Click Here for Free Adobe Acrobat Reader

The Madison Police Department along with other Dane County law enforcement agencies and in conjunction with the Safe Community Coalition Of Madison and Dane County are stepping efforts regarding pedestrian safety through education and enforcement efforts. 

The “Flags Over Dane County” project is designed to help raise the awareness and safety of pedestrians by educating the pedestrian about safe crossing of streets and educating motorists regarding laws of yielding and stopping for pedestrians legally crossing the street.

Pedestrian flag locations are throughout the County and City of Madison.  Please keep in mind that the pedestrian flags are just educational tools.  As a motorist, it is your responsibility to yield and stop for pedestrians legally crossing the street, with or without a flag.

For more information about the “Flags Over Dane County”, contact the Safe Community Coalition of Madison and Dane County at. 608-256-6713 or http://www.safecommunitycoalition.org

The following intersections currently have flags available for pedestrians:

• Atwood Avenue at Ohio Avenue

• 500 Caromar Drive

• W. Doty Street at S. Carroll Street

• Monroe Street at Chapman Street/Arbor Drive

• Monroe Street at Garfield Street

• Monroe Street at Harrison Street

• Monroe Street at Knickerbocker Street

• Monroe Street at Pickford Street

• Monroe Street at Sprague Street

• 500 S. Owen Drive

• Sherman Avenue at Marston Avenue/E. Johnson

• University Avenue at Prospect Avenue or Princeton Avenue

• Walter Street at Richard Street

• Regent Street at Brooks Street  

New Locations - October 2003

• University and Allen
• University and Chamberlain
• Mineral Point and Westmorland
• Nakoma and Cherokee
• Nakoma and Seminole Highway
• Drake and Orchard
• Atwood and Oakridge
• Milwaukee and Marquette
• W. Mifflin and Fairchild
• W. Washington and Fairchild
• Williamson and Few
• Williamson and Dickenson
• E. Doty and Pinckney

Pedestrian Safety - Everyone's Responsibility

The Madison Police Department is currently undertaking a pedestrian safety enforcement campaign.  We need your cooperation and commitment to make this effort successful.  Whenever you are driving, and especially whenever you are driving a city vehicle, please set the example for others in the community to follow by yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks. 

The City’s effort is targeting both driver and pedestrian errors, and both will be issued warnings and tickets by Madison Police Officers.  We are appealing to you as drivers of highly visible city vehicles (Police squad cars, Metro buses, Public Works vehicles, motor pool cars, etc.).  We know that your example will help.  A common complaint we receive from pedestrians is “Why can’t we at least get city employees driving city vehicles to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks?”

Here’s what you can do to help:

1)     Remember that a crosswalk, by definition, is simply the extension of a sidewalk across a street at an intersection, whether or not the crosswalk is marked with painted lines.

2)     When a pedestrian is crossing a street at a marked or unmarked crosswalk, and there is no traffic signal:

• As a driver, you must yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian.

• It does not matter if there is a stop sign at the intersection, or if there is no stop sign, you must yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian.

• When turning, you must yield to both pedestrians crossing the street you are on and those crossing the street you are turning onto.

3)     “Yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian” means slowing down, or stopping if necessary, to avoid endangering, colliding with or interfering in any way with pedestrian travel.

4)     When turning on a green signal, or making a right turn on red after stopping, you must first yield the right-of -way to pedestrians in the crosswalk you are turning across.

5)     Whenever a vehicle is stopped at an intersection to let a pedestrian cross the street, you must also stop when approaching from the rear of the stopped vehicle.

6)     Blind pedestrian law:  You must stop no closer than 10 feet from a person carrying a white cane or walking with a guide dog, no matter where the pedestrian is crossing the street, and take such actions to avoid accident or injury to the pedestrian.

7)     When approaching a school crossing where there is an adult school crossing guard, you must follow the directions of the guard.  If directed to stop, you must remain stopped until the school crossing guard indicates to you that it is safe to go.

8)     When approaching a stopped school bus with its flashing red warning lights on and stop sign extended, you must stop at least 20 feet from the bus, both from the rear or the front, and remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the bus driver turns off the flashing red warning lights and retracts the stop sign.

9)     Obey all speed limits, including 20 mph in school zones when children are present. 

Thank you for helping to make Madison a safer place to walk.