This is the week! The 25th Anniversary (and second time in Madison) edition of the Bicycle Film Festival is happening this Thursday! Tickets are still available as of now, but don’t wait too long. Full details about the festival are available here. We’ll have door prizes and there is a pre-festival social hour at Working Draft, with a special appearance by the Chef At Large food cart. Will we see you on Thursday?
Week Without Driving starts today
Did you know that about 30-40% of residents in Dane County are non-drivers? That is, they can’t or don’t drive at all. Because they’re too young, too old, have a disability that prevents them from driving, can’t afford to drive, don’t have a drivers’ license, or choose not to drive for some reason or the other. Non-drivers face many challenges, such as inadequate transit service, missing sidewalks, unsafe bike conditions, etc. Week Without Driving invites elected officials, transportation professionals, policymakers, and community members to step into the shoes of non-drivers by not driving from Sept 29 to October 5 and reflecting on that experience.
Week Without Driving panel discussion in Madison
In addition, there are also community discussions about the week. You already missed the one in Madison, which took place yesterday (and was wonderful!). But you can still join the discussions in Sun Prairie on Tuesday and Fitchburg on Thursday. Virtual options are included, and the recordings will be made available later. You can also watch a short intro video with Anna Zivarts, the author and activist who came up with Week Without Driving (and apparently considered moving to Madison after she visited in 2024!)
Bike Advocacy Meetup on Sunday
On Sunday, join the monthly Bike Advocacy meetup at Machinery Row. These meetups aim to connect and empower people from the Madison community to collaborate, learn, and strategize ways to make Madison more bike friendly. It’s a welcoming crowd and you don’t need to a bike or bike advocacy nerd to join. 5-6:30 pm at Machinery Row.
Can’t make it in person? There’s an online community on Discord as well: https://discord.gg/QJBt5e5K (link expires in 7 days)
Lake Wingra Community Ride a success
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway at the start of the ride
It was the most beautiful weather imaginable for the inaugural Lake Wingra Community Ride. The ride celebrated the creation of the Lake Wingra Loop, a 6.5 mile route that features natural, historical, and cultural highlights. About 60 community leaders, businesses, elected officials, and people enjoying the route came together and stopped at the various points of interest along the route. There will be likely be another community ride next year, but for now you can experience the route at your pace, whenever you like. Check out the story map here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/52bda717b8a544169a62f691746c77b8
Phil Gaebler (City of Madison Engineering) providing information about stormwater management
Two weeks from today, on October 2, the 25th anniversary edition of the Bicycle Film Festival will be in Madison! Join us at the Barrymore Theater (and the pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company). If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, now is a great time to do so: https://barrymorelive.com/event/25th-annual-bicycle-film-festival-madison Need another reason to attend? We’ll have some cool door prizes!
Documentaries, narratives, animations, award-winning directors, and emerging talents – all share equal billing. Take a journey around the globe. BFF Madison features curated stories about:
In South Africa, a young women’s cycling group empowers women to defy norms, find freedom, and dream big through cycling.
Cyclists in London ride through the city distributing food and necessities to those in need, pedaling toward social change.
A spiritual cyclist from India spreads happiness wherever his journey takes him.
In rural China, a migrant worker collects and resells styrofoam boxes using her bike—a story scored by music from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
See the three-day La Crosse Omnium in La Crosse, Wisconsin from the perspective of youth cyclists.
A World Bicycle Relief documentary highlights the creation of the Buffalo Bicycle, a rugged bike designed to serve marginalized rural communities
One documentary reminds us that the simple joy of wind in your hair while cycling is something everyone can experience. At any age, in any stage of life.
The pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company starts at 4pm. It’ll be a great opportunity to chat with folks, enjoy non-alcoholic drinks or a beer, and grab some delicious food from Chef at Large Catering. Nobody wants to go to the movies hungry!
We’ll have supervised bike parking right next to the Barrymore, courtesy of Level 5 Donuts and Fortune Favors. What’s supervised bike parking? We set up portable racks and will have someone at the racks at all times. You still need to bring your own lock.
