Month: June 2026

‘Ride’ Madison’s newest bike path

What’s that? You couldn’t make it to the ribbon-cutting celebration (hosted by Madison Bikes, Oakwood Prairie Ridge and Sun Prairie Moves) for the Tancho Bike Path? Then you may not necessarily know what’s so great about a short stretch of paved path on the far east side of Madison.

You’re in luck! This video tour, produced by Harald Kliems, is the next best thing to being there. And Harald will fill you in on the importance of this new Madison- Sun Prairie connection as you go.

Bike safe in the heat

The National Weather Service is forecasting pizza-oven temps with pea-soup humidity this week, featuring highs mostly over 90 and lows hardly ever below 70. When we think about bike safety, vehicle traffic feels like the most pressing concern. But bicycling is active transportation, and getting around under your own power is only more fraught when the weather is trying to melt you onto your saddle.

Take some tips from the League of American Cyclists. Highlights include:

• Hydrate! There were times when I wondered if my basic training drill sergeants knew any English phrases other than “DRINK WATER!” But, darn it if they weren’t onto something. You gotta replenish the fluids you feel soaking into your clothes or you will never make it to that ice cream reward.
• Plan ahead! Do you need to ride on Wednesday? It’s going to be 78° F — “F,” indeed! — at 8 a.m. That’s gross, but it sure beats the 91° forecast for 2 p.m. Pick the coolest times to pedal.
• Park in the shade, if you can. Those stylish black metal and leather parts of your ride will reach scorching temps if they sit in the sun for hours. Spare yourself a yelp and the extra heat by finding a spot out of the sun.

Keep on stoppin’

Regular readers may recall last week’s newsletter, when Craig Weinhold asked, “Is there a lawyer in the house?” Craig wanted help interpreting § 346.37(1)(c)2 — specifically, “No … bicyclist … facing [a red light] shall enter … the roadway unless he or she can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.” — to see if it counts as a “red-light-as-stop,” a version of what is also known as an “Idaho Stop.”

Several astute legal philosophers who saw Craig’s post pointed out that for a bicyclist to enter the roadway, they would first need to be not on the roadway. Which is to say, this law applies only to bikers on sidewalks or paths. It goes back to 1985 and was one of several law changes to give bicyclists on sidewalks the same rights as pedestrians. So, no, red lights are still red lights. If we want to treat them like stop signs, Craig says, we need to keep pushing for statewide Idaho Stop legislation.

Construction updates

• Virginia Terrace, a Regent Street tributary just south of Madison West High School, will experience a brief-but-major construction project starting July 6.
• Thomas Murphy notes that signs are up announcing the closure of UW–Madison’s Lot 39 for resurfacing. That’s near Linden Drive and the north end of the Campus Drive bike/pedestrian overpass, and may require some creative noodling for access.

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!

Madison’s summer is in high gear with Concerts on the Square, Farmers’ Markets, Parks Alive, and too many celebrations and parties to count. Make Music Madison was delightful, despite the drizzly weather. This week, be sure to stop in at the Harry Whitehorse International Wood Carving Festival at Monona’s San Damiano. It’s free and really convenient for anyone biking around Lake Monona.

Tancho Path Ribbon Cutting

At last, the Tancho Path is complete. To celebrate, Madison Bikes, Oakwood Prairie Ridge, and Sun Prairie Moves are hosting a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Friday, June 26, at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge Campus, 5565 Tancho Dr.

The path connects to the new 23-mile Sun Prairie Bike Loop and existing bike infrastructure on Madison’s far east side. Oakwood Prairie Ridge expects residents to use it often, especially those who previously had limited places to ride or had to use less comfortable routes, such as Hoepker Rd and American Parkway, to reach shopping, dining, and other local businesses. Older residents with mobility limitations who participate in Oakwood’s Cycling Without Age program will also have access to longer and more varied routes. See short video clips of their comments here.

For more information about the ribbon cutting and the path’s benefits, see this update from Traffic Engineering.

The public ribbon-cutting will include remarks from District 17 Alder Sabrina Madison, City of Sun Prairie Alder Maureen Crombie, Prairie Ridge resident Ed Grys, and City of Madison Director of Transportation Christof Spieler. Oakwood will provide refreshments. Because the path will make it easier for bicyclists to reach Bicycle Benefits locations in Sun Prairie, Madison Bikes will give away a limited number of Bicycle Benefits stickers at the event. Join the fun on Friday!

Coming up

It’ll be a quiet week in Lake Madison…

Tuesday, June 23, 6:30pm, Madison Common Council Agenda shows the only business of note is to vote to adopt the Southwest and Southeast Area Plans. These plans represent over a year of work and public engagement, and they’re pretty good. See more detail about Elver Park below.

Wednesday, June 24, 4:30 – 6:00pm, Madison Parks, 330 E. Lakeside St. Madison LakeWay Public Art Meet and Greet. Madison LakeWay is choosing public art for the John Nolen Drive path; come join the process and see what the artists have proposed.

Wednesday June 24, 7:00 – 8:30pm, Sequoya Library. Alder Bill Tishler’s book club discussion about Strong Towns with local chapter members Josh Olson and Matt Wise.

Wednesday June 24, 6:00pm, the Middleton Conservancy Lands Committee (Zoom) will discuss path and trail design standards, principally within the Pheasant Branch Creek Area. See Mark Opitz’s post on Facebook for more detail.

