Madison Reporter

The City of Madison has decided to lower the speed limit on residential streets to 20 miles per hour. This decision follows the Common Council's approval after the successful implementation of the "20 is Plenty" program in two trial neighborhoods. With this change, Madison aligns itself with other cities such as Minneapolis, New York City, Portland, and Seattle that have already reduced speed limits on local streets.

"The research is clear: Lower the speed limit is safer for residents and makes our neighborhoods more livable. 20 miles per hour is plenty on our local streets," stated Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. She emphasized that this measure supports the Vision Zero initiative and has widespread community support.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows pedestrian fatalities in the United States increased by 84 percent from 2009 to 2022. The "20 is Plenty" program aims to help Madison counteract this trend by reducing speed limits and promoting safer neighborhood environments.

The first phase of the program began in 2021, targeting the Tenney-Lapham and Theresa-Hammersley neighborhoods based on factors like speeding complaints, land use, and crash rates. The upcoming second phase will commence this winter with updated signage installations across various neighborhoods, expected to conclude by early 2025. Approximately 2,000 speed limit signs will be installed or modified during this phase.

Additionally, Madison residents can obtain free "20 is Plenty" yard signs available in multiple languages by contacting traffic@cityofmadison.com.