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City staff outline curb‑management program; $500,000 WisDOT grant to fund consultant and action plan
Summary
Madison staff briefed the Transportation Commission on a proposed curb‑management framework on July 23, describing downtown curb uses, preliminary data and a plan to hire a consultant with a $500,000 carbon‑reduction planning grant to develop an action plan and pilot experiments.
Madison — City transportation staff on July 23 presented an overview of a proposed curb‑management program intended to coordinate parking, loading, ride‑hail, transit stops, bike parking and pedestrian space at the curb.
Trent Schultz, the city’s transportation demand management coordinator, told the Transportation Commission the effort will develop a curb‑management framework, hire consultant support using a $500,000 WisDOT carbon reduction planning grant, produce an action plan and run pilot experiments and spot treatments through 2027.
Why it matters: As Madison grows, curb space must serve more functions than traditional vehicle storage. Staff said better curb management can improve transit and bike access, reduce double parking and blocked bike/transit lanes, increase parking turnover for local businesses and provide clearer pick‑up/drop‑off areas for ride‑hail and accessibility needs.
What staff presented Schultz described a downtown curb inventory and initial analysis: roughly half of downtown curb functions support mobility (through travel lanes, curbside travelways); the remaining 50% serve non‑mobility functions (vehicle storage, loading, transit stops, terraces). Of the non‑mobility curb supply, staff said about half is residential permit (RP3) parking and roughly 10% of downtown curb parking supply is unmetered. Staff identified opportunities to reassign curb space based on land use and turnover needs.
Staff showed examples of curb treatments used elsewhere — bus bulbs, curb extensions, timed loading zones, designated ride‑hail zones and dynamic meter pricing — and said a curb‑management office or coordinator could streamline coordination across departments (parking, traffic engineering, planning, events).
Planned process and next steps - Draft a curb‑management framework for internal review and public input (staff aim to return with a draft in the fall). - Issue an RFP for consultant support using the $500,000 WisDOT carbon reduction planning grant to prepare a curb‑management action plan. - Implement pilot experiments, policy changes (including ordinance updates) and technology pilots; staff anticipate experiments and policy actions through 2027.
Topics raised in discussion Commissioners and alders asked about: outreach to businesses, school engagement, how curb management would address ride‑hail/taxi and accessibility, residential parking permit limits and car‑share accommodation, and enforcement of delivery vehicles blocking bike lanes. Staff said they will use the citizen advisory committee, technical advisory committee, local officials committee and direct business meetings for outreach, and said signage and ordinance updates will be evaluated.
Notable details - Grant funding: $500,000 WisDOT carbon reduction planning grant to support consultant work on a curb‑management action plan. - Advisory group: a city internal advisory group of subject matter experts has been convened to guide initial work. - No decisions yet: staff emphasized the work is at an early stage and the framework will guide more targeted pilots and ordinance changes after public engagement.
Ending Commissioners welcomed the proposal and emphasized engagement with business owners, disability advocates and neighborhood stakeholders before the city advances specific changes.
