March 2026 - Madison Bikes

March is here, and while we’re oscillating wildly between May and February weather, there are some exciting signs of the season turning. BCycle comes back into service on Friday, Bikeorama is this weekend, and there’s a whole pile of news to dig into. Let’s get to it.

BCycle Returns Friday

The big news for casual and commuter riders alike: BCycle officially returns to service this Friday for the 2026 season. If you’ve been eyeing those empty docking stations all winter, your patience has been rewarded. And here’s a nice bonus: BCycle is offering a free month with code FREEMONTH, valid through the end of April. Good excuse to sign up or get a friend started.

Spring Election Questionnaire Responses Are Up

We sent out our 2026 Spring Election questionnaire to candidates, and we got a really good yield of responses this year. If you want to know where candidates stand on bike and transportation issues before you vote, head over and take a look. I’d encourage you to share it with friends and neighbors who might know much about their local races. If you don’t know who your alder is, there’s a link to the City’s site that will look them up for you.

The spring election is on Tuesday, April 7 and also has an always-important State Supreme Court race.

Odana Hills Path Connection

Big news on the west side path network front! The City announced last week that a substantial private gift will fund a redesign of Odana Hills golf course (similar to Glenway a few years back), with construction potentially starting as early as 2027. The Wisconsin State Journal (paywalled) has additional reporting on the details. While a lot is still up in the air about the golf course itself, the City’s announcement specifically mentions expanding the West Beltline Path between South Gammon Road and South Whitney Way along the south side of the course to link up with the Southwest Commuter Path, plus improving stormwater systems in and around the park.

Mockup of some of the features around Odana Hills Golf Course (Craig Weinhold)

We’d previously thought this path connection would need to wait until changes are made to Whitney Way and the Beltline, so it’s worth noting it could potentially happen sooner. Madison Bikes’ Craig has been digging into the details and notes that the pressing question becomes where and how to cross Whitney Way. The obvious answer is through the Milward Drive easement to the West Beltline Path, which has room for a future overpass. But Medical Circle also looks like a possibility that might connect better to the HyVee area. There are also questions about how future Beltline plans interact with all of this. We’ll keep you posted as things develop.

Vote Madison for Strongest Town

Our friends at Strong Towns have asked us to spread the word: Madison is competing in the 2026 Strongest Town Contest, and voting is open throughout the month of March. If you think Madison deserves recognition for investing in great streets, bike infrastructure, and sustainable transportation, go cast your vote. You can vote throughout the whole month, so set a reminder and keep at it.

This Week

On Monday at 6 PM, the Madison Bikes board meets in person at Madison Central Library. Board meetings are open to everyone, so if you’re curious about what we’re working on, feel free to stop by.

On Tuesday at 4:30 PM, the Alliant Energy Center is hosting a Master Plan Town Hall to discuss their future plans. This includes a facilities expansion, a new 13-acre “365 Destination” mixed-use district with restaurants, hospitality, and entertainment, a larger “Destination District,” and a Traffic Master Plan to tie it all together. Their newsletter notes that several key infrastructure projects just outside the campus, including the John Nolen Drive reconstruction, the Madison LakeWay Vision, and a Rimrock Road rebuild, are designed to improve access for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers. If you’re interested, there’s an RSVP flyer here.

On Wednesday at 6 PM, the Madison Queer Bike Ride rolls out from Law Park. This is the monthly second-Wednesday group ride, party pace, all welcome. A great way to shake off the early-March cobwebs.

Also on Wednesday at 6 PM, the City is hosting a virtual public input meeting on the Moorland Road path project, running until 7:30 PM. Got thoughts about this one? Here’s your chance to share them. (Zoom Registration).

On Friday, to reiterate, BCycle returns to service for the 2026 season. Time to dust off that membership (or sign up for a new one) and start rolling. Remember, code FREEMONTH gets you a free month, and it’s good through the end of April.

We’ll be bringing stations back online throughout the day, so check the BCycle App before heading out to see real-time station and bike availability.

And finally, this weekend is Bikeorama. Running Friday through Sunday (March 13-15) at the New Holland Pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center. If you haven’t been, it’s basically a big bike expo with vendors, demos, and all things cycling. A great way to start thinking seriously about the riding season ahead. Admission and bike parking are free, but car parking ain’t!

Coming Up

On Saturday, April 11, the Middleton PD in concert with Wisconsin Bike Federation is offering a free Bike Safety teaching certification course at Elm Lawn Elementary School in Middleton from 11:30 AM to 5 PM. This is in preparation for the June 6th Middleton Bike Rodeo, and they can train up to 16 people. If you’re interested in getting certified to teach bike safety, email James Blodgett directly at jameswblodgett@gmail.com.

