It’s tough to write about another traffic death but you need to know and the family wants improvements in bike/ped safety. On a positive note, the jurisdictional transfer of connecting highways could make possible and/or hasten improvements that could improve safety and prevent these horrendous events.
Another Tragic Bicycle Death
Tragically, 8-year-old Braeyla Valenza died after being hit by a person driving a car on Wednesday. She was headed home with her brother from a trip to Culvers, “a common occurrence with all the kids in the neighborhood” according to her mother. Braeyla was struck while attempting to cross Broadhead St (County MN) in McFarland on her bicycle. Her family and the community are heartbroken.
Braeyla’s father is calling for improvements to the intersection, calling out the poorly marked crosswalk. He also stated, “We all need to slow down and be aware of our surroundings.” Braeyla’s mother stated that speeding on Broadhead is “problematic,” a sentiment echoed by others in the neighborhood. Speed may have contributed to the crash, but a police investigation is underway.
Chip Sealing in Districts 15 and 19
It’s that time of year again. Chip sealing is underway. Chip sealing involves applying a layer of gravel to the street to preserve the pavement but makes for slippery, dusty conditions for bicyclists. The roads impacted are mostly in districts 15 and 19, and include the Lake Loop and other roads frequented by bicyclists. Use caution or try to avoid these roads if you can for the next few weeks. If you must use the sidewalk, remember that bicyclists must always yield to pedestrians. Maps of the impacted areas are below.
Chip seal map – District 15 – East side, includes Lake Loop
Chip seal map – District 19 – West side, includes Old Sauk Rd, Old Middleton Rd
Transportation Commission Meeting
A fairly light agenda this Wednesday at 5PM. A couple of items of interest:
- The jurisdictional transfer agreement between the Wisconsin DOT and the City of Madison. Wisconsin DOT would still need to approve the plan this fall, but if all goes well, Madison would take control of some connecting highways in the city. Specifically, this would be S. Park, Blair, the section of JND that travels under Monona Terrace, Northshore, Proudfit, W Washington. Highway 151 would be routed onto the beltline and the interstate. These changes would give the city more control over design, making it much easier for the city to plan long term strategies for these roads and implement safety strategies such as installing traffic signals on South Park. Here’s a discussion of the proposal on WORT which includes a link to Madison Director of Transportation Christoph Spieler’s description of the proposal to the Public Works Committee.
- An update and discussion of no turn on red (NTOR). The staff presentation includes background and rationale for right turn on red and NTOR restrictions, a summary of research and national practice, and a review of Madison’s use of NTOR
John Nolen Drive (JND) Path Closes Tonight (July 13)
The implementation of Phase 1 of the master plan refinement continues. JND will be closed to build three new bicycle bridges and new bikeways and walkways. The section of the JND Path between Lakeside St and Broom St will close overnight on Monday, July 13 and will remain closed for approximately a year. The John Nolen Dr crossing at North Shore Dr and The Capital City Trail between S Bedford St and E Lakeside St have been removed until the project is completed. A detour route (see map below) comprised of low stress shared use paths and bicycle boulevards, will be posted around Monona Bay. While this route adds about 1.5 miles to your trip, it is relatively peaceful and now it’s not out of your way to stop at the Lakeside coffee shop.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. The path will reopen in July or August of 2027. When it reopens, the path will be transformed by the following improvements:
- The bike path will be widened to 10 feet
- There will be separate paths for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Bikes and pedestrian paths will be located farther from the roadway
- Motor vehicle speeds will be lower.
Eventually, when shoreline and other improvements are completed, bicycles and pedestrians will be traveling through a beautiful 37-acre linear park.
Shaping Safer Streets: Help Madison Prevent Impaired Driving
Impaired driving causes significant morbidity and mortality in Madison. During 2023, 2024 and 2025 there were 861 total crashes that were flagged for impairment resulting in 18 fatalities and 416 injuries. Cyclists and other vulnerable users are at the highest risk of injury because they lack the structural protection of a motor vehicle.
Impaired Driving is preventable and can be reduced using countermeasures, such as designated driver programs and safety-designed alcohol retail laws. See the data on impaired driving here.
There are two upcoming opportunities to get involved:
- Visit a Library Tabling Event: Stop by a local library to learn about Vision Zero’s Impaired Driving Prevention Program.
- Participate in a focus group. Help the City of Madison’s Transportation and Public Health departments formulate campaign messages and ride share options. These one-hour sessions occur between July 13 and August 7 at four libraries. You get a $25 gift card for your efforts.
For more information or to sign up for a focus group follow this this link.
Vision Zero Update
The latest quarterly Vision Zero Newsletter is out. It’s a fairly quick read (6 pages) and explains a couple of recent reconstruction projects and has an overview of curb management, and signage. If you want more, like me, the Vision Zero Progress Report is also worth reading. It’s a 39-page update from 2022-2024 whereas the previous update was 2020-2022. The current update is a great reference to have at your fingertips that provides background, data, and rationale for the city’s actions. It gives detail and illustrations for individual projects as illustrated below.
The report has lots of references and detailed data, although, unfortunately, most of these are not hyperlinked.
Most of the time progress on improving our bike/ped infrastructure seems glacial. Reading this report helped me realize that although we have a long way to go, there is progress.
Watch the Tour at Cafe Domestique
Tour de France public viewing
Café Domestique – Northstreet
Saturday, July 18 8:00 – 10:00am
Come watch some pro bike racing at @cafedomestiquemadison (North Street location) this year! BD will be hosting watch parties for 4 races this year. We’ll be starting at 8am, and watching along live to the finish (usually about the last 1.5-2 hours).
Everyone is welcome, whether you know the whole Lidl Trek roster by heart or you don’t know Le Tour from Pierre Latour. Grab a coffee and chit chat with some likeminded cycling fans
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Just a quick reminder that the Parks Department still needs volunteers for Ride the Drive.
Next week we’ll be asking you to help Madison Bikes staff our booth on the square on August 9. We’ll offer a link to sign up in our update. That’s it for the update. Stay cool!
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!
