The city of Madison will lower speed limits on large swathes of East Washington Avenue beginning next week.
Between the Capitol Square and Baldwin Street, the limit will be lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph. Between Baldwin and Marquette Street permitted speeds will reduce from 35 mph to 30 mph.
A increase in dangerous driving since the beginning of the year necessitated the change, according to the city. Between 2014 and 2019 crashes on East Washington Avenue have killed two people and injured 41 others.
The changes go into effect next week, according to a press release from the city's Department of Transportation.
"We must commit to reducing speed limits in our streets, it is the right thing to do to protect everyone whether they are walking, biking, or driving," said Tom Lynch, the city's director of Transportation in a written statement. "Lowering the speed limit by even 5 MPH significantly increases the chances of a person walking or biking surviving a crash and will reduce the severity of crashes involving people driving."
Madison plans to update traffic signal timing, improve crosswalk visibility from the square to Baldwin Street and install bollards in the median at East Washington Avenue and Livingston Street.
The city also announced several other streets that would see speed limit reductions later in the year:
- Gammon Road from Watts Road to Colony will change from 30 mph to 25 mph
- Milwaukee Street from Stoughton Road to Thompson Drive will change from 35 mph to 25 mph
- Prairie Road from Raymond Road to Maple Grove Rd from 30 mph to 25 mph
- McKenna Boulevard from Raymond Road to Watts Road will change from 35 mph to 30 mph
- Post Road from Fish Hatchery Road to Irvington Way from 30 mph to 25 mph
All of the changes come as part of Madison's Vision Zero campaign which is aiming to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2030.
To read more go to WKOW: https://wkow.com/2020/09/25/madison-lowering-speed-limits-on-east-washington-avenue/