Also worthy of note: the Bike Fed’s education team is hiring four Dane County high school students for its paid, part-time Transportation Ambassadors internship program. It’s a 12-month gig starting in June, open to students across Dane County who will be in high school during the 2026-27 school year. If you know a young person who likes bikes and is interested in transportation, urban planning, environmental science, or political science, point them toward this. Applications are open through Sunday, April 12, and details are available in English and Spanish. Questions and applications can go to Shawn Koval at shawn.koval@wisconsinbikefed.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.

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

Nothing like late winter/early spring to give us weather whiplash. Sunny and warm one day, cold and windy the next, and then snow. This is why we wear and carry layers when biking in Wisconsin.

During the warm spell, I snapped this photo of a Trek employee on his day off, enjoying a ride with his doggo. He says that the dog loves these outings so much that he immediately jumps in the trailer when it comes out.

In Case You Missed It

Madison Bikes member interview

Madison Commons published an interview I did with them for their series, Common Ground. They ask the same questions to all interviewees. my comments are not all about bicycling, but many touch on why we need to have better transportation options for all ages and abilities. I also talked about city growing pains and how the city must change to keep up with those needs.

1000 Friends Transportation Academy this spring

A reminder that if you are interested in learning more about our transportation system and how to be an advocate for a more sustainable and equitable future, you can still apply to participate in the Transportation Academy hosted by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. This is the first time this 10-week course has been offered in Madison, and it might not be offered again for quite some time, so don’t miss your chance. It’s free, and no experience is needed.

The course consists of a mix of online and in-person meetings and runs from April 2-June 4 on Wednesdays (virtual) or Thursdays (in-person) from 4-6 pm. The deadline to apply is March 14.

New Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Fitchburg

Four new businesses in Fitchburg received Bicycle Friendly Business awards. The city has really been pushing hard to get businesses to apply, and the League of American Bicyclists announced that Alterra Design and Juniper Apartments received silver designations, and Tabby & Jack’s and Ten Pin Alley got bronze. You can view all the new awards across the country here.

Thank Bill Lunney for many of the great trails in Dane County

If you venture outside Madison for a ride, you’ve probably used a trail through a park made possible by the hard work of Bill Lunney. He was the chair of the Dane County Parks Commission for many years, and he passed away this past week. Read more about his work in this piece by Dave Zweifel in the Cap Times.

The week ahead

Wednesday

Transportation Commission: The TC will be discussing plans for the reconstruction of Regent Street from Park St to Randall. You can view the documents, plans, current public comments, staff presentation, etc., for this item on the city website.

The configuration recommended by city staff does not include any bicycle accommodations on Regent St, instead concentrating on improving connections to the SW Path and parallel neighborhood streets. However, the sidewalk would be widened considerably, the overall street width narrowed, and pedestrian crossings would be improved. Bus pull-outs and car parking bays would be constructed along the curb. Wider sidewalks would open up the potential for trees, which don’t exist on Regent St at this time.

Also on the TC agenda is the 2027-2032 Transportation Improvement Plan. Each year, the city submits its plan for construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and other maintenance on roads, highways, and bike/ped infrastructure for the next five years. These are planned projects, but some may be delayed or rescheduled based city priorities or funding.

Some of this is quite mundane, like patching a badly-deteriorated street through the neighborhood. But other projects completely rebuild a street – such as Regent – and give the city a chance to change what a street looks and feels like. Other projects add important bike-ped connections: Paths, over/underpasses, and separated bike facilities. There are some exciting connections planned.

You can watch the meeting and/or register to speak or submit your own comments here. The meeting is at 5:00 pm online.

CORP Trailside Bike Repair: Also Wednesday, CORP will hold a clinic on trailside bike repair at Black Saddle Bike Shop at 5:30 pm. Learn what to carry and how to do basic repairs. Registration required.

Saturday

CORP Trailside Bike Repair: CORP will hold a clinic on trailside bike repair geared to women, femme, trans, and non-binary bicyclists at both the East and West Trek shops at 11:30 am. Learn what to carry and how to do basic repairs. Registration required.

Mark your calendars for these future meetings

March 18: Public Information Meeting for the Military Ridge Trail paving through the city of Verona. Today, the paved portion of the trail ends at the eastern end of Verona and proceeds west as a crushed-limestone trail. This paving project will provide year-round access through the city to the high school on the western side of the city.

March 23: Deadline to submit comments on the Metropolitan Planning Organization Active Transportation Plan for Dane County. View the draft plan and submit comments on the MPO Biking and Walking page.

April 9: Public Information Meeting for Phase 2B of the West Towne Path, which would take the path from Gammon Rd to Zor Shrine Pl. This is the final segment for the path that runs from Junction Rd to Whitney Way.

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!