TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT.
Madison General Ordinances § 16.03
in effect16.03 - TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT.
(1) Purpose. The Madison Common Council finds that ongoing development increases demands on Madison's transportation infrastructure, causes travel delays for Madison residents and visitors, and threatens the local environment through increased carbon emissions. Moreover, Madison's isthmus geography and other factors make expanding Madison's existing transportation infrastructure for additional vehicle traffic either impossible or impractical. The purpose of this ordinance is to create a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program, to be adopted and administered by the Department of Transportation and approved by the Transportation Commission, which implements Comprehensive Plan policies calling for reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT); reduction of single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips; equitable access to multi-modal transportation options such as rideshare, public transit, bicycling, and walking; reduction of travel delays and air emissions; and increased support for transportation oriented land-use development (TOD).
(2) There is created in the City of Madison a Transportation Demand Management Program which will be administered by the Department of Transportation in a manner consistent with this ordinance. The Council hereby adopts the Transportation Demand Management Program recommended by the Transportation Commission on November 30, 2022 as the initial Transportation Demand Management Program. The Department of Transportation may, from time to time, amend the TDM Program requirements, so long as the amendments are consistent with this ordinance and state law, and are approved by the Transportation Commission. (Am. by ORD-23-00085, 10-2-23)
(3) Applicability. This section applies to the following buildings, uses, additions, or site alterations constructed or established after the effective date of this ordinance: Any use not specified in the TDM Ordinance shall be subject to meeting TDM Ordinance requirements based on the most substantially similar use listed herein, as determined by city staff, if the unspecified use is an allowable use in the Zoning Code and not explicitly exempted within the TDM Ordinance. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(a) Residential buildings, uses, or additions including proposed residential developments with 10 or more dwelling units, residential components of mixed-use projects, Multi-family dwellings; Adult family homes; Community living arrangements; Cohousing communities; Housing cooperatives; Lodging houses, fraternities, or sororities; Dormitories; Assisted living, congregate care, and skilled nursing facilities as defined in Sec. 28.211, MGO.
1. The "parking ratio" for residential buildings, uses or additions is calculated as the ratio of parking stalls to dwelling units.
(b) Employment buildings, uses, or additions, including employment uses with over 10,000 square feet of floor area, offices, service centers, storage and distribution centers, industrial uses Artist or photographer studios; telecommunications centers; artisan workshops; bottling plant; wholesale establishment, laboratories for research, development, and testing; limited production, processing, and storage facilities; mail order houses; printing and publishing facilities; recycling collection centers, drop-off stations breweries; general manufacturing; hazardous waste collection, storage or transfer; light manufacturing; recycling centers; asphalt, concrete batching or ready-mix plants; concrete, asphalt and rock crushing facilities; extraction of gravel, sand, other raw materials; motor vehicle salvage; lumberyards, as defined in Sec. 28.211, MGO.
1. The "parking ratio" for employment buildings, uses or additions is the number of parking stalls per 500 feet of gross floor area. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(c) Commercial buildings, uses, or additions including general retail; food and related goods sales; animal boarding facilities, kennels; banks, financial institutions; business sales and services; laundromat, self-service laundromats; liquor stores; package delivery services; payday loan businesses; service businesses with or without showrooms or workshops; small appliance repair; building materials; drive-through sales and services, primary and accessory; dry cleaning, commercial laundries; furniture and household goods sales; garden centers; greenhouses, nurseries, food services; catering; coffee shops, tea houses; restaurants; taverns; brewpubs; tasting rooms; recreational and entertainment facilities; health/sports clubs; indoor recreation centers; lodges, private clubs, reception halls; outdoor recreation facilities; theaters, assembly halls, concert halls; Adult entertainment establishments, and adult entertainment taverns as defined in Sec. 28.211, MGO. (Am. by ORD-25-00042, 6-27-25)
1. The parking ratio for commercial buildings, uses or additions is the number of parking stalls per 500 feet of gross floor area. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(d) Institutional buildings, uses, or additions including hotels, inns, motels; grade schools, public and private high schools (Grade 9 and above); arts, technical or trade schools; colleges, universities; medical, dental, or optical health facilities or clinics; medical laboratory; physical, occupational or massage therapy clinics; veterinary clinics, animal hospitals; recreation, community and neighborhood centers; counseling, community services organizations; hospitals; libraries, and museums as defined in Sec. 28.211, MGO.
1. The parking ratio for institutional buildings, uses or additions is the number of parking stalls per 500 feet of gross floor area. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(e) Mixed-use buildings, uses, or additions with two or more of the uses included in Sec. 16.03(2)(a), (b), (c) or (d), MGO.
1. The parking ratios are calculated for each use independently based on requirements listed in sections (a) through (d).
(f) Properties with buildings and/or uses constructed or established prior to the effective date of this ordinance are exempt from TDM requirements until such a time when the following occurs:
1. Expansion of the property.
2. Expansion of the parking associated the property.
3. Change of use from one land use category or sub-category to another, as defined in Appendix A of the "Transportation Demand Management Program".
(4) Exemptions. The following buildings, uses, or additions constructed or established after the effective date of this ordinance are exempted:
(a) Residential buildings, uses, or additions with less than 10 dwelling units or containing 10—25 dwelling units with a proposed parking ratio of less than 1.0;
(b) Employment buildings, uses, or additions less than 10,000 square feet of floor area or between 10,000—25,000 square feet of floor area and a proposed parking ratio less than 1.0;
(c) Commercial buildings, uses, or additions of less than 40,000 square feet of floor area and a proposed parking ratio of less than 1.25;
(d) Institutional buildings, uses, or additions of less than 40,000 square feet of floor area and a proposed parking ratio of less than 1.25 or institutions with campus master plans;
(e) Mixed-use buildings, uses, or additions that meet the exemption criteria outlined in this Sec. 16.03(4), MGO and as provided in the Transportation Demand Program.
