Designing Safer Streets: 2026 Vision Zero and Speed Management Projects
Vision Zero Madison has been a safety initiative in Madison since 2020 and has implemented hundreds of safety improvements projects in those 6 years since the start. These projects focus on Proven Safety Countermeasures like high visibility crosswalks, green bike markings, rapid flashing beacon lights, and increased signal visibility, as well as setting more context-sensitive speed limits across the city in high injury zones. The team has also been building as many safety improvements as possible in larger infrastructure projects. All these help the City work towards our goal of zero deaths.
“Since 2020, Vision Zero efforts have completed over 160 Safe Streets projects, transformed many major roadways in the City such as Atwood Ave and Segoe Rd, implemented safer and more context-sensitive speed limits on over 50 miles of arterial streets, achieved a city-wide 20 is Plenty program, and have added over 50 miles of protected bike infrastructure" says Yang Tao, Director of the Mobility & Infrastructure Division.
Some examples of Vision Zero safety improvements under construction or already completed include:
Pflaum Road Reconstruction
Started Summer of 2026 and will continue in 2027, Pflaum Road will be a full reconstruct with considerable safety improvement measures. The project includes removing and replacing the existing asphalt pavement and road base and adding a new 10-foot-wide grade-separated shared-use path along the north side of the road. This path will extend the entire length of the project and connect with the existing path along Monona Drive.
Other safety improvements include:
- Off-street shared use path on north side of Pflaum Road
- Updated pedestrian ramps and curbs
- Narrowed Roadway
- High Visibility crosswalks
- High Visibility bike crossings
- Updated street lighting to LED
- Updated school driver feedback boards
- New Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at intersections with:
- Alder Road
- Groveland Terrace
- Camden Road
Cannonball Path Phase 6
This phase of the project is a shared-use (bicycle and pedestrian) path that extends the existing Cannonball Path at Fish Hatchery Road to the Wingra Creek Path.
Improvements include:
- Off-street shared-use path on west-side of Fish Hatchery Road filling gap in bike network
- Updated high-visibility crossings throughout project
- At some driveways crossing path and at Carver Street and Fish Hatchery Road intersection
- New signal at Carver Street and Fish Hatchery Road
- Bicycle signal and diagonal crossing phase
This is the final piece of the overall four-mile Cannonball Path linking areas of Fitchburg and Arbor Hills neighborhood with downtown Madison. The Cannonball Path connects neighborhoods with parks, schools, major conservancy areas as well as retail, commercial and employment centers. It also connects to the Capital City Trail, Southwest Path, Military Ridge Trail and Badger State Trail, making it a key component of the regional network of paths for recreation as well as transportation.
2026 Safe Streets Madison Projects Highlights
25 projects have been approved by the Transportation Commission for 2026 with another round of approvals planned for mid-November.
These projects include:
- Bike lanes and new high visibility pavement markings
- Signal Phasing Improvements
- Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon installments
- Curb bump-outs at intersections
- Traffic islands
- Speed humps
Speed Management
This fall, the City has continued efforts to set safe speed limits with speed limit reductions on the following streets:
Speedway Road
- Mineral Point Road to Regent Street 30-25 mph
Fish Hatchery Road
- S Park Street to Wingra Drive 30-25 mph
- Wingra Drive to Beltline 30-25 mph (awaiting county approval)
Odana Road
- Monroe Street to Segoe Road 30-25 mph
Fordem Avenue
- E Johnson Street to Sherman Avenue 30-25 mph
N Sherman Avenue
- Sherman Avenue to Wheeler Road 30-25 mph (awaiting Maple Bluff approval)
Mckee Road
- Dorchester Way to S High Point 40-35 mph (awaiting county approval)
Packers Avenue
- N 6th Street to Elka Lane 35-30 mph
- Elka Lane to just north of Tennyson Lane 35-30 mph (awaiting county approval)