Whew. We seem to have entered the heat of construction/detour season as well as the hot weather. There are a bunch of projects that might disrupt your normal biking patterns, but most seem to be on the near west side.
The city used to have a weekly update on construction and projects, but that seems to have disappeared with Renee Callaway.
There aren’t any bike-related city meetings or agenda items at committee meetings this week, but there’s still plenty of news.
Ride the Drive Needs Volunteers
Here’s your chance to volunteer for a fun event. Ride the Drive is on Sunday, August 10, from 10 am to 2 pm, with streets closed from 8AM to 3PM. This event promises to be a fantastic day of community, cycling, and fun.
Most shifts are only 2 hours, so you can volunteer AND ride in the event. The roles with the most need are: Intersection Guides, Setup Crew, Information Station Guides, Cleanup Crew. Sign up today at ridethedrive.com and be a part of this wonderful community event!
How to Sign Up:
- Review the volunteer role descriptions and choose a position or positions that work for you.
- Click Browse Opportunities and Register Online
- Enter the requested contact information, select “Register” and you will receive an email confirmation.
- Report to your registered location and time on Sunday, August 10 to receive further instructions and pick up your free, RTD t-shirt!
Next advocacy meetup at Machinery Row
The next Bike Advocacy Meetup is Sunday, July 6 from 5:00-6:30pm at Machinery Row! We’ll spend time writing postcards to city employees and other government officials thanking them for their advocacy and efforts to complete the Autumn Ridge Bike Bridge and the Sycamore Bike Park; handing out Bike Advocacy Bingo cards; and discussing advocacy work and projects we want to focus on in the coming months. We hope you can join us for a fun and informative filled evening!
Discord correction/update:
Last week we mentioned the new Madison bike advocacy Discord server. The link had expired. Here’s a new link (good until Friday): https://discord.gg/abZASVmB
City survey closes July 1
One more reminder that the city survey about walking and biking, and what they can do to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable, closes July 1. This is different than the survey put out by the MPO.
Construction:
Highland/Campus Dr Path
Starting today, Monday, June 30 until the end of August, the southbound lane of Highland Ave will be closed from the VA Hospital parking lot to University Ave. The on ramp from Highland to Campus Dr will also be closed. However, the Campus Dr Path will remain open, and possibly be a much easier crossing without turning vehicles, half the cross traffic, and generally fewer motor vehicles. However, if you need to transition from the path to Highland – like me – you will have to use the eastside sidewalk to get under the Campus Dr bridge.
The C bus will also be routed down the 2600 block of Stevens St and Farley instead of on Campus Dr, and the E bus will take Regent to Farley, so take care if these streets are part of your route.
More Shorewood Hills detours
From our friends in Shorewood Hills: “Beginning on Monday June 30th, the westbound University Ave bike lane between Shorewood Blvd and Highbury Rd will be closed nightly from 7pm to 7am. The bike lanes will be open outside of these hours. We anticipate this nightly closure will last a few weeks, with all work requiring the detour expected to be completed by Monday, August 4th.
“Alternate Route: During this timeframe, westbound cyclists are encouraged to use Shorewood Boulevard to Locust Drive to Rose Place to University Avenue which will be marked with signage. We recommend riders allow a few extra minutes of travel time.”
UW Lakeshore Path/Eagle Heights access disruptions
There is yet another water pipe project happening that will disrupt path access, this time on the UW campus. It won’t start until July 7, but I’m including it now so I won’t forget. It’s unclear how long this project will last. The work will be done in small chunks, so it should be fairly easy to detour onto University Bay Dr when a section is closed.
Access to Eagle Heights apartments will be affected, and the drive will need to be closed for the day. However, the primary impact is on the Lakeshore Path. To minimize disruption, the plan is to replace 20 feet of pipe at a time, backfilling each section as we progress to maintain passability.
Despite these efforts, Lakeshore Path traffic will be interrupted. The UW wants to be sure everyone is aware. Please share any concerns or comments regarding the planned reroute of pedestrian traffic. with the UW Transportation Services.
The future of the top of State Street
Although this is not a bike facility per se, many people bike through the intersection of W Mifflin, N Carroll, and State Street every day. The city is going to rebuild this important junction, and they have started having public meetings asking what people want to see. Last week there was an in person and online meeting, which you can watch at the link above. Then send the city your thoughts about what’s important to you. (This is an important bike connector for me, since I usually access the Square via W Mifflin. For years, I rode illegally between the cul-de-sac and the top of State. The city finally made it legal.)
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.
Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!
