Crash Overview

Location Description 

Prairie Road and Raymond Road are in the Meadowood neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin. This neighborhood is described as car-dependent by multiple sources online. This area ranks as more bike-friendly than walkable. There are a couple bus stops along Prairie Road north of its intersection with Raymond Road; there are multiple bus stops and transit routes along Raymond Road. Raymond Road is a 4 lane roadway with multiple access points; it has a 30 mile per hour (mph) speed limit. South of this intersection, northbound traffic on Prairie Road can access a dedicated right turn lane or a lane that allows motorist to turn left or drive straight through the intersection. Road users traveling south of Raymond Road on Prairie Road can access a bike lane and one through traffic lane.

Crash Summary

• The crash at this location occurred at 1:40 p.m. on August 1, 2023. 
• A man in his early 20s was driving a van northbound along Prairie Road; he turned right on red to join traffic on Raymond Road. 
• The pedestrian (late 70s) was struck by the motorist; she was listed as "not on the roadway" in the crash report. 
• The pedestrian succumbed to her injuries and died at the University of Wisconsin hospital at 1:12 a.m. on August 2, 2023. 

Why was this crash nominated? 

• Raymond Road features characteristics of a stroad, or a street road hybrid, that often make neighborhood travel more dangerous and risk-laden than it has to be. 
• This crash directly features a right turn on red maneuver that resulted in a fatality. These maneuvers have been highlighted as dangerous by other panelists in other sessions, but this is the first crash Strong Towns has examined where it directly caused an injury severe enough to result in death. 

What additional information is available? 

• Diagrams to assist you with visualizing and understanding the measurements of the crash location.
• A copy of the redacted crash report. 
• A folder containing the speed study and processed speed data.

• Madison Crash Report.pdf1 MB
• Measurements.pdf500 KB