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 this week. 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!