
The Lane That Kept Bringing Crashes
From The Bottom-Up Revolution by Strong Towns
June 9, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 256
About this episode
Josh Olson discusses the successful push for traffic safety changes on Willie Street after multiple crashes at a local coffee shop.
A car had crashed into the same Madison coffee shop three times. That was enough for Josh Olson and Strong Towns Madison to push for a change on Willie Street — a dense, locally-owned corridor that doubles as a commuter shortcut during rush hour. The intervention they proposed cost a fraction of what the city had budgeted, took two weeks to implement, and ran as a two-month trial. Josh breaks down what made the argument land with city staff and commissioners, and what happened after the results came in. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Strong Towns Madison (Site, Instagram) Josh Olson (LinkedIn) Counting Cranes (Substack) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here. This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you! Join fellow members discussing this episode in The Commons.
People in this episode
Host: Strong Towns
Guest: Josh Olson
Topics covered
- traffic safety
- urban planning
- community engagement
- local business
- city intervention
Keywords
- traffic crashes
- urban intervention
- Madison
- Willie Street
- community safety
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Strong Towns Madison, Counting Cranes
Places: Madison, Willie Street
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