(5) Program Requirements. Any applicant submitting a site plan for review or applying for a zoning certificate shall also submit a TDM Plan within thirty (30) days of site plan review or zoning certificate submittal, if applicable. The completed TDM Plan shall be submitted to the City of Madison Department of Transportation ("DOT"). The DOT will approve a TDM plan that meets all of the following requirements and any additional requirements adopted by the Department of Transportation and approved by the Transportation Commission which are consistent with this Ordinance and state law. (Am. by ORD-23-00118, 12-19-23)
(a) TDM Plan Submission and Approval. The Transportation Demand Management plan must be submitted to and approved by the Department of Transportation as part of site plan review as provided in Sec. 28.186, MGO or as part of the Zoning Certificate issuance process as provided in Sec. 28.202(3).
(b) Fee. The TDM plan shall be accompanied by payment of an initial program fee included in the Transportation Demand Management Program and approved by the Transportation Commission. Bi-annual TDM Compliance and Recertification Plan fees are as provided in Sec. (6) below.
(c) Plan Content. All TDM plans shall contain at a minimum the following:
i. The identity and contact information of the TDM Coordinator;
ii. A description of the building, use, or addition subject to TDM requirements;
iii. The number of TDM points required by this ordinance;
iv. The TDM measures chosen by the property owner to achieve the required number of TDM points during the two (2) calendar years succeeding the issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the building, use, or addition;
v. A statement that the TDM plan expiration date shall be two (2) calendar years after the issuance of the certificate of occupancy; and
vi. A statement acknowledging that a bi-annual TDM Compliance and Recertification Plan will be required during the life of the building, use, or addition.
(6) TDM Point Requirements. Every building, use, or addition subject to the provisions of this ordinance is required to meet a set number of TDM points during the entire two-year TDM Plan period. TDM points required are calculated as a function of the following:
i. The size of the proposed building, use, or addition.
ii. The number of parking stalls proposed for the project.
iii. Proximity to existing or proposed transit, as outlined in Figure 14 - "TDM Requirement Modifiers Based on Location" of the "Transportation Demand Management Program".
To determine the required TDM points for a project, the "raw points" are multiplied by the "modifiers based on location." These point values shall be found in the Transportation Demand Management Program, approved by the Transportation Commission. The TDM point values may be modified by the Department of Transportation by amendment to the Transportation Demand Management Program approved by the Transportation Commission. The Transportation Management Program shall be posted in a prominent location on the DOT's page on the City of Madison website. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(7) TDM measures. To satisfy the TDM points required under Sec. (6) above, property owners may choose from a menu of TDM measures approved initially by the Common Council and updated annually by the Transportation Commission. The TDM measures shall represent the best practices for the reduction of vehicle miles travelled (VMT) within the context of Madison's transportation system and be grouped into nine broad categories: Active Transportation, Transit, Parking Management, Shared Mobility, Information & Communication, Delivery, Land Use, Employer Policies, Other Measures. Each TDM measure shall be accompanied by TDM point values, which can be added to other TDM measure point values until the TDM point requirement is met. The DOT is responsible for maintaining the list of TDM measures and, if requested by the property owner, assisting in the selection of the most effective TDM measures for their project. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(8) Reserved. (Rpld. by ORD-23-00118, 12-19-23)
(9) Appeals. Program participants with properties completed or approved prior to the effective date of this ordinance may seek relief from TDM requirements. Department of Transportation staff may approve relief up to five (5) TDM points, as outlined within section 2.6 of the Transportation Demand Management Program. Applicants that allege an error in staff determination or that require additional relief in the form of TDM points may appeal to the Transportation Commission for adjustments to TDM point requirements. (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24)
(10) Bi-annual TDM Compliance and Recertification Plan and Fee. The property owner shall recertify their TDM Plan every two years by submitting a TDM Compliance and Recertification Plan within sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date of any existing TDM Plan. TDM Compliance and Recertification Plans shall meet all the requirements in this ordinance, except that the ongoing bi-annual fee shall be calculated as a function of the development's size. The recertification fee shall be contained in the Transportation Demand Management Program and approved by the Transportation Commission. The DOT shall review and either reject or approve the proposed TDM Recertification Plan within thirty (30) days of the expiration the existing TDM Plan. Failure to obtain an approved TDM Recertification Plan within thirty (30) days of the expiration of an existing TDM plan is a violation of this ordinance, subject to enforcement under Sec. (11) below.
(11) Enforcement and Penalties.
(a) This ordinance shall be administered and enforced by the Department of Transportation.
(b) Any person who fails to comply with the enforcement of any of the provisions of this ordinance, or fails to comply with the existing TDM Plan required by this ordinance, shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a forfeiture of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each and every violation thereof. Each day that a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.
(c) As a substitute for or as an addition to forfeiture action, the City Attorney is authorized to seek enforcement of any part of this ordinance by court action seeking injunctive relief. It shall not be necessary for the City Attorney to take corrective action or prosecute for forfeiture before seeking injunctive relief.
(12) Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect six months after the date of publication.
(Am. by ORD-23-00118, 12-19-23) (Am. by ORD-23-00118, 12-19-23; Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24) (Am. by ORD-24-00075, 11-8-24) (Cr. by ORD-22-00130, 12-15-22)
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOIICH11--19_CH16GEPL_16.03TRDEMAFetched: 11/1/2026