March is here, and while we’re oscillating wildly between May and February weather, there are some exciting signs of the season turning. BCycle comes back into service on Friday, Bikeorama is this weekend, and there’s a whole pile of news to dig into. Let’s get to it.
BCycle Returns Friday
The big news for casual and commuter riders alike: BCycle officially returns to service this Friday for the 2026 season. If you’ve been eyeing those empty docking stations all winter, your patience has been rewarded. And here’s a nice bonus: BCycle is offering a free month with code FREEMONTH, valid through the end of April. Good excuse to sign up or get a friend started.
Spring Election Questionnaire Responses Are Up
We sent out our 2026 Spring Election questionnaire to candidates, and we got a really good yield of responses this year. If you want to know where candidates stand on bike and transportation issues before you vote, head over and take a look. I’d encourage you to share it with friends and neighbors who might know much about their local races. If you don’t know who your alder is, there’s a link to the City’s site that will look them up for you.
The spring election is on Tuesday, April 7 and also has an always-important State Supreme Court race.
Odana Hills Path Connection
Big news on the west side path network front! The City announced last week that a substantial private gift will fund a redesign of Odana Hills golf course (similar to Glenway a few years back), with construction potentially starting as early as 2027. The Wisconsin State Journal (paywalled) has additional reporting on the details. While a lot is still up in the air about the golf course itself, the City’s announcement specifically mentions expanding the West Beltline Path between South Gammon Road and South Whitney Way along the south side of the course to link up with the Southwest Commuter Path, plus improving stormwater systems in and around the park.
We’d previously thought this path connection would need to wait until changes are made to Whitney Way and the Beltline, so it’s worth noting it could potentially happen sooner. Madison Bikes’ Craig has been digging into the details and notes that the pressing question becomes where and how to cross Whitney Way. The obvious answer is through the Milward Drive easement to the West Beltline Path, which has room for a future overpass. But Medical Circle also looks like a possibility that might connect better to the HyVee area. There are also questions about how future Beltline plans interact with all of this. We’ll keep you posted as things develop.
Vote Madison for Strongest Town
Our friends at Strong Towns have asked us to spread the word: Madison is competing in the 2026 Strongest Town Contest, and voting is open throughout the month of March. If you think Madison deserves recognition for investing in great streets, bike infrastructure, and sustainable transportation, go cast your vote. You can vote throughout the whole month, so set a reminder and keep at it.
This Week
On Monday at 6 PM, the Madison Bikes board meets in person at Madison Central Library. Board meetings are open to everyone, so if you’re curious about what we’re working on, feel free to stop by.
On Tuesday at 4:30 PM, the Alliant Energy Center is hosting a Master Plan Town Hall to discuss their future plans. This includes a facilities expansion, a new 13-acre “365 Destination” mixed-use district with restaurants, hospitality, and entertainment, a larger “Destination District,” and a Traffic Master Plan to tie it all together. Their newsletter notes that several key infrastructure projects just outside the campus, including the John Nolen Drive reconstruction, the Madison LakeWay Vision, and a Rimrock Road rebuild, are designed to improve access for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers. If you’re interested, there’s an RSVP flyer here.
On Wednesday at 6 PM, the Madison Queer Bike Ride rolls out from Law Park. This is the monthly second-Wednesday group ride, party pace, all welcome. A great way to shake off the early-March cobwebs.
Also on Wednesday at 6 PM, the City is hosting a virtual public input meeting on the Moorland Road path project, running until 7:30 PM. Got thoughts about this one? Here’s your chance to share them. (Zoom Registration).
On Friday, to reiterate, BCycle returns to service for the 2026 season. Time to dust off that membership (or sign up for a new one) and start rolling. Remember, code FREEMONTH gets you a free month, and it’s good through the end of April.
We’ll be bringing stations back online throughout the day, so check the BCycle App before heading out to see real-time station and bike availability.
And finally, this weekend is Bikeorama. Running Friday through Sunday (March 13-15) at the New Holland Pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center. If you haven’t been, it’s basically a big bike expo with vendors, demos, and all things cycling. A great way to start thinking seriously about the riding season ahead. Admission and bike parking are free, but car parking ain’t!
Coming Up
On Saturday, April 11, the Middleton PD in concert with Wisconsin Bike Federation is offering a free Bike Safety teaching certification course at Elm Lawn Elementary School in Middleton from 11:30 AM to 5 PM. This is in preparation for the June 6th Middleton Bike Rodeo, and they can train up to 16 people. If you’re interested in getting certified to teach bike safety, email James Blodgett directly at jameswblodgett@gmail.com.
Also worthy of note: the Bike Fed’s education team is hiring four Dane County high school students for its paid, part-time Transportation Ambassadors internship program. It’s a 12-month gig starting in June, open to students across Dane County who will be in high school during the 2026-27 school year. If you know a young person who likes bikes and is interested in transportation, urban planning, environmental science, or political science, point them toward this. Applications are open through Sunday, April 12, and details are available in English and Spanish. Questions and applications can go to Shawn Koval at shawn.koval@wisconsinbikefed.org.
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!
