The upcoming week is pretty slow. Many weekly rides have wrapped up for the season, even though the weather remains warm. With Daylight Savings Time ending, please remember to carry a light with you, because dusk comes earlier each day. Even if you think that you’ll be home before dark, having a light allows for spontaneous stops, meeting friends, or emergencies like flat tires.
Election Day is Tuesday
The biggest event on the calendar this week is the election on Tuesday. If you haven’t taken advantage of the chance to vote early, well, get your butt to the polls! Your vote can help determine whether there is money at the state and federal level to improve bike facilities, whether the state or federal government supports bike-friendly policies, and whether our transportation system will prioritize only motorized vehicles, often making it more difficult to get around if you don’t want to or can’t drive.
Do your research, check your registration and polling location, make sure you know what and who is on the ballot, and exercise your right to vote. You can find all this information at MyVote.wi.gov.
Near West Side plan meetings
The city is beginning the plan for the near west side, and will be holding the first of several public meetings this week. If you live or work in the area, are interested in development or transportation patterns, or frequent businesses or other locations, you may want to attend one of these meetings. More details and registration for the virtual meetings are at the plan link above.
- Wed, Nov 4, noon-1 pm, virtual (registration required)
- Thu, Nov 5, 6:00-7:30 pm, in-person at the West High School cafeteria
- Mon, Nov 8, 6-7 pm, virtual (registration required)
Out of town trail news
Work has been completed on the box culvert east of Main St in Verona, so the Military Ridge trail through the city is now open between Lincoln and S Franklin St.
The opening for the bridge across the Wisconsin River for the Great Sauk Trail is Wednesday, Nov 5, 2-3 pm. So far the bridge goes south across the river, but then dead ends. A trail to link to Walking Iron County Park in Mazomanie is being built.
The Stewart Tunnel on the Badger State Trail is open, or at least there are no barriers across the trail, and the tunnel is complete. There will be an official opening ceremony at a later date, possibly in the spring.
Winter Bike Fashion Show reminder
Mark your calendars for one of our most popular events: The Winter Bike Fashion Show on Nov 15, from 1:00-4:00 pm at the Goodman Community Center. We will have local community members – including Transportation Director Christof Spieler – modeling how they stay warm, dry, and visible in winter weather. All models will be using their own clothes and bikes and explaining how to put together the right gear for different conditions.
So whether you are winter-biking curious, just want to keep going a little while longer, or are an experienced cold-weather rider, you’re sure to pick up some tips.
If you’d like to help out at the event, please let us know via the volunteer sign up link.
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!
