Despite a record 7.26″ of rain and freezing temps at the beginning, middle, and end of the month, I hope everyone found time to ride in April! RoundTrip Madison sure did; their Spring Roll Challenge saw over 400 participants log over 10,000 trips.
Bike Week Webpage Live
Bike Week runs from May 30 to June 7! We’ve just launched the event schedule webpage:
https://www.madisonbikes.org/events/madison-bike-week-2026/
The layout is new and improved from what we’ve used in the past (thanks Ben Sandee!). Nearly 40 events are already scheduled. If you’re planning to host an event, submit it soon. And please share the link above with other local Madison groups you belong to.
For those outside Madison, Wisconsin Bike Fed has their own Bike Week page covering other parts of the state.
This Week
The Odana Hills Golf Course Redesign will have open houses on Wednesday April 6 6:00-8:00pm and Thursday April 7 11:00am-1:00pm. Proposed changes on the east side will realign the bike path running from Odana Rd to the SW Commuter Path. The planners have also promised to also connect the SW Commuter Path to Whitney Way where bikers can pick up the West Beltline path. This is an exciting connection that is long overdue.
Madison Police Department is hosting Town Halls in each district to discuss public safety. On Monday May 4 from 6:30 to 8:00pm, they’ll be at the Central Library to talk about the Central District. Thank them for the extra traffic enforcement and bring questions from their 2025 Annual Report or the sobbering Q1 2026 Traffic Safety Report with its three pedestrian fatalities (and another occurred just last week on Buckeye Rd and Stoughton Rd).
The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (“MPO”) meets on Wednesday May 6 at 6:30pm with discussion and adoption of the Active Transportation Plan (which we all provided feedback on last summer). There will also be a discussion of e-Things outreach (e-motos, e-bikes, e-scooters, etc). See the meeting schedule for agenda and packet.
Upcoming and Misc.
Last week, the Board of Public Works considered the Regent Street design and punted it back to the Transportation Commission’s next meeting on May 13. If you use Regent Street businesses, please let them know that you are a biker!
The UW’s Summer Construction Forecast is gnarly. Of note is the one-way section of Babcock Drive that peels off from University Avenue — it will be closing next Monday May 11 for work on the railroad crossing there. Work is expected to be done by end of July. On the good side, the Limnology bypass is supposed to be done by end of this month
Bike Fed’s Adventure Bike Day Camps in Madison were all waitlisted, but they’ve found a way to open up new spots for the June 15-19 camp for 6th – 8th graders. Sign up quickly!
Looking for a job? Madison Police is hiring a Bike Recovery Specialist to handle “bicycle related complaints, including retrieving, tagging, storing and inventorying abandoned, illegally parked, or found bicycles.” The job description doesn’t say anything about Facebook Marketplace string operations but don’t let that stop you!
Draft All Ages and Abilities Bike Network Plan
The Cap Times had a nice article on the Draft AAA Bike Network Plan. If you haven’t, please take time to read the draft, review the maps, and submit your comments.
I have a few problems with how the AAA facilities are rated and characterized. Specifically,
- The Mineral Point Rd sidepath near West Towne is not low-stress. West of Gammon Rd are 20 crossings in one mile. This past Saturday morning, I experienced two right-hooks and one encroachment on this stretch. Three close-calls in as many minutes! The only reason I’m not writing this from a hospital is because I, like most frequent users of that path, simply expect drivers to drive badly. In Level of Traffic Stress (“LTS”) terms, that path is definitely a 3.
- The plan’s map doesn’t discriminate about which side of the road the facility is on. E.g., Mineral Point Rd by West Towne is shown as a fully AAA route, but that sidepath is on the north side and does little to help one reach the many south side businesses. One of the two serious bike crashes involving that path since it opened was a rider trying to get to/from West Towne Mall.
I very much appreciate the effort going into the AAA Bike Network, but I also want to be realistic about what truely counts as low stress.
That’s it for the weekly update. Ride safely and enjoy the sunny weather!
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!
