Madison Complete Green Streets Guide

Madison, WI

Project Summary

With significant growth and development, concerns about safety and sustainability, and increased awareness of disparities, the City of Madison needed to move away from the traditional street design process of simply moving traffic. Toole Design was brought in to develop tools to help the City weigh tradeoffs, make more consistent decisions when allocating space, and streamline the design and engagement process.

The Complete Green Streets Guide provides definitions for the right-of-way in three zones: the travelway, the walkway, and the flex zone. The Plan also includes a street typology with 11 street classifications and six overlays that prioritize different modes and stationary uses. Using these guidelines, the City will be able to make design decisions to create a connected network that is safe, high-quality, accessible, and reliable for all transportation modes and people of all ages and abilities.

In 2023, the Guide won a 2023 Planning Excellence – Best Practice Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Expertise Applied

Modal hierarchy for the City of Madison that translates street values into design decisions
Six overlays that reflect key multimodal network needs and priorities
The Plan identifies 11 street types that describe the spectrum of current and future streets in Madison, according to land use contexts.
Each of the 11 street types is accompanied by a graphic representation of the ideal design. This includes a description of the appropriate context, priorities for different zones within the street, and a description of how each overlay influences or changes the design priorities. For example, this mixed-used connector graphic highlights prioritizing the walkway over other zones.

 

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