BFF Madison is hosted by Madison Bikes. Supervised bike parking will be provided.
Documentaries, narratives, animations, award-winning directors, and emerging talents – all share equal billing. Take a journey around the globe. BFF Madison features curated stories about:
In South Africa, a young women’s cycling group empowers women to defy norms, find freedom, and dream big through cycling.
Cyclists in London ride through the city distributing food and necessities to those in need, pedaling toward social change.
A spiritual cyclist from India spreads happiness wherever his journey takes him.
In rural China, a migrant worker collects and resells styrofoam boxes using her bike—a story scored by music from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
See the three-day La Crosse Omnium in La Crosse, Wisconsin from the perspective of youth cyclists.
A World Bicycle Relief documentary highlights the creation of the Buffalo Bicycle, a rugged bike designed to serve marginalized rural communities
One documentary reminds us that the simple joy of wind in your hair while cycling is something everyone can experience. At any age, in any stage of life.
Join us for a pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company starting at 4pm. There will be beer and NA beverage options available to purchase along with food from Chef at Large Catering for your after-work or pre-show meal. More information here https://www.facebook.com/events/1474380100542630/
The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) is a global celebration of movement, creativity, and contemporary culture, anchored in cycling and expressed through film, art, music, and immersive experiences. Since 2001, BFF has toured over 100 cities, from Tokyo and Paris to New York and Istanbul, engaging more than a million attendees in person and millions more online.
BFF partners with leading institutions such as the Sydney Opera House, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Barbican. Artists like Erykah Badu, Daft Punk, Kaws, and Spike Jonze have attended and/or participated. The festival features curated films, exhibitions, performances, and culinary events that reflect a sophisticated lifestyle.
A blurry photo from a 2017 public input meeting about Wilson Street from my archives.
We mentioned it before: After almost seven years, the Wilson Street corridor project is complete. What started as a plan to merely repave Wilson Street, with no safe accommodations for people on bikes, turned into a corridor study turned into protected bike infrastructure on the ground. I feel confident in saying that without the work of Madison Bikes and its community, since the very beginning of the project, we would not have a continuous, protected, two-way bike lane along Wilson Street. Now it’s time to celebrate: Join me on Wednesday morning for a short bike ride to the city’s ribbon cutting for the project. We meet at 8:30 am at Crazylegs Plaza (Southwest Path near Camp Randall Stadium) and depart at 8:40 for the 9 am press conference by the city.
City engineer Jim Wolfe has it right:
“Wilson Street is such a critical transportation corridor to connect downtown with John Nolen Drive and the primary bike trails through the city, including the Capital City Trail and the Southwest Path. Prior to these projects, access to downtown by bicycle could be challenging, with primarily just shared lanes on streets and on streets with steep hills. Wilson Street now provides a good option for people of all ages and abilities, without sacrificing any of the other important uses of the street. It will now more broadly serve all of the residents, visitors, and businesses that use Wilson Street now and into the future.
BCycle coming to Middleton? Possibly!
Yes, BCycle may expand its network to our neighbor in the west! The Middleton city council approved an application for Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding last week. If the application is successful, it would pay for several BCycle stations in Middleton (locations TBD), which could be open as soon as spring 2026.
In the meantime, join Capital Brewery Bike Club, BCycle, and the City of Middleton for a BCycle Test Ride and Group Ride event. This Wednesday at 4 pm, there will be an intro to BCycle and free test rides at Stone Horse Green, followed by a 5:30 pm e-bike group ride by the Capital Brewery Bike Club.
