20mph is plenty fast for our neighborhood streets!

posted April 26, 2021 - 6:35pm

Dear Council Members,

As you may know, Traffic Engineering is proposing a new program called Twenty is Plenty, to reduce the default speed limit of our residential streets from 25 mph to 20 mph. Research has shown that speed plays a critical role of the outcome of a crash when it occurs. Lowering the speed limit can save lives and is a key component of the City’s Vision Zero Initiative. Citywide implementation requires significant amount of preparation work, including budgeting, logistics, public engagement and legislative processes. However, to benefit from it sooner and to get some experience before the citywide rollout, we are proposing to implement the change in a couple of neighborhoods this year as phase 1 of the program.

Staff presented the proposal to the Transportation Policy and Planning Board and Board of Public Works for inputs, and received overwhelming support from the committees. We are planning to bring this year’s phase 1 program to Transportation Commission on April 28 for review and approval. We will also ask Transportation Commission to help staff narrow down this year’s candidates to two neighborhoods at the April 28 meeting if they support the program, or at its May 12 meeting if the Commission chooses to do so.

Here is the agenda for the April 28 Transportation Commission meeting, and I will share the staff presentation with you tomorrow once it is available.

https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=817214&GUID=42D48099-6E6E…

Thank you for the support and we will keep you informed on this. We also look forward to working with you on the citywide program later this year.

Best,

Yang

Yang Tao, Ph.D., P.E.

Pronouns: he, him, his

City Traffic Engineer, City of Madison

215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Suite 109

P.O. Box 2986

Madison, WI 53701-2986

Office: 608.266-4761

Direct: 608.266.4815