Department of Transportation

The Madison TDM Program intends to do the following:

• Reduce vehicle miles traveled, which decreases carbon emissions.
• Support equitable transportation options.
• Decrease congestion, travel delay and noise.
• Support Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and infill projects.
• Address traffic-related safety impacts.  
• Proactively minimize or avoid potential neighborhood-level negative traffic impacts. 
• Provide a predictable process for developers as we partner with them in the development process to reduce auto trips and incentivize alternate modes.

Did you know?

TDM requirements have existed in Madison for over a decade. The city requires TDM measures such as bike parking and direct pedestrian access of all new developments and requires more extensive measures in some cases. Under the city's current land use ordinances, TDM measures are sometimes required for conditional uses, planned developments, big box stores, and “employment campus” and “mixed use center” districts. Current TDM requirements in the city help limit the traffic impacts from development, but some mitigation of those impacts might still be required. City staff and partners are considering reforms to standardize this process and implement more consistent requirements through a city-wide TDM program.

Why a city-wide TDM program is important for Madison

Figure 2 Means of transportation to work in Madison

Roughly two-thirds of Madison's work-related commute trips were in the form of drive-alone trips (American Community Survey, 2019). The city-wide program can help preserve road capacity and limit negative impacts of system-wide traffic (measured as vehicle miles traveled or “VMT”), generated by new development. The TDM program will also proactively address localized issues of public health and safety, livability and multi-modal access by improving sustainable transportation options (such as biking and transit), as well as incorporating infrastructure and services within development proposals.

Benefits of the New TDM Program:

For Residents:

• Residents will have greater choices on how they travel to stores and jobs as pedestrian, biking, and transit options are enhanced.
• Reduced traffic impacts and congestion from new development as more trips are shifted away from the automobile.
• More livable streets, including the health and safety benefits of more active transportation with less congestion.
• Fewer traffic emissions and greenhouse gases.

For Developers:

• Consistency – TDM requirements are uniform across Madison for all developments with targets based on project size and parking capacity.
• Choice – Developers can select from a menu of TDM options, such as wayfinding signs and bike sharing, to develop the plan that is appropriate for the development.
• Clarity – The program provides straightforward requirements.
• Credit – The program gives credit for meeting existing city requirements such as bicycle parking and pedestrian access.

National best practices

Throughout the U.S., more communities are adopting TDM programs and ordinances—choosing to address transportation needs and traffic impacts by managing travel demand instead of continuously adding road capacity. City staff and partners have considered best practices from around the country to design a fair, consistent and effective TDM program for Madison. Some of those communities, which informed the program development process in Madison, are shown in the map below. By implementing the proposed TDM program, Madison will join the ranks of these other leading cities and in many ways advance the state of practices in TDM even further, subsequently making progress toward its long-term goals related to sustainability and multimodal access.

Figure 3 Existing TDM programs/ordinances reviewed

Additional Information