Event Schedule – Wednesday, Aug. 20
4:00–5:30 PM – Stone Horse Green, Downtown Middleton
• Free B-Cycle test rides & demonstrations — a great way to explore downtown Middleton
• Community gathering to share bike advocacy and e-bike knowledge
• Meet city leaders, local businesses, and potential riders
5:30 PM – Capital Brewery
• CBBC E-Bike Group Ride — Short & long route options touring Middleton’s highlights & potential B-Cycle station sites
• All bikes welcome — or borrow one of the 12 B-Cycles on site
• Post-ride B-Cycle Q&A at the Brewery
Pedals and Pixels Showcase Gallery Event
As the culmination of a summer workshop program, this Wednesday Bikes for Kids Wisconsin and Black Girl Magic will present their “Pedals and Pixels Showcase Gallery Event” this Wednesday. Come to MyArts on 1055 E Mifflin between 6 and 8 pm and follow the adventures that 10 middle school girls had on their bikes over the summer. Their stories will be shared through their photography, creative writing, and spoken word. If you can’t make it on Wednesday: The artwork will be on display for one month after the event. Learn more about the program and the event at https://bikesforkidswi.org/pedalspixels2025/
Midvale survey reminder
Another reminder to complete the Midvale resurfacing survey if you haven’t done so already. You can chime in on three possible options for the resurfacing: One of the options includes bike lanes on Midvale; two do not but offer improvements elsewhere. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RZ7RZLF
Each week, Little Bellas adult mentors will lead participants on a trail ride and in skill-building games with the goal of building their confidence and enthusiasm for mountain biking in a non-competitive setting.This program will be held on Monday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 PM beginning September 8th and ending October 27th at Quarry Ridge Recreation Area in Fitchburg. It is open to girls ages 7-13.
A reminder that you can join the Madison Bike Advocacy Discord server to chat with fellow advocates. The current invite link is https://discord.gg/3ea9pa3F. To protect the channel from spam, the link expires after 7 days. Feel free to email us if you need a new link.
How have you been dealing with the heat? Did you go biking anyway? I’ve been out despite the heat, exploring new multi-use trails on the west side. But I took it slow and hydrated a lot. Also watch out for branches and downed trees!
Biking and Walking Survey (no, not that one)
Have you taken the city’s survey on walking and biking in Madison yet? You may think you have, but it’s possible that you were thinking of the Greater Madison MPO survey instead. Arguably, the city’s survey is even more important, as the data from it will be used to create what is effectively a bike network plan. So please take the time and take the survey.
A quick reminder that the City of Madison is updating its Pedestrian Plan and finalizing its All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bike Network and we want to hear from you! Please complete a short survey to tell us about how and where you walk, bike, and roll in Madison and provide input on draft plan goals. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and your responses are anonymous. Your input will inform the planning process and recommendations.
Someone was hit by a driver while biking on the Yahara River Trail (Ed Jepsen Way) and is looking for a witness. If you’re that person or have any other tips, please email us at info@madisonbikes.org and we’ll pass the information along:
There was a really lovely femme person who talked to me on the phone! Unfortunately, the police did not interview any of the witnesses, nor did they follow up for my friends statement like they said they would and they did not get any report of damages to their bike/other personal belongings. Additionally, the report does not specify that this person ran through a stop sign.
I am looking for folks who witnessed my friend get hit by a red mini van with IL plates on June 11th around 5:00 PM near the bike path on the Yahara River Trail, (near the river) on Main Street.
We’re just trying to gather info for them so that they can file a more accurate report.
Bike Benefits Spotlight Ride: Bandit Tacos
Bike Benefits encourages biking to local businesses through an incentive awarded to patrons who show up on a bike and display their Bike Benefits helmet sticker. Madison Bikes will periodically arrange spotlight rides to Bike Benefits businesses. If your business is interested in putting on a spotlight ride, contact Madison Bikes.
This week we are spotlighting Bandit Tacos as a Bike Benefits member. Join Motorless Motion for their Wednesday Bandit Tacos ride at 6PM on June 25 at 640 W Washington Ave. Craig Weinhold from Madison Bikes will accompany riders and fill us in on the latest plans for bike infrastructure along the route. His wealth of information always makes infrastructure fun. Discounted tacos are available after the ride, of course. For more information contact Brooke Carey at brooke@motorlessmotionbicycles.com.
