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Weekly Update

Spring in February

Event poster for "Know your rights: biking and the law." Monday, Feb 25, 6pm, Madison Public Library, Room 104. 201 W Mifflin St

I hope everyone has been able to get out and enjoy the (weirdly) warm weather recently. Although the riding has been very pleasant, it’s a bit unnerving that we have weather this warm in February.

The week ahead is somewhat slow, but we have a great community meeting coming up Monday (today, if you are receiving this by email.) In the fall, we invited our members and friends to brainstorm about what they would like to see as event, talks, rides, activities, and information in the future. This Monday’s topic came out of that meeting. See below for more details.

Monday

Our Community Meeting at 6:00 pm at the Central Library will be on the topic of “Know Your Rights: Biking and the Law” with Clayton Griessmeyer, Bicycle Injury Lawyer. If you have questions about what to do if you have a crash, or important aspects about biking on paths or roads, this will be an event you don’t want to miss. 

Also Monday, Fitchburg Bikes will meet at the Fitchburg Senior Center, 5510 Lacy Rd at 7:00 pm.

Wednesday

Transportation Commission will meet virtually at 5:00 pm. On the agenda are a number of projects scheduled for both this year and planned for in the future. (See items on 5, 6, and 9 on the agenda. Under item 9, items marked TAP are pedestrian/bicycle improvements.)

Also on the agenda is an item about safety, crowding, and speed concerns on the paths. There is a good presentation from city staff that lays out the issues with both crowding and any conflicts. We’ve had a discussion about this recently on our Facebook Community, and it comes up every couple of years, including in a recent letter to the media. Basically, we rely on everyone to be polite and aware of other path users, but that’s often a big ask.

Ongoing opportunities to comment:

The UW has a new master plan for the Lakeshore Natural Area. There was quite a bit of publicity about a new visitors center to be built near the entrance to Picnic Point. This would involve some changes to both University Bay Dr and the parallel Lakeshore Path, but mostly just relocating them closer to the marsh.

Much of the master plan involves landscaping, prairie and woodland restoration, and changes to some pedestrian paths within the area near Picnic Point, but the Lakeshore Natural Area also includes the Lakeshore Path all the way down to the Limnology Building near Memorial Union. There isn’t much information in the current master plan about the path in this area, but we have the chance to weigh in on future needs for this critical connector.

The intrepid may be able to navigate the path in all conditions, but winter makes the path quite treacherous, with rutted ice, repeated freezing and thawing, and most of the path completely dark during our short days. Thaws in the spring just mean huge puddles — with ice still present underneath — mud, sand, more ruts, and all users trying to navigate the dry areas, so moving side to side on the path to find dry ground.

If you would like to see changes to the path in the future (lighting, surface, width, improved maintenance, stabilizing areas near the path, etc.) you can comment by contacting the UW via the contact information here.

Dane County is accepting comments until March 15 about a proposed bridge across the Wisconsin River near Sauk City and a trail to Walking Iron County Park near Mazomanie. Information – including slides and a recording from a January public meeting – and a link to comment can be found here

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.

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E-Mail Newsletter Weekly Update

Bike records, a fat bike race, and “Biking and the Law”

It’s been unseasonably warm. And that shows when you pay attention to the bike counters. When riding past the two counters, on the Southwest Path and the Cap City Trail, I had noticed that counts seemed high. And so I looked at the weekly count data for the week starting on February 5. And indeed: These were the highest numbers since the counters were installed!

The forecast for this week looks even warmer, and so we’ll see if we get another record. Have you been riding more? And if you’re not an all-season rider, have you considered getting back on the bike sooner this year?

Fat bike race in Middleton

Speaking of warm temperatures: On Saturday, the final race of the Hugh Jass Fat Bike Series is supposed to take place at Blackhawk Ski Club in Middleton. Make sure to check the Facebook event, as the warm weather may make for difficult trail conditions.

Preview: Biking and the Law

Not this week, but on Monday, February 26, we are holding our first Community Meeting of 2024. Local attorney Clayton Griessmeyer, who specializes in biking and the law, will talk to us about both your rights as a bicyclist and what you should know if you get into a crash. The event will be in person at the Madison Central Library, Room 104 at 6 pm.

Clayton will talk about:

  • Laws that are designed to protect people on bicycles and pedestrians
  • Things to keep in mind while biking
  • Specific examples of crashes
  • How insurance companies and their lawyers try to cheat people out of justice
  • Overview of a case from start to finish with pointers for people who get hurt while biking
  • Q+A

We’re very excited about our Community Events this year! Upcoming meetings will include a visit to the BCycle shop, a preview of the city’s bike network planning efforts, and much more! Do you have an idea for a community and/or want to organize one? Shoot us an email: info@madisonbikes.org

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.

