Madison Reporter

The State Street Pedestrian Mall project in 2024 garnered popularity and increased activity during the summer months, as detailed in a report adopted by the Common Council on March 25, 2025. The first year of this experiment has prompted City staff to consider a longer-term program while maintaining or reintroducing some elements from last year's initiative.

The report utilized anonymized mobile device location data from Placer.ai, provided by Madison's Central Business Improvement District (BID). It revealed that the area between the 400-600 blocks of State Street experienced higher levels of activity in the summer of 2024 compared to the previous year. Overall, there was a 57% increase in activity when compared to 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the summer months, BID organized nearly 40 events, which were promoted on its website and accessible via QR codes placed on new benches and planters installed for the experiment.

Although activity decreased in fall 2024 compared to fall 2023, this may have been influenced by factors such as fewer Wisconsin Badgers football home games during September and October. In these months of 2025, four games were played at Camp Randall Stadium compared to five games in the previous year. Nonetheless, there was a 17% increase in visitors to that section of State Street in September and October 2024 compared to 2022.