Madisonians wonder if there has been a shift in human behavior with aggressive and distracted driving becoming more acceptable and safety of our families and neighbors less important.
• Madison has two primary ways to respond to aggressive driving posing risks for pedestrians and bikers: (1) police response, and (2) traffic engineering tools from traffic signaling to street redesign under our “Vision Zero” and “Safe Streets Madison” plans.
• Allow me to inject a little reality to note that the number of reported problems exceeds our resources, whether available police patrol service hours or funds for engineering solutions. Some of our engineering solutions have been funded by federal grants, and we are now in a period of uncertainty about the future availability of such funds.
• I’ve been speaking with our district police captains and our traffic engineering department on ways that residents can ask for help and suggest solutions. They have provided the information that follows.

Police Speed Enforcement

• For immediate responses to critical risks, residents can call Madison’s Speeders Hotline at 608-266-4822.
• To report general concerns, residents can call 608-266-4622 or use Madison’s “Report Traffic Enforcement Concerns” on the city’s website at Traffic Enforcement - Report A Problem - City of Madison, Wisconsin. This is also a good place to request a digital speed board.
• Police coverage of District 19 is split between the Mid-Town District (everything between Gammon Rd and Whitney Way, and north of the Beltline), and West District (West of Gammon and south of the Beltline). You can contact your police district directly.
  • Mid-Town District: Call Captain Shannon Blackmore at 608-229-8201 or email SBlackamore@cityofmadison.com).
  • West District: Call or email Captain Tim Patton (608-243-0503, tpatton@cityofmadison.com) or Lieutenant Alex Berkovitz (608-243-0505, aberkovitz@cityofmadison.com ).

Engineering Solutions – Safe Streets Madison

• Traffic Safety Enhancements
  • Speed humps
  • Traffic circles at intersections
  • Speed limit reviews
  • Traffic signal upgrades, such as reflective backplates for better visibility and pedestrian countdown timers
• Bike Network Projects
  • Adding and improving bike lanes (protected or buffered lanes)
  • Green bike markings for visibility
  • Connecting bike paths
  • Wayfinding signs for cyclists
• Pedestrian Connectivity Improvements
  • Sidewalk connections
  • Pedestrian-activated flashers (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons)
  • Crosswalk markings and curb bump-outs to shorten crossing distances
  • Additional crosswalks for safer pedestrian routes
• Program Funding & Impact
  • For 2025, the city has allocated $1,152,200 for Safe Streets Madison. Since its launch in 2021, over 100 projects have been completed, with another 71 approved and in the delivery pipeline. There are currently more than 600 project requests still in the queue.
• Projects are prioritized using a scoring system that evaluates the severity of the issue, the effectiveness of the solution, cost, and equity. Approved projects are presented to the Transportation Commission at least once per year. Safe Streets Madison project ranking considers:
  • Projects located on the High Injury Network and overall number of fatal & injury crashes.
  • Gaps in the walking & bicycling network. A gap can include a difficult crossing.
  • Impact of solution on safety and/or closing a gap in the network.
  • Cost vs impact consideration – projects are typically small to medium size improvements.
  • Speeding by itself is not a factor in project selection – a change in 2022.
• How to Request a Safety Improvement Project and View Project Lists
  • If you have a traffic safety concern or project idea, I encourage you to reach out! You can:
    Email: safestreets@cityofmadison.com
    Visit the Safe Streets Madison website (https://www.cityofmadison.com/traffic-engineering/traffic-safety/safe-streets-madison) to get updates, sign up for email notifications, and track project lists and schedules.
• Additional Traffic Safety Tools
  • Traffic Engineering also has limited number of mobile speed board trailers—those electronic signs that display driver speeds. These boards are placed for two weeks at a time and rotated throughout the city. If you’d like to request one for a specific street, email safestreets@cityofmadison.com. You can also check with your Police District, as the District also has limited number of mobile speed board trailers available.
  • For smaller-scale traffic issues, such as:
    Street sign or pavement marking concerns → Email signingandmarking@cityofmadison.com
    Traffic signal or street lighting issues → Email signalsandlighting@cityofmadison.com
• All other traffic issues → Email traffic@cityofmadison.com
• Keep Involved
  • You can simply contact your alder, who will forward your request to Traffic Engineering.
  • Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about speeding concerns. Please stay engaged in making our community safer and more accessible for everyone. Let’s work together to keep improving our streets!