ENTERING OR STAYING UPON HIGHWAYS RESTRICTED.
Madison General Ordinances § 12.325
in effect12.325 - ENTERING OR STAYING UPON HIGHWAYS RESTRICTED.
(1) Purpose. Pedestrians are increasingly using highways in ways for which the roads were not designed. These uses include approaching vehicles when in use or staying upon medians for purposes other than crossing the highway. These activities create safety hazards for pedestrians and distract drivers, making automobile crashes more likely. This ordinance is designed to decrease the safety hazards by restricting such activity. These safety concerns are most acute on the busiest streets within the City of Madison, identified as arterial streets or highways, and some streets intersecting with those arterial streets. This ordinance applies to those "covered highways" identified in sub. (7) herein.
(2) Definitions. As used in this ordinance,
"Covered Highway" is defined in sub. (7) herein.
A vehicle is "in operation" when it has an operator, as defined in Wis. Stat. § 340.01(41).
A "median" is a paved or unpaved area dividing a street or highway that separates lanes of traffic traveling in opposite directions, or in the case of left or right hand turn lanes, vehicles traveling in the same direction.
(3) No person, other than a person in or on a vehicle, shall be on a covered highway listed in sub. (7) and approach any vehicle in operation, except a vehicle that is legally parked at the curb or the shoulder.
(4) No person shall be upon a median of a covered highway listed in sub. (7) unless that person is in the process of crossing the highway in a safety zone or crosswalk. It is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section if a person stays on the median through two consecutive opportunities to cross the highway in a legal manner under this Chapter and the state traffic laws adopted herein.
This may include a change in the traffic control signal or lack of traffic, as applicable. After such two consecutive opportunities, such person shall not be considered to be "using the safety zone or crosswalk to cross the highway" for purposes of the exception in sub. (6)(b).
(5) No operator of a vehicle shall park, stop or leave standing a vehicle on a covered highway listed in sub. (7) where prohibited or suddenly decrease the speed of said vehicle or deviate from a traffic lane for the purpose of responding to persons violating subs. (3) or (4).
(6) Exceptions. This ordinance does not apply to (a) persons on the sidewalk, (b) persons using the safety zone or crosswalk to cross the highway, (c) persons engaged in law enforcement or rescue activities, including providing assistance to an injured or disabled vehicle or person, (d) persons entering a vehicle as an invited passenger where it is lawful to do so, including activity permitted under Wis. Stat. § 346.29(1) (taxis), (e) persons engaged in repair or maintenance activities on the highway under the direction or authority of the City of Madison or the State of Wisconsin; or (f) streets or portions thereof that have been closed pursuant to a street use permit or other express authorization from the City.
(7) Covered Highways. This ordinance applies only to covered highways, which are those highways or portions of highways listed in subs. (a) and (b) below:
(a) The following highways are designated as arterial streets, the streets and highways within the City of Madison that have the most traffic, and are covered highways under this ordinance:
Aberg Ave
Allen Blvd
Agriculture Dr
American Pkwy
Anderson St
Atwood Ave
Bassett St
Beltline Hwy
Blair St
Brandt Rd-CTH AB
Broom St (Between John Nolen Dr & Gorham St)
W Broadway
Buckeye Rd
Campus Dr
Commercial Ave
Cottage Grove Rd
Dayton St (Between N Hamilton & State St)
Doty St
Dutch Mill Rd
E & W Johnson St
E Springs Dr (Between E Washington & High Crossing Blvd)
E Washington Ave
Eastwood Dr
Fair Oaks Ave
Fairchild St
Femrite Dr
First St
Fish Hatchery Rd
Fordem Ave
N & S Gammon Rd
Gorham St
Hamilton St (Between Wilson St & Doty St)
Highland Ave
High Crossing Blvd
Hoepker Rd
I 39-90-94
International Ln
John Nolen Dr
Junction Rd
Lien Rd (Between Theier Rd & Thompson Dr)
Little St
Maple Grove Dr
Marsh Rd
McKee Rd
McKenna Blvd (Between Gammon Rd & Putnam)
Midtown Rd (Between S Gammon Rd & Woods Rd)
Midvale Blvd
Milwaukee St (Between E Washington & Swanton Rd)
Mineral Point Rd
Monona Dr
Monroe St
Moorland Rd
Nakoma Rd
Nelson Rd
North Shore Dr
Northport Dr
Odana Rd
Old Middleton Rd
Old Sauk Rd
Olin Ave
Packers Ave
Park St
Pennsylvania Ave
Pflaum Rd (Between Monona Dr & Agriculture Dr)
Pleasant View Rd
Proudfit St
Putnam (Between McKenna Blvd & Maple Grove Dr)
Randall (Between Monroe & University)
Raymond Rd
Regent St
Reiner Rd
Rimrock Rd
Schroeder Rd
Seminole Hwy
N Sherman Ave (Between Fordem & Northport Dr)
Siggelkow Rd (Between Stoughton Rd & Holscher Rd)
South Towne Dr
Speedway Rd
Sprecher Rd
STH 30
Stoughton Rd
Theier Rd (Between E
N Thompson Dr (Between Swanton and East Washington)
University Ave
Verona Rd
Vondron Rd (Between Agriculture Dr & Buckeye Rd)
W Washington Ave
Watts Rd (Between Gammon & Junction)
W Wilson St (Between Bassett & Hamilton)
Webster St
Whitney Way
Williamson St
Winnebago St
Wisconsin Ave (Between Gorham & Dayton)
Wright St (Between E Washington & Anderson St)
Zeier Rd
(b) In addition to the arterial highways designated above, this ordinance applies to any highway containing a median that intersects with any of the arterial highways, but only for the first two hundred (200) feet of the intersecting highway from the arterial highway, as measured along the center line of the intersecting highway from the point the intersecting highway touches the right of way of the arterial highway.
(8) This ordinance shall be effective April 10, 2017, (sixty (60) days after passage). Within three (3) weeks of passage, the Chief of Police, Director of Traffic Engineering and City Attorney will file with the Clerk and Common Council office a plan for educating persons on the new ordinance, including brochures showing places the ordinance is applicable. (Am. by ORD-23-00098, 10-26-23)
(9) The Chief of Police will file a report with the Common Council providing data on the first six (6) months of operation of the ordinance, to include the numbers of those cited, the persons with no permanent address, and other relevant information. The report will be filed no later than eight (8) months after the effective date of the ordinance.
(10) Any person violating this ordinance may be required to forfeit not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than three hundred dollars ($300). Officers are encouraged to provide a warning for a first offense.
(Sec. 12.325 Rep. & Rec. by ORD-17-00015, 2-20-17)
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_CH12VECO_RERIDUDRPEBI_12.325ENSTUPHIREFetched: 11/1/2026