Bike advocacy Discord server
There’s a new way to organize and chat about bike advocacy in the Madison area: Borne out of discussions at the Machinery Row bike advocacy meetups, there was a sense “that the Madison community could use a platform enabling more two-way communication and online community building.” As a result, Dan and Lauren created a Discord server. You can check out the server with this invite link (sorry, the previously posted link was expired):
Southwest and Southeast area plans at Transportation Commission
The process to create area plans for the southeast and southwest plan areas continues. These plans set a long-term vision for aspects such as housing, transportation, land use, and community facilities. This Wednesday, the Transportation Commission will get an update about the public input so far. You can submit public comment to the commission by emailing TransportationCommission@cityofmadison.com or registering for comment at the meeting at https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register Here are two slides from the presentation about the plan:
Corrections: Wilson Street video link and Blackhawk Path
Last week’s newsletter had a link to a video from the (almost) open Wilson Street protected bike lane. Unfortunately, shortly after the newsletter went out, the video was taken down. Here’s the new link if you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/idpjKvixwqI
The newsletter also mentioned that the closure of the Blackhawk Path in Shorewood Hills was over. Several readers pointed out that the barriers are back now. You can find the latest construction updates here: https://www.madsewer.org/project/west-interceptor-shorewood-relief/
Metro buses with Madison Bike Week ads are out and about!
Let’s start with Madison Bike Week: We’re less than one month out. You may have seen a Bike Week ad on a Metro bus, or maybe you spotted one of our posters at a local business.
Event submission have been rolling in at a steady pace, and if I’m counting right, we’re at 21 events already. What are they? Well, you need to be a little patient still. We’ll reveal the initial schedule next Monday! In the meantime: Consider whether you want to organize an event yourself, or talk a friend, your employer, club, or anyone else into it. It’s free, it’s fun, and it builds community. Check our our FAQ or go straight to the registration form. Oh, and remember that we also offer small grants to Madison Bike Week event organizers!
Bikes for Kids sale
Our friends at Bikes for Kids Wisconsin are holding their Everything Bikes Annual Sale at their location on Coyier Lane on Saturday:
It’s the largest used bike sale in the city! Head to Bikes for Kids Wisconsin on Saturday, May 10th, 2025 between 10am and 2pm to view hundreds of bikes at the lowest prices around.
We’ll have something for everyone! Accessories include bike trailers, tagalongs, car racks, bike trainers, a wide array of parts, bags, mirrors, clothes, baskets, and more. We’ll also have vintage bikes, high-end road bikes, e-bikes new and used, folding bikes, and tandems for sale. Prices will be marked and some items will be make an offer. Cash and Card Sales supported.
All purchases support our mission of making bicycle transportation accessible for all!
Climate grant for Vel Phillips Memorial High School Bike Club
The City of Madison announced its latest Youth Action Climate Fund awards recently. Among the 17 funded project is a $5000 grant for the Memorial High School Bike Club.
The grant […] will help to fund essential tools, bike racks and storage equipment, while also supporting an upcoming field trip to Trek Bicycle’s global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin. […]
“This grant really helps us make biking more accessible for students,” said Grace Riedle-Joranlien, Memorial art teacher and Bike Club advisor. “We want to create a culture where students feel empowered to ride to school and take care of their own bikes—where a flat tire or a broken chain isn’t a barrier.”
The club’s origin story is rooted in community partnerships and a strong student interest in biking. The Wisconsin Bike Fed, a nonprofit focused on increasing bike ridership across the state, approached the school last spring to gauge interest in launching a student-led club focused on bike mechanics, commuting and sustainability. Thanks in large part to the organization’s support, the club now meets weekly during lunch, offering students the chance to repair and refurbish unused bikes for school and community use.
Congrats to the students! Read the full news release here.
Construction starting on North Shore Drive Path
First signs of construction starting
This week marks the launch of construction of the first segment of a new multi-use path along the south north side of North Shore Drive. This will create a new connection from the SW Commuter Path to S Bedford St. And in a future phase, to done together with the John Nolen Drive reconstruction, the path will connect all the way to John Nolen Drive and to Bassett Street.
On the east side, two other bicycle improvement projects will start construction as well. See all the details here.
Apologies for the delay in getting this week’s newsletter sent to you.
Last year’s Bike Wash (Photo: Beth Skogen Photography)
Spring Bike Wash this SaturdaySunday!
