Month: May 2022

Hopefully, you are aware that Bike Week starts next week. Are you excited? We are. 

Help us spread the word!

You can help us out by making sure that your friends and neighbors know about Bike Week as well. Just send a quick message to your neighborhood list, NextDoor, or post on your personal social media account.

Many of our friends and neighbors would love to know about the great events we have, but they aren’t on our list or don’t follow our social media. Or maybe they haven’t been biking in awhile, but just need a nudge to pump up the tires or dust off the bike in the back of the garage. You can even offer to go for a ride with them or attend a nearby event to help them get back on their bikes. More bicyclists = more fun!

Take action to protect those outside of vehicles as well as those driving

For years, vehicle safety regulations have emphasized protections for those driving and riding in cars and light trucks (SUVs, pick ups, etc.) Air bags, seat belts, crumple zones, and autonomous features like lane departure warnings make sure drivers and passengers are safe.

But what about those walking and biking? As vehicles have gotten bigger and heavier, they have become more dangerous for those outside the vehicle. (I wrote an article about this at my previous job. The evidence is frightening.) 

Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is finally considering the safety of those outside the vehicle. America Walks is asking for our help providing input. We can all stand up for the safety of non-motorized users of the public rights of way. 

The week ahead

Aside from getting psyched for Bike Week and taking action on safety for non-motorized users of the public space, there is one important meeting happening this week.

Tuesday

If you ride the bus – or care about how our bus system operates and who it serves – plan to attend the Transit Network Redesign Public Hearing at the virtual 6 pm meeting. You can also watch the meeting without participating. This is the last input session before the Transportation Planning and Policy Board – the lead committee – votes on the redesign on June 6. You can speak at the meeting or submit comments in advance. All the details are at the link above. 

As always, you can find an overview of all bike events on our Community Bike Calendar. Email us at info@madisonbikes.org to add your events. And if you value our newsletter and other work, consider donating to Madison Bikes. For construction updates, check out the city’s Bike Madison page.

We are busy preparing for our major event of the year, Madison Bike Week! With only two weeks away there is still time for local businesses or non-profits to sign up and host a Bike Week event or discount. You can follow this link to register you event…

Bike Week Calendar

Once again, this year you can use Sched to keep track of your calendar of bike week events and discounts. This tools includes many useful features including personalized event calendars and a map view. The Sched bike week calendar and map can be found on our Bike Week 2022 page.

Plus, you can register for a free account to create a personalized bike week calendar and receive notifications for specific events you plan to attend.

Events Map

We have 25 events registered for Madison Bike Week, including 12 food and 11 ride events! The map view, shown below, is a great way to find events in your area. It’s not too early to start planning your stops and coordinate with your riding buddies.

As always, you can find an overview of all bike events on our Community Bike Calendar. Email us at info@madisonbikes.org to add your events. And if you value our newsletter and other work, consider donating to Madison Bikes. For construction updates, check out the city’s Bike Madison page.

Madison Bike Week is coming – you can still register your event

Madison Bike Week will start in less than three weeks! We plan to have our event calendar up later this week — and it’s not too late to add your event to the calendar. Putting up a Madison Bike Week event or discount, as always, is free. And we again have a mini-grant program to promote a more diverse and inclusive Madison Bike Week. Find more information about the registration and the mini grants here. Madison Bike Week is all about bringing together the community, and we can’t do it without you

This is also a great opportunity to thank this year’s Madison Bike Week sponsors. Thanks so much for the support!

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) projects at TPPB

Monday’s agenda for the Transportation Policy and Planning Board has one bike-related item: Madison’s application for federal funds through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). TAP funds are one of the main ways for cities to access federal funding for bike and walk projects. Cities submit a list of priority projects to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and with some luck, one or more of them will be funded. Madison’s list for the current cycle was submitted in January, but now there are changes to two of the projects. This is the complete list, with the changed projects highlighted:

1. Expand the School Rd project to be the Northside SRTS Improvements at Mendota Elementary School and Lindbergh Elementary Schools including improvements along School Rd, Toban Dr, Blaine Dr and Kennedy Rd.
2. E. Washington Ave. bicycle route alternative (Reindahl Park to East Springs Dr.) – includes potential bike boulevard on Dwight, bike lane markings on the frontage road and on Independence Ln., additional traffic calming and improved crossings where necessary.
3. Expand the Badger Rd shared use path Phase 1 to include shared-use path along N Rusk Ave to Nygard St – shared use path along W. Badger Rd. to connect N. Rusk Ave. to the existing pedestrian/bicycle overpass of the Beltline.
4. West Towne Path – two possible segments, including the segment from Gammon Rd. to Zor Shrine and the segment from Zor Shrine to High Point Rd. These may be combined into a single project on the application, depending on the cost estimates and potential funds available in the program.
5. Cross Isthmus Improvements – includes improved bicycle connections across the isthmus, primarily along Franklin St., Hancock St. and Blount St., and would also include installation of bike lanes along E. Washington Ave. from Blair St. to the Capitol Square.
6. Tancho Dr. Path – shared use path between Tancho Dr. and STH 151, where there is an existing path and underpass of the highway.
7. BCycle Bike Share Expansion – Focus on building a more equitable program by connecting additional areas of the city that are currently not served or are underserved by this mobility option.

International Ride of Silence on Wednesday

On May 18, starting at 6:30 pm the Madison edition of the 2022 Ride of Silence will take place. In previous years, the ride was held in Sun Prairie, but this year the route will take participants around Lake Monona. Here’s more info from the organizer:

[T]he Ride of Silence can be found in 450+ cities across the world to honor those who have been injured or killed, to raise awareness that we are here and to ask that we all share the road.Please sign up to attend at the official Eventbrite page : https://bit.ly/3OzrOZC. We will be using that to determine a final ride headcount.The official ride route can be found at this link, and the Ridespot app can be downloaded for free to track the route: https://www.ridespot.org/rides/569471This is the official event for the Madison, WI event. we will be riding a 13 mile route around Lake Monona in a silent 10 mph procession in memoriam of those cyclists killed and injured around the world and in our own community. we will be stopping for a few minutes of silence at the Ghost bike at the intersection of Baldwin and East Wilson St, then continuing around the lake.

As always, you can find an overview of all bike events on our Community Bike Calendar. Email us at info@madisonbikes.org to add your events. And if you value our newsletter and other work, consider donating to Madison Bikes. For construction updates, check out the city’s Bike Madison page.