Bicycle Film Festival this Thursday!

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?

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.

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

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

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!

Wilson Street Ribbon Cutting (and a ride)

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

Fall mountain biking for “Little Bellas”

Little Bellas is an inclusive mountain bike mentoring program for girls/young women, aimed at personal growth, empowerment, and community. This fall the local chapter of the group is launching a new weekly program:

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.

Sounds pretty cool to me. Find out more and register at https://littlebellas.configio.com/pd/597/madison-wi-weekly-program.

Advocacy Discord

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.

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!

Apologies for the delay in getting this week’s newsletter sent to you.

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.

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

Not this week, but save the date for two more exciting April events that Madison Bikes is co-organizing: On April 23, we’ll host an event on federal bike safety legislation. And on April 27, we’re partnering with the Center for European Studies for an event with graphic artist Julia Bourdet on her journey by bike to interview climate activists across the US. Some more information on both events:

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.

This event is part of Earthfest, (April 21–29) a week dedicated to conservation and sustainability. https://europe.wisc.edu/event/earthfest/

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!