The weather this week does not look too promising, but on SaturdaySunday things should be perfect for our Spring Bike Wash! From 2-4 pm, come join us and our friends from Freewheel on Clark Court (right next to Brittingham Park) to get that winter gunk off your bike and have the bike checked for safety and minor mechanical issues. You bring the bike; we bring the power washers, chain lube, rags, and mechanically inclined volunteers. Watch the news clip from last year’s event to get you in the mood! If the weather forecast starts looking questionable, please check the event’s Facebook page the day of for last minute updates.
A new street on the Southwest Side
The Transportation Commission is meeting Wednesday. One item of interest on their agenda: An extension of High Point Road at its southern end. The whole area, formerly home to the Marty Century Farm is being redeveloped.
Project locationOption with center turn lane
The proposed street would include unprotected on-street bike lanes and a multi-use path on one side of the street. The road would either be divided by a median or have a center two-way turn lane in the middle. The intersection with Raymond Road would either be a traditional intersection or a roundabout. If you have input on the design, you can email transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com or register to speak at the meeting. https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register
Save the dates: Driving Federal Bike Safety Legislation & Two Wheels, Many Stories
Are you interested in getting involved in bike advocacy, but don’t know where to start? Join us April 23rd at Machinery Row to learn about progress being made on federal bike safety legislation, hear first hand accounts of advocacy work, and take action though a guided communication to your elected officials. Alicia Bosscher, Dirk Debbink, and Mike Ridgeman will share the story of Sarah Debbink Langenkamp’s tragic death to traffic violence, share details about the bill named after Sarah and its progress, and help attendees to write letters to their own representatives. Whether you’re a long time advocate or just getting started with bike advocacy, come by to learn something new and take action!
Please note that the event is from 7 to 8:30 PM, not from 6:30 to 8 PM as the graphic says.
Join Madison Bikes, in partnership with UW European Studies, in a speaker session and mini-documentary screening with Julia Bourdet, a French artist and author who traveled across the United States by bicycle and train, interviewing climate activists and collecting material for her upcoming graphic novel. The presentation will include previews of the upcoming book, which combines real-life observations, fictional storytelling, and journal fragments to create a story about climate and ecological awareness.
In keeping with her commitment to reducing her carbon footprint, Julia Bourdet will be joining us virtually from France to discuss her project and virtual mini documentary screening.
Door zone bike lanes on an all ages and abilities street?
On Wednesday, the Transportation Commission has early feedback on the Pflaum Road project on the agenda. The agenda item doesn’t have a presentation attached yet, but there was a public meeting last week that showed a proposed layout.
Current conditions on Pflaum: No bike infrastructure at all
According to the city’s Complete Green Streets policy, Pflaum Road is on the All-Ages-and-Abilities bike network, that is, a street where policy is “to prioritize high-comfort bikeways.” However, the city is proposing to add a “door zone,” unprotected bike lane, squeezed in between car parking on one side and car traffic on the other.
Another item on the commission’s agenda: Reviewing the 2024 Annual Transportation Operations Report. There are lots of interesting facts and figures about transportation in Madison in the report. Among them, on page 14, is an overview of the bicycle improvements that were completed last year:
Stoughton Road North public hearing
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is hosting a public hearing about their Stoughton Road North project on MondayTuesday. This section of the project goes from Highway 30 to Anderson Road/Highway CV. A separate project covers the section south of there.
Most notably for people on bikes, WisDOT is showing a new shared use path along Stoughton Road from Highway 30 to Kinsman, and then from Hoepker north. This leaves a large gap along the airport — apparently there are some sort of FAA regulations that don’t allow a new path to be built there.
The public hearing will be at Madison College – Truax Building, Conference Room D1630, from 4 to 7 pm. You can also provide written testimony by emailing jeff.berens@dot.wi.gov
Two bike touring events this week!
On SaturdaySunday (!), join us for our bike packing and bike touring 101 and social! The event is geared both toward folks who are curious about or new to bike packing and touring, as well as more experienced folks. We’ll have a presentation about fundamentals, and then several community members will share their experiences doing different styles of bike touring, followed by a social. We’ll be at the Goodman Center in the Merryl Lynch Room from 2 to 4 pm. You can bring your own food and drink (but no alcohol).
