A New Long-Range Transportation Plan for Madison, WI

In one of their first actions of the year, Madison's Public Works Board recommended the adoption of a 30-year plan called 'Madison in Motion.' According to reporting from Lisa Speckhard in The Capital Times, "The plan outlines the strategies for all modes of transportation that will be necessary to accommodate the 100,000 new residents, 70,000 new jobs and increased numbers of commuters that the next 40 years are expected to bring."

In particular the plan offered suggestions to bolster the city’s biking and walking infrastructure. "Because some people might not be comfortable biking on a congested roadway like East Washington, the plan would create more alternatives such as off-street paths or curb-protected bike lanes like those on University Avenue at the UW-Madison campus," Speckhard writes. Among suggestions for walking infrastructure, "The plan recommends that new subdivisions install sidewalks on both sides of the street, as well as improving intersections through measures like raised crosswalks and flashing pedestrian crossing signals," Speckhard says.