State Street prepares for Madison’s pedestrian mall experiment

Madison’s pedestrian mall experiment closes State Street to cars starting Wednesday, May 8, volunteers help prepare the area to welcome visitors

It’s being dubbed #FlockToState by Madison officials, as a pedestrian mall experiment prepares to get underway along the 400-600 blocks of State Street on Wednesday, May 8.

The pedestrian mall, from Gorham Street to Hawthorne Court, will be closed to all non-emergency traffic starting at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Delivery trucks and others will be able to access specific blocks of the pedestrian mall at 4 a.m. each day, until the mall closes to traffic at the times noted. Drivers will be able to travel normally on cross streets even when the pedestrian mall is open.

The experiment comes just in time for the first night market of the season on Thursday, May 9. It’s also graduation weekend at U.W. Madison. There are many other events planned around the pedestrian mall area throughout the summer, along with businesses on State Street.

A painting event on State Street in late April, brought together more than 600 people. The volunteers added murals, stencils, and polka dots in vibrant, and often pink colors, to go along with the Flamingo theme. New benches, planters, and sculptures continue to be added to the area.

The pedestrian mall is expected to remain open with regular hours through October. The city council will then consider continuing the experiment or expanding it in the future.