If you’d rather keep your biking more local, Cool Bikes North is hosting a Bicycle Show ‘n’ Tell on Local Bike Routes on Thursday.
Come by March 20th for this free event from 6-8pm, and hear what our selection of local riders and routemakers have to offer for your spring riding inspiration!
This position helps fulfill the mission of our agency by advancing Madison’s sustainability, safety, and equity goals through innovative transportation planning initiatives. This role leads the implementation and maintenance of the City’s Complete Green Streets policy while supporting other key transportation plans, programs, and policies. By collaborating across departments, engaging with stakeholders, and refining planning processes, this position ensures Madison’s transportation system is equitable, efficient, and sustainable.
Vote vote vote!
A quick reminder to vote in the April 1 elections! In addition to the State Supreme Court, school board, and a constitutional referendum, all seats on the city council are up for election. Madison Bikes and a couple partner orgs sent a questionnaire to all candidates to help educate voters. See their answers here: https://www.madisonbikes.org/madison-spring-elections-2025/
Military Ridge closure in Verona
A lot of highway expansion projects are happening out by Epic in Verona. One of them is leading to a temporary closure of the Military Ridge Trail. WisDOT says that the work will be be done by Memorial Day and will include underpass improvements to mitigate (but not eliminate) flooding. Our board member Craig put together this visual of the closure and its detour:
Syene Rd path closure
Fitchburg is preparing to rebuild the intersection of Syene Rd, McCoy Rd, and the Cap City Trail. We’ll discuss this in more detail in future updates, but for now the path to the south is closed. Enjoy biking on Syene!
A lot of B’s are in this week’s newsletter title, and not all of them stand for “bike.” There are several public meetings and fun events, and we have a recap of some things that happened last week. Let’s get started.
Midvale Boulevard public meeting
On Thursday at 6:30 PM, the city is holding a public meeting about the resurfacing of Midvale Boulevard from Mineral Point Road to University Ave. Improvements for bike facilities are likely going to be on the menu. Some people have also strongly expressed their support for street parking, which may make some bike improvements difficult or impossible. We’ll see what city staff are going to propose. The meeting is taking place in person at Sequoya Library or online. More information and a sign-up link here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/midvale-boulevard-resurfacing
As we reported last week, the Transportation Commission discussed the situation at the crossing of the Southwest Path with West Washington Ave last Wednesday. Currently there is a button-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the crossing, but the Office of the Commissioner of the Railroads (OCR) has ordered the city to remove the RRFB. City staff presented multiple options for what could replace the RRFB — a full signal, a pedestrian hybrid beacon (formerly known as HAWK signal), or a painted crosswalk without signals — and whether West Wash should go back to 2 lanes in each direction. After a string of crashes this summer, with drivers hitting cyclists in the crossing, the city implemented an experimental lane reduction. The commission provided feedback that staff will now use to develop a proposed solution, to be brought back to another Transportation Commission meeting. Time is tight, as the OCR ordered the city to have a plan submitted by the end of March. The Wisconsin State Journal also covered the discussion, or you can watch the actual meeting on City Channel.
Book club, session 2
The “Killed by a Traffic Engineer” book club, co-organized by the Bike Fed, Machinery Row Cycles, and Madison Bikes, and moderated by District 11 alder Bill Tishler launched yesterday. The second session will take place on February 2 from 4-6 PM. Whereas the first session was in person only, this week you can either join at Machinery Row or by Zoom. More details here. If you can’t make it to the book club, you can watch a webinar with the author here.
Botanizing by Bicycle
On Thursday, head to the Harmony Bar & Grill at 6 PM for a presentation by Wild Ones Madison:
Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting
Bike Fitchburg will have their monthly meeting at the Fitchburg Senior Center in the Syene Room on Monday night at 7 PM. “All who live, work, and/or bike in Fitchburg are welcome to join their voices with ours to make our city an easier, safer, more fun, and more equitable place to bike!”