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E-Mail Newsletter Weekly Update

Queer Valentine’s ride; Freewheel volunteer meeting; Madison Bike Week

A group of happy people in winter clothing under a Madison Bikes-branded pop-up tent on the Cap City Trail. There are donuts and coffee and snacks on the table.
Madison Bikes, 2024 Beth Skogen Photography – www.bethskogen.com

Last Friday, we celebrated International Winter Bike Day. Part of the Madison Bikes mission is to advocate for biking as a year-round activity and means of transportation. And over the years, we’ve had all kinds of weather on that day — polar vortex temperatures, big snowfalls, freezing rain, … This year the weather was unseasonably warm and pleasant. Together with the City of Madison, we set up shop on the Cap City trail in front of Monona Terrace and handed out donuts, coffee (thanks to Cafe Domestique for sponsoring that!), and stickers. And in the evening, we filled up the bike racks at Working Draft for a happy hour. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Valentine’s Day: No TC, but the Madison Queer Bike Ride

On Wednesday, it’s Valentine’s Day. The Transportation Commission meeting for that day is canceled. But you can join the Madison Queer Bike Ride for a Valentine’s edition of their monthly ride:

It’s the Valentine’s Day edition of the Queer Bike Ride. Let’s skip the restaurant dinner and bike around.
10 mile loop through West Campus, Shorewood Hills and Eagle Heights
Warm up and hang out at Der Rathskeller (Memorial Union) near the end of the loop
Meet at Law Park beach @ 6pm
Bring your bike lights. Bring your valentines.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3D_MfQP3Ot/

Freewheel Volunteer Meeting

Freewheel will be hosting their monthly volunteer meeting on Thursday at 6pm via Zoom. As they’re working on re-establishing a DIY community bike shop in Madison, they’re looking for volunteers and planning for various events. Sign up for the call here.

Madison Bike Week: June 1-8

Save the date: Madison Bike Week is coming, and it’ll be June 1-8 today, coinciding with the Bike Fed’s Wisconsin Bike Week. We have lots of plans and ideas, and we’re excited to see what the community will come up with this year. Stay tuned for more information, and start thinking about what you will organize for Madison Bike Week.

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.

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Happy Winter Bike Week!

Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter! It’s Winter Bike Week and we’re super excited to share some news and updates with you.

Winter Bike Week activities

On Tuesday morning from 7-9, Bike Fitchburg will be hosting a commuter station at the “Velo UnderRound” (where the Badger, Cap City, Southwest, Cannonball, and Military Ridge Paths intersect). Stop by to enjoy some hot coffee and bagels. There will also be minor mechanical adjustments and bike maps available. Come chat about what Bike Fitchburg is doing to help make a more fun and welcoming place to ride a bike, and how you can get involved!

Friday is International Winter Bike Day, and Madison Bikes and the City of Madison are hosting another commuter station on the Capital City Trail, just east of the Monona Terrace (near the bike elevator). From 7-9am we will have free coffee (courtesy of Cafe Domestique), donuts, and some one-of-a-kind MB Winter biking stickers!

An smiling individual with long hair, wearing a high-vis coat and a high-vis hat, celebrates their free Madison Bikes blue face buff with the sun rising on the frozen lake behind them. A sign reads "no motorized vehicles past this point".
A happy commuter at Winter Bike Day 2023 (Photo: Harald Kliems)

Finally, Friday afternoon from 4-6pm, we’ll be hanging out at Working Draft Beer. All are welcome to stop by, enjoy 10% off with your Bike Benefits sticker, and chat with us about why you love Winter biking. Working Draft has a large selection of tap beer and plenty of NA options! We look forward to capping off the celebration with you there.

Meetings: Passenger Rail and Pedestrian Safety

How exciting is it to imagine a passenger train station in Madison? On Tuesday from 6-7:30pm, the city will be hosting a public meeting on the Passenger Rail Station Study. The study aims to identify a location for Amtrak’s planned extension of the Hiawatha route. Tune in to hear about the study’s progress and where the station could be located.

Wednesday from 5-7pm, the city is hosting a virtual Community Conversation about pedestrian safety. The meeting, held by the Disability Rights and Services Program, is for learning and discussing how to reduce crashes and deaths and improve safety for anyone who walks, rolls, or rides for transportation.

Freewheel Bicycle Co. Update

Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co. is a local non-profit bike shop that focuses on education about biking for transportation. Their services include providing free and low-cost bicycles to individuals in need, bike building, low cost and DIY repair, and maintenance classes. While they had to leave their previous space at the Madison Bicycle Center in 2023, they are still going and exploring which direction to go in 2024. Along with looking for a new indoor shop space, they are planning fundraising, advocacy for better transportation, and events. To help them do those things, Freewheel is seeking new board members. If you are interested in helping the community through bicycle education and advocacy, you are encouraged to join the next meeting on Thursday, February 15th, 6-7pm on Zoom (More info) (Zoom meeting registration link).

Welcome to our new board members!

Speaking of board members, meet the newest recruits to the Madison Bikes crew!

Jacob Bortell, Katie Nash, Pratik Prajapati, Paul Lata, and Christina Lopez join the Madison Bikes Board of Directors. Please join us in welcoming them! We are delighted to have such a great group and we look forward to their contributions and effort to make Madison an even better place to ride a bike. To read more about the new (and existing) board members, check out our Board of Directors page.

That’s all for this newsletter. Enjoy the warmer riding weather and we hope to see you out there!

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.