Madison staff launch citywide curb‑management initiative; $500,000 federal grant to fund consultant work

MADISON, Wis. — City transportation staff on July 23 told the Transportation Commission they have started a curb‑management project to better regulate and prioritize uses at the curb — from deliveries and on‑street parking to bus stops and ride‑hail pickup zones — and said they won a $500,000 federal Carbon Reduction Planning grant to help fund consultant work.

“Curb management is policies, systems, services, and strategies that support, regulate, and prioritize activities at the curb,” Transportation Demand Management Coordinator Trent Schultz told the commission, using the Complete Green Streets definition for the project’s scope. He said staff reviewed best practices from cities including Bellevue, San Francisco and Seattle and past Madison studies such as MOPES (2019) and the 2016 transportation plan.

Why it matters: As Madison grows, curb space faces competing demands: deliveries, long‑term parking, short‑term customer parking, bus and BRT stops, bike parking, ride‑hail, and placemaking activities such as parklets and the State Street pedestrian mall. Staff said unregulated curb use can reduce turnover that businesses need and can conflict with recent investments in bike and transit infrastructure.

What staff are proposing: Schultz described a two‑stage approach: 1) finish a curb‑management framework this fall and 2) hire a consultant with the Carbon Reduction Planning grant to develop a detailed curb‑management action plan and pilots. The city advisory team that informed the work includes staff from multiple departments; planners said the framework will identify ordinance changes, operational changes, and small experiments (e.g., curb extensions, bus bulbs, updated loading‑zone signage) to test on a block‑by‑block basis.

Data and downtown snapshot: Staff said an early curb inventory of downtown (Park Street to Blair Street) showed roughly half the downtown curb functions are mobility lanes and the other half are split among on‑street vehicle storage, access for people (transit stops, accessibility zones), public space and loading. Half of the non‑mobility curb area included residential permit (RP3) zones; about 10% of downtown curb supply is unmetered. Staff said those patterns provide a starting point to consider dynamic pricing, clearer signage, and reassigning underused curb space.

Stakeholder concerns and scope: Commissioners and attendees raised questions about how ride‑hail/ride‑share, taxi stands and accessible parking will be handled, and staff said those uses are central to the framework. Ranger examples cited included designated ride‑share pick‑up/drop‑off zones (State Street, King Street, entertainment districts) to reduce double‑parking and curbside conflicts. Staff also noted that loading zones used purely by trucks should be preserved for heavy freight and that signage is outdated and needs updating.

Pilot projects and equity: Staff said pilots and spot treatments — including extending bike/ped facilities, bus bulbs, and targeted curb changes around schools or event venues — will be part of the early action plan. The team plans substantial community engagement once a consultant is in place, and staff said they will coordinate with disability advocates, businesses, neighborhood groups and event organizers during the design of experiments.

Next steps: City staff expect a draft curb‑management framework in the fall, issue an RFP for consultant support under the Carbon Reduction grant, and develop an action plan including pilot projects and recommended ordinance updates. Longer‑term implementation and any changes to on‑street parking or permit rules would proceed only after public engagement and commission review.

Ending: Commission members welcomed the initiative and emphasized outreach to disability advocates, businesses and schools. Staff said no regulatory changes are proposed yet; the presentation launched a process that will return to the commission with more detailed recommendations and pilots.