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Residents press for more counts after Rosalon Avenue study finds 85th‑percentile at 31–32 mph
Summary
A city speed study found the 85th‑percentile speed on Rosalon Avenue at about 31–32 mph; residents urged additional counts in summer and the committee asked staff to update the city's traffic management plan to formalize steps from education to enforcement to engineering.
A traffic study presented to Monona’s Public Works Committee found that 85% of drivers on Rosalon Avenue travel at or below 31 mph northbound and 32 mph southbound, meaning roughly 15% of vehicles exceeded those speeds during the Feb. 26–Mar. 9 monitoring period.
Staff said the study recorded occasional very high maximum speeds from larger vehicles at consistent times of day and emphasized the difference between a recurring speeding problem and intermittent 'speeder' outliers. "85% of that traffic is traveling at or below 31 miles an hour or 32 miles an hour," staff said when summarizing the findings.
Residents who attended the meeting said they have witnessed dangerous driving and asked the city to run additional counts in peak season (requested August counts) to compare summer traffic with the late‑winter sampling. One resident described a close call while walking near the street and urged more action.
Options and process Committee members and staff reviewed the typical three‑E sequence — education, enforcement, engineering — and noted each has limits. Staff said enforcement depends on available police staffing and that lowering a posted speed limit is a council decision. Engineering options discussed included speed humps, chicanes (horizontal deflection to force slower speeds), narrower lanes, and targeted resurfacing; each requires engineering study and budget allocation.
Policy next steps Staff told the committee they will update a previously approved traffic management program and present a condensed version to the committee in the next month or two so the city has a clear process for handling increasing speed complaints. The committee supported scheduling additional traffic counts and said a formal study would be needed if the committee later recommends capital funding for physical traffic calming measures.
Sources: Staff presentation and committee discussion on the Rosalon Avenue speed study (study period Feb. 26–Mar. 9).
