2024 Vision Zero Safe Streets and Speed Management Projects

Since 2020, Vision Zero Madison has implemented safety improvement and speed management projects every year to enhance safe travel on City streets. These projects focus on incorporating Proven Safety Countermeasures into our roadway infrastructure, such as high visibility crosswalks, green bike markings, rapid flashing beacon lights, and increased signal visibility, as well as lowering speed limits across the City in high injury zones.

“Traveling on our streets should be safe for everyone – regardless of their age, ability or travel mode”, said Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “Vision Zero strives to improve our streets and prevent serious and fatal crashes. While each of these projects may be small, they add up to a big impact, and a safer city.”

Vision Zero infrastructure improvements happen along with larger reconstruction projects, as well as through smaller improvements at critical locations as a part of the Safe Streets Madison Program.  Every infrastructure project in the City provides an opportunity to be proactive in building safer streets.

Some examples of Vision Zero safety improvements under construction or already completed include:

Segoe Rd and Sheboygan Ave Project (Under Construction)

• Fully protected bike facility (Segoe Rd) and buffered bike lanes (Sheboygan Ave)
• Bump-outs throughout the corridor (Segoe Rd) to shorten crossings and slow traffic
• Improved street lighting
• High visibility crosswalk markings and green bike markings

Atwood Avenue Project (Complete)

• Off Street two-way pedestrian bicycle path along Atwood Ave
• Enhanced crossings
  • High visibility crosswalks
  • Green bike path crossing
  • Raised crossings
  • Midblock crossing at high use location
• Improved lighting
• Improved intersections with safety measures for pedestrian bicycle crossing

Wilson Street project (Partially Complete)

• New protected bike facility
• High visibility crosswalk markings
• Improved street lighting

2024 Safe Streets Projects

This year’s Safe Streets projects include many school safety, traffic calming, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), traffic signal safety, and other pedestrian bicycle improvements.

School safety projects include:

• Sandburg Elementary: Donald Dr -- new midblock crosswalk
• East High School: N Fourth St -- speed humps
• Kennedy Elementary: Meadowlark Dr -- speed humps
• Southside Elementary: Moorland Rd -- median island
• Mendota Elementary: School Rd -- speed humps
• Henderson Elementary: Tompkins Dr -- speed humps
• Leopold Elementary: Traceway Dr -- speed humps

Traffic calming projects include:

• Drake St -- an island and RRFB at Orchard St pedestrian crossing
• Drake St -- two speed humps at the Zoo area, just west of Randall Ave
• Great Gray Dr -- a series of pedestrian islands at Owl Creek Park
• Milky Way -- four total speed humps along roadway
• Moorland Rd at Dunwoody Dr -- pedestrian island and RRFB at school crosswalk
• Muir Field Rd at Cimarron Trl -- two traffic calming islands
• Odana Rd -- six additional center concrete islands between Grand Canyon Dr and S Whitney Way
• Traceway Dr -- four total speed humps near Aldo Leopold Park
• Jackson Quarry Ln -- one speed hump

Rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) include:

• Cottage Grove Rd at Maher Ave -- completed in May 2024
• Regent St at Brooks St -- completed in May 2024
• Sprecher Rd at Dominion Dr -- design complete; to be installed this summer
• S Whitney Way at S Hill Dr -- design complete; to be installed this summer
• Northport Dr at Goodland Dr -- design complete; to be installed this summer
• Atwood Ave at Miller Ave/Waubesa St -- design complete; to be installed this summer
• E Washington Ave at Schmedeman Ave (Kwik Trip, Gooh Grocery Store) -- design in process; to be installed this summer/fall
• Seminole Hwy at Manitou Way -- installation this summer with City Engineering Bikeways Path project
• E Doty St at S Pinckney St -- installation with City Engineering resurfacing project this fall
• Portage Rd at Tomscot Trl -- design in process; to be installed this summer/fall
• E Washington Ave at Kedzie St -- design complete; to be installed after Bus Rapid Transit work done in area
• Odana Rd at Parman Terr/Gately Terr -- RRFB setup with temporary curbs this summer; permanent curb changes and sidewalk later

Traffic signal safety improvements include:

• Pedestrian countdown signals at Fish Hatchery Rd - S Park St - Parr St
• Protected left turns at N Frances St - University Ave
• Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at Cedar St - S Park St
• Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at Northport Dr - Dryden Dr

Additional pedestrian bicycle improvement projects include:

• Tennyson Ln crosswalks
• Green bike lanes at W Dayton St and N Randall Ave
• Green bike lanes at various multi-use path crossings
• Driver Feedback Board at 7900 block of Raymond Rd

2024 Speed Management Projects

Starting in June, the City will be continuing efforts to set safe speed limits with speed management projects on the following streets:

• Zeier Rd: E Washington Ave to Lien Rd (35 mph to 30 mph)
• Thierer Rd: E Washington Ave to Lien Rd (35 mph to 30 mph)
• Lien Rd: E Washington Ave to N Thompson Dr (35 mph to 30 mph)
• Sycamore Ave: Walsh Rd to N Thompson Dr (35 mph to 30 mph)
• Pflaum Rd/Agriculture Dr: S Stoughton Rd to Femrite Dr (35 mph to 30 mph)
• Campus Dr: (40 mph to 35 mph)
• Regent St: Midvale Blvd to Whitney Way (30 mph to 25 mph)
• Sheboygan Ave: Segoe Rd to Whitney Way, with reconstruction (30 mph to 25 mph)
• S High Point Rd: Mineral Point Rd to Mid Town Rd (35 mph to 30 mph)

Data shows that Madison’s speed limit reductions are making a difference. 31 out of 38 locations studied had seen a decrease in the number of vehicles traveling 10+ mph over the speed limit. Even 5 mph can drastically change the likelihood of a serious injury or fatality crash, especially when the crash involves a pedestrian or bicyclist. The recently updated national standards support Madison’s new practice on setting safe speed limits in urban areas.

“We want to thank our residents and City officials for the support and collaboration in making our streets safer,” said Yang Tao, Director of the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division. “To achieve safer streets, Madison needs to continue to improve walking, biking and accessibility to other transportation alternatives throughout the community. Everyone deserves to have safe streets to get to work, to school and to play and enjoy our city.”