Quick Notes

• A hairball traffic signal is down. (ouch)

• The E. Mifflin temporary diverter at Patterson is back. (facebook)
• The Lakeshore Path Limnology bypass is still fenced in. (sigh)
• Any lawyers in the house? Take a look at § 346.37(1)(c)2 “No … bicyclist … facing [a red light] shall enter … the roadway unless he or she can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.” Doesn’t that sound identical to the “Red Light-as-Stop” part of the Idaho Stop law?

Elver Park Master Plan

I noticed some opposition to the Southwest area plan from X-C skiers because the plan calls for new paved paths into Elver Park and, at quick glance, some of the new paths seem to cross existing ski trails. But there are two important things to keep in mind:

First, the City will soon be kicking off Elver Park’s own Master Plan process this year to figure out Elver Park expansion (55 new acres!), a new southern entrance, new X-C ski trails, and the new path connectivity. Given the large number of skiiers who also bike (and vice-versa), I hope we all stay factual and collaborative, and avoid unnecessary alarm.

Second, the paths shown on the maps of the Southwest Area Plan are conceptual and not surveyed path routes. Here is a mash-up showing those new conceptual paths overlayed on the current ski trail system:

Last fall, Paul and I looked at these lines closely and walked / surveyed the grades. Here’s what we found:

• The path to the south to Mid Town Rd will not impact current X-C ski trails. This would be year-round and is the most critical of the new connections, becoming a new main route to the Ice Age Junction trail and Verona and serving 1000’s of new housing units in the developments south of Mid-Town Rd. Ideally, the final routing will avoid the steep climb to S. Gammon Rd.
• The path that goes south then west to Valley Ridge Park is doable and won’t impact current X-C ski trails, but it’s going to be an engineering challenge to make it comfortable and safe. It is second most important path, connecting 100’s of residents whose neighborhood is currently locked in by High Point Rd, an uncomfortable biking road. It should be a year-round plowed path.
• The path to the north (New Washburn Way) is far too steep (6%) to be built as shown, so it will need big changes and will likely intersect X-C ski trails in the area. This is also the least important path since the neighborhoods served already have safe routes to Elver Park via sidewalk and bike lane. It can likely remain a seasonal, unplowed path.
• The path east from Valley Ridge Park to the Elver parking lot would be really useful but doesn’t need to be a year-round, plowed path since the longer path to the south is available.
• Finally, even though the new paths might not impact existing X-C trails, plowing of the existing paths in Elver Park will. Perhaps the trickiest part of the Master Plan will be to identify the year-round plowed path that best minimizes X-C trail rerouting and eliminates intersections. This challenge will likely require at least one grade-separated, such as a bridge set into the hill so the plowed path can cross under the X-C ski trails.

I’m excited for the future Elver Park Master Plan and am looking forward to exploring all the possibilities more fully with my X-C friends.

Ride the Drive Volunteers Needed

Ride the Drive requires more than 200 volunteers, and you can still be part of this year’s event on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Help create a welcoming, vibrant experience for 15,000 participants by guiding people at intersections, staffing a booth, or assisting with setup and cleanup. Shifts are fun and just two hours long, leaving plenty of time to volunteer and enjoy the ride. This year only, volunteers will receive both a 2025 hot pink T-shirt and a 2026 T-shirt, with the color to be announced.

Visit ridethedrive.com for additional information about the event including maps, vendor information, and more. Click Here to: BECOME a VOLUNTEER

That’s it for the update. Enjoy your rides!

After all the excitement and activities of Bike Week, this will be a short update. The biggest issue is the Council vote on the Regent Street reconstruction.

I’ve included some links to news outside Madison, for those who live, work, or ride farther out, as well as a reminder about an important event coming this fall.

Regent reconstruction at Council on Tuesday

The biggest event is probably that the Regent St reconstruction will be before the Council on Tuesday. It is item number 94, and you can register to speak or email comments, as well as see all the other items on the agenda or watch the meeting, here. 

You can view all the documents – including staff presentations and public comments – at the Legistar item on the agenda.

The May 18 weekly update has a recap of city committees from Harald. The May 24 blog has links to watch meeting recordings and review city presentations and public comments. And the Cap Times ran a story on the issues on May 25.

Military Ridge Trail detour at Epic

If you ride out past Epic on the Military Ridge, you know there has been quite a bit of construction in the area. Starting June 12, ther will be a detour that will last until until September. You can get all the details on the City of Verona project page.

Sun Prairie Loop opens

Sun Prairie has been working on its bike network, and part of that is a loop around the city. It officially debuted last week. You can view a map of the loop and other Sun Prairie bike routes on the city transportation page.

Weekly rides

Wednesday at 5:30 pm, join the Capital Brewery E-bike ride.

Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, the Machinery Row Lunch/Brunch e-bike ride rolls out. Contact Lauren for more information and the route.

Mark your calendars for the Ride for Your Life on Oct 4

Just a reminder that Madison Bikes is an organizer for the Ride for Your Life, which will take place on October 4 in Madison. We were reminded once again about the need for safer streets for pedestrians and bicyclists with the death on E Washington of Ken Bell while crossing the street legally in a crosswalk. 

At the Transportation Commission meeting last Wednesday, we received an update on both Vision Zero progress and the annual crash report. It’s clear that our most dangerous roads — especially for pedestrians and bicyclists — are ones that the city does not fully control: state and county roads that the city may maintain, but can’t make infrastructure changes without the consent of Wisconsin DOT or Dane County. Examples: E Washington, Park St, Fish Hatchery Rd, Northport Dr, etc.

This is one reason we have to push at all levels for safer streets. Ride for Your Life is a national movement, but Madison was the second city to host a ride, after Washington, DC. Hope you can join us.

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!