Let's Talk Streets

Let's Talk about it... Logo image

Let’s talk…about what our streets should look like

Madison is working on several projects this year related to how our streets work. These projects will impact the way the City makes decisions about streets in the future: how they are designed, who they serve, how they are used, and how to make them safer. We want these future decisions to be rooted in shared community values.

Let’s talk…about values and find what brings us together.

These conversations will shape several initiatives, including:

  • Complete Green Streets
  • Vision Zero
  • Traffic Calming & Pedestrian/Bicycle Enhancements
  • And other ongoing decisions about street design and traffic operations

Let’s talk…about the history of street design

Watch the video below to learn about how values and priorities related to streets changed over time. Learn about how a century of conventional approaches across America have prioritized white-collar commuting—a practice that is inequitable and has made walking, biking, and using transit more challenging. As Madison grows and moves toward a more equitable future, we want to reexamine who is being served and how well. We want streets for everyone.

Let's Talk Streets Overview Video (English) 

Resumen de Let's Talk Streets (en Español)

News & Updates

Current/Upcoming Events:

more events coming soon!

About the Project

The City of Madison is currently working on multiple interrelated initiatives in 2021 related to street design and operation. Each of these studies will influence Madison’s streets in the years and decades to come. With significant growth and development, rising concerns about safety, and increased awareness of disparities, we need public input to help us define our community’s transportation values and priorities, in order to ensure that these studies reflect those values.

Complete Green Streets

Streets in Madison move people, but are also our largest public spaces. Neighbors, business owners, bicyclists, transit users, and the health of our streams and lakes all have a stake in how that public space is allocated. Should valuable street space go towards parking or bike lanes? Bus lanes or street trees? Rain gardens or sidewalks with café dining? The answer likely varies in different situations, but how do we make those decisions? The Complete Green Streets project will develop a decision process and tools to help consistently achieve community goals and streamline the decision-making process.

Learn more about Complete Green Streets

Vision Zero

Madison has set a goal of achieving zero traffic deaths by 2030 under the Vision Zero campaign. Vision Zero is an approach—successfully implemented in multiple European countries—that reduces and ultimately eliminates traffic deaths through proven safety strategies. Under Madison’s Vision Zero plan, the City is looking at the street segments with the most severe and fatal crashes. The City will invest in re-engineering those segments to slow vehicle speeds and making intersections safer for people walking, biking and driving. The strategies and actions in the Vision Zero campaign will include ways to eliminate disproportionate impacts of unsafe streets on low income people and people of color.

Learn more about Vision Zero

Safe Streets Madison

The Safe Streets Madison program works to improve traffic safety and ensure that Madison streets are accessible for everyone. Streets should be safe for people who walk, take transit, bike and drive. 

Learn more about Safe Streets Madison

Traffic Calming and Pedestrian / Bicycle Enhancements

The City’s Transportation Policy and Planning Board and Transportation Commission is looking at combining several funding programs that aim to reduce traffic speeds (think: speed humps and traffic circles) and improve safety and convenience for people walking and biking (think: improved crosswalks with rapid flashing lights, adding green markings and driver speed feedback boards). The current programs are being reviewed to improve equitable project distribution, and to ensure that projects align with the most pressing safety needs.

Learn more about Traffic Calming

Learn more about Pedestrian & Bicycle Enhancements

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