Save the Date: Winter Bike Day is coming!
International Winter Bike Day is on February 14 and we have planned a few fun things. We’ll share more details soon, or you can check out the Facebook event.
Only a few more days are left in 2024. What were some of this year’s high and low lights for biking in Madison and for Madison Bikes? Here’s my personal perspective. As always, I’m sure I’m forgetting some things! And the post is still going to be long enough that Mailchimp may cut it off.
Before we get into it, I want to thank all of you, our readers and supporters. We’re a small organization, with no paid staff. And so we rely on all of you to make biking better in Madison. You are the ones volunteering. Advocating for bikes with your alders, neighbors, or on (gasp!) NextDoor or Facebook. Writing posts for the newsletter. Reading and forwarding the newsletter. Running for our board or elected office. For showing up at our events. And for donating. We really appreciate it.
Madison Bike Week
“Ride with the Pack” got rained out, unfortunately
Every Madison Bike Week is different. All of them are awesome, and 2024 was no exception. We had some worse-than usual luck with the weather, with several events early in the week getting rained out. But overall we once again we had a wonderful mix of familiar and new events. Biking with your dog. A vintage bike ride. A blessing of the bicycles. The return of Bratcakes. An e-bike expo. Infrastructure tours of the south side, east side, and Middleton. And so on. 89 events total, all organized by individuals, government agencies, community groups, or local businesses! Save the date for 2025: Madison (and Wisconsin) Bike Week will take place from June 1-8.
Infrastructure highlights
I continue to be amazed how much new infrastructure has been completed in the last few years. The city has been exceptionally successful in getting state and federal dollars. And we now see the results of this funding materialize on our streets and paths.
On the east side, the Autumn Ridge Path and overpass form a brand new low-stress link across Highway 30, connecting Sycamore Park and Milwaukee Ave. No longer do you have to contend with drivers through the Thompson Road roundabouts or the cut-through traffic on Swanton Road.
Last year we celebrated the completion of the Broom and West Wilson projects. And in 2025, work started to complete the protected cycle track along East Wilson, from Monona Terrace to the “hairball intersection” of John Nolen, Williamson, and Blair. The project didn’t quite finish in 2024, but some stretches are done already.
On the west side, phase 2 of the multi-use path along Hammersley was completed. Now you can go all the way from the crossing with the SW Path to Brookwood on a separated path.
Mineral Point Road Path
The biggest infrastructure project of the year was the opening of Madison’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) route. There were some negative impacts on biking from that: On about two miles of East Wash, the combines parking/bike lanes disappear during rush hour. But there are also upsides: On the new BRT buses, you can roll your bike on board rather than dealing with a rack on the front of the bus. And as Mineral Point Road was redesigned for BRT buses running in the center lane, the city built a new multi-use path on the north side of the road. There was a lot of controversy about the path: Bikes were pitted against trees (even though the root cause was a decision to keep two car travel lanes on Mineral Point Road). And people had concerns about the safety of a two-way multi-use path along a corridor with many busy driveway crossings. The jury is still out: I have biked on the new path a few times (stay tuned for a video!), and I think overall its somewhat of an improvement over what was there before.
Segoe Road and Sheboygan Ave were both rebuilt this year. Segoe got a curb-protected bike lane from Regent to Sheboygan; and Sheboygan was upgraded from having no bike infrastructure at all to buffered bike lanes. We celebrated the completion of the project with district alder Bill Tishler.
Dane County Park also opened two amazing new paths this year: A new section of boardwalk connects Fish Camp County Park with Lake Kegonsa State Park. And along the shores of Lake Waubesa, a new trail connects Lake Farm and Goodland county parks.
This section is called infrastructure highlights, but there were also two major setbacks: After decades of planning and seeking funding, it looked like we were set for two trail extensions: The Cannonball Path was going to be extended from Fish Hatchery Road to the Wingra Creek Path. And the Cap City trail was finally going to extend past its current terminus on the east side and continue all the way to County Road AB/Buckeye Road. Plans were completed and approved. Funding secured. And then the Office of the Commissioner of the Railroad (OCR) shut it all down. The railroad company didn’t like the new crossings that are required for the two paths, and the OCR agreed with them. It remains to be seen how these projects can move forward in the next year.
