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Traffic Enforcement, Yard and Brush Pick-Up, and More Updates

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Hi Everyone,

Earlier today I received an email from Lt Scott Reitmeier, South Police District Patrol Lieutenant, detailing the traffic project that South District implemented from late February to mid March. 

I'm sharing much of it here:

Data

The detail ran two days a week – with an AM group and a PM group (7am-11am and 3pm-7pm respectively).

The detail focused on speeding violations, other hazardous moving violations, and pedestrian safety.  Areas of focus were S Park St (1800-2200 blocks) and Fish Hatchery Road (Wingra to the Beltline).

Officers on the detail conducted a total of 270 stops, with an average of 20.7 stops per operation.  It should be noted that there was a significant weather event of snow/blowing during one of the days, which limited speeding due to road conditions.  During that day, the AM crew assisted 19 drivers with snow-related and road condition issues.  That shift was removed from my data analysis as an outlier.

A total of 234 citations were issued, 203 of which were for speeding violations.  There were regular observed/cited violations of 20-25 MPH over the posted speed limit.

A total of 58 warnings were issued, which ranged from registration and insurance issues to equipment violations.

There was one driver that fled (officers did not pursue) and that driver was apprehended later in the shift and physically arrested.  There was one OMVWI arrest on the AM shift, and one arrest for possession of illegal drugs on the AM shift. 

The highest measured speed was 62 MPH in a 25 MPH zone, although several other speeds were close to that.

Community Response

The reaction from residents, business owners, and other stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive.  Officers regularly had individuals walk up to them, or honk/wave/thumbs up while on these operations.  In one recent operation, the mother of the recently killed high school student approached the officers to thank them and telling them that their actions showed “that they care" about this issue.

Based on the numbers for the project, Chief Patterson authorized an extension of another 3 weeks of shifts.  Those will run through mid-April.

I very much appreciate hearing from Lt Reitmeir about the results of this enforcement effort. However, it's terribly disconcerting that in the aftermath of Sasha Rosen's tragic death, some still insist on exceeding the 25 MPH speed limit on South Park by 20 MPH or more!?!

Once again, I encourage all of us to drive the speed limit.  There's no place we're going that requires risking the lives of others.

Here are this week's updates:

Updates and Notices 

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings 

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page. 

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here. 

Public Information Meetings (PIMs) 

  • MPD Presentation: Demonstrations and assemblies, Tuesday, March 24: The Madison Police Department is hosting a presentation on a person's rights during assemblies and demonstrations. Part of these presentations will cover the ever-evolving Madison Method, which is our department's nationally recognized philosophy for policing large events, crowds and protests. 
  • Resurfacing Program 2026, Wednesday, March 25: The Annual Street Resurfacing Program is designed to improve the quality of your street and delay the need for total reconstruction. The City Engineering Division rates streets and curb & gutter every two years. A public information meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., March 25, 2026, via Zoom. Registration is required.  

Announcements and News Releases 

  • Madison Community Transportation Academy, register by March 24: If you have ever wondered WHY our transportation system works the way it does or thought, there must be a better way, we encourage you to sign up for the Madison Community Transportation Academy. This free 10-week course is offered by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin to help bridge the gap between community members and decision-makers in transportation planning and provides participants with skills and knowledge to advocate for safe and accessible transportation solutions that work for everyone. 
  • Register Now for the Spring Roll Challenge: The Round Trip Spring Roll Challenge takes place every April in honor of Earth Month. This fun, free initiative encourages people who live and work in Dane County to swap solo drives for biking, riding the bus, walking, rolling, and carpooling more often—and celebrates those already choosing sustainable transportation year-round 
  • Madison Madness Returns for Downtown Area Plan: The City of Madison Planning Division is bringing "Madison Madness" back as part of its efforts to collect community priorities and feedback for the Downtown Area Plan. [posted March 19, 2026] 
  • Secure Drop Boxes Are Now Open: Madison's secure ballot drop boxes are now open for the April 7 election. [posted March 17, 2026] 
  • Temporary Street Closure on Westbound North Shore Drive: Starting Monday, March 23, westbound North Shore Drive will close between John Nolen Drive and Bedford Street for reconstruction work as part of the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project. During this closure, no turns will be permitted from John… [posted March 17, 2026] 
  • A New Version of LINKcat Will Go Live on April 17: LINKcat will be offline April 12-16 as new features are added and others are changed during a software migration. The new version of LINKcat will go live on Friday, April 17. [posted March 17, 2026] 
  • MPD to host free spring break book fair for families on Monday, March 23: Madison, Wis. — The Madison Police Department's Community Outreach and Resource Education (CORE) team is inviting families and community members to attend a free book fair during spring break. The event is open to people of all ages and is designed… [posted March 16, 2026] 

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted. 

Events 

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar. 

That's all for now.

Take care and stay safe,

Tag

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Portrait of Alder Tag Evers

Alder Tag Evers

District 13
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