Policy Brief Addressing Bicycle Safety

Problem

Madison, WI ranks first out of large Midwestern cities and seventh in the nation for the highest percentage of bicycle commuters. Bicycling levels also continue to grow in Madison, as represented by an increase in work trip commuting and bicycle traffic counts. Bicyclist involved crashes occur most frequently in urban areas as opposed to rural areas, and this is true for Dane County as well, with the majority of crashes occurring in the City of Madison. Hazard areas and safety features must be studied for the safety of Madison's growing bicyclist population.

Research

First, bicycle hazard areas in Madison were identified using City of Madison open data and analyzed using Tableau. The locations of bike boxes and bike signals were then also identified and analyzed using City of Madison open data and Tableau. Through this research, an area of particular interest in and around the Isthmus arose. The majority of bike boxes and signals are located in this area; however, there is not a concentration of bike hazards in this area where there is a concentration of safety features.

Solution

The City of Madison Transportation Commission should examine the Isthmus area to determine if previously cited hazard areas have become less hazardous or eliminated since the implementation of safety features and if there is a correlation with their implementation. The safety features in and around the Isthmus, as well as those throughout the city, should also be studied to determine if they have been effective in reducing the number of bicycle crashes since their implementation. If so, currently cited bike hazard locations should be analyzed and considered for the implementation of bike boxes or bike signals. Currently, the information and data on bike hazards and safety features is limited and requires further examination in order to keep bicyclists safe in Madison.

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