Elections and new alliances
Pretty much every year is an election year, and 2024 was no exception. We continued our work of informing voters through candidate questionnaires and debates. This year, the Dane County executive and all county board supervisors were on the ballot.
Long-time executive and champion of many Dane County bike trails Joe Parisi resigned, and Melissa Agard and Dana Pellebon ran to become his successor. As part of the first ever Madison Housing Week, organized by the newly formed Madison Housing Coalition, the two candidates debated their approaches to housing, land use, and transportation.
For the county board election, Madison Bikes teamed up with the Affordable Housing Action Alliance (AHAA), Madison is for People, and Madison Tenant Power (MTP) for on an election questionnaire. We sent questions about making housing more affordable and how the county could better serve the 30-40% of Dane County residents who are non-drivers, and then published the responses on our website ahead of the election.
In 2025, our focus will be on the common council elections.
Area Plans
Speaking of land use and transportation: One key instrument in how our city plans transportation infrastructure, land use, parks, and utilities in the mid and long term is through area plans. The plans cover 13 areas of the city and, once in place, will be updated every 10 years. The first plans to be created and adopted were for the West and Northeast areas. While the Northeast plan was largely uncontroversial, the West area plan was anything but. And biking took a prominent role. One controversy was focused on the Sauk Creek Greenway and whether a bike trail through and across the area should be included in the plan.
Public meetings turned into shouting matches, NextDoor and certainly editorial sections were abuzz, and we did what we could to provide accurate information. In the end, the north-south path along the creek was not included in the plan. But an east-west connection was, as well as safe and protected bike infrastructure on roads parallel to Sauk Creek.
Now that the Northeast and West plans have been adopted by the Common Council, the process for the Southeast and Southwest plans has started. We’ll continue our coverage in the new year.
Community meetings
Winter Bike Social
One innovation for Madison Bikes in 2024 were monthly community meetings. We have hosted many events in the past, but this year we took a more deliberate and inclusive approach: In December of last year, our board members and anyone who was interested met up at the library over pizza and brainstormed ideas for events in 2024.
Touring the Arboretum
This resulted in an awesome spread of topics and events: Of course there was Winter Bike Day, where we handed out donuts and coffee on a freezing February morning. Renee Callaway from the city’s traffic engineering department gave a presentation about “Vision Zero and Active Transportation Planning.” BCycle Madison gave us a tour of their facility. We washed bikes with our friends from Freewheel to celebrate the end of winter. Bike lawyer and Madison Bikes supporter Clay Griessmeyer talked about what to do if you’re involved in a bike crash. An Ecological Restoration Specialist, Eric Grycan, led a bike ride through the Arboretum. Local author and silent sports disciple Timothy Bauer gave a talk about how to combine pedaling and paddling. And we wrapped things up with a Winter Bike Social.
BCycle Madison facility
Our planning meeting for 2025 took place two weeks and resulted in lots of great ideas. Stay tuned! If you have an event that you’d like to organize with us, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Remembering Joseph Solomon
On March 15, Joseph Solomon was biking home from work near East Towne Mall. A turning driver hit and killed Joseph. Fatalities like these like these are tragic, and it’s important to remember those who were killed while biking in our city. And do everything we can to prevent these tragedies in the future.
In the wake of the fatal crash, the city rapidly redesigned the road where the crash happened. They used paint and delineators to rapidly and cheaply implement a “road diet,” or lane reduction: Lien Road was converted from a 4-lane undivided road to two-lane road with a center turn lane and a bike lane separated by flex posts.
Bicycle Film Festival
Madison is known a biking city. And yet, the Bicycle Film Festival has never made a stop here. Until 2024: In October, we brought the festival to the Barrymore Theater. It was a great success, with over 250 attendees. And yes, we’re going to do it again in 2025!
4:00–5:30 PM – Stone Horse Green, Downtown Middleton
