Author: Harald Kliems

In the aftermath of the flooding in Dane County, Madison Bikes supporter Paul Wilson has create a Google Map where everyone can add reports about flooded or washed out bike paths. We were just contacted by the city, and they’re asking people to contribute to this map (instead of using the Report-a-Problem website). There’s still a lot of water going downstream, and so flooding will continue to be an issue.

Link to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1-Cg0pIJe-CFTWQT5DS0Io_N8BxlXcxAC

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If you have issues adding to the map, you can still use the Report-a-Problem form.

Please respect bike path closures, and be safe out there! And thanks to Paul and the community for providing up-to-date information on biking conditions.

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This is going to be a short one.

On Monday, Bike Fitchburg will have its (rescheduled) monthly meeting. 6:30pm at the Fitchburg Public Library.

The main event this week is the joint meeting of the newly formed Transportation Commission and the Transportation Policy and Planning Boards. As a reminder, the creation of these board is part of a larger overhaul of how the city makes decisions on transportation-related matters. In June, Tom Lynch was appointed as the Director of Transportation, and now these new bodies will have their first meeting. Looking at the agenda, much of the first meeting will probably be spent on procedural issues like election a chair, and also figuring out what the purview of each body is going to be. The only business matter on the agenda is about Mayor Soglin’s proposal to create motor vehicle registration fee. Tuesday, 5pm, City County Building, Room 354.

On August 5, Cycling Without Age Greater Madison will hold a first training for volunteers. Email cwagreatermadison@gmail.com for more information, or look them up on Facebook.

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Winnebago Street is back at the Common Council, and we need your support.

A very brief reminder of what happened so far: In early May, the Common Council voted in favor of reconstructing Winnebago Street between 2nd St and Bashford with buffered bike lanes (“Option 2”). Mayor Soglin then vetoed the Council’s decision. At a later Common Council meeting, there weren’t enough votes to overturn the veto. Therefore the project was put on hold. This presented an opportunity for re-thinking the project in a larger context, all the way from the Yahara River to Union Corners.

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What happens when your bike lanes are narrow and without protection…

Instead, Engineering brought back a new iteration of Option 1–the one that squeezes people on bikes into an unbuffered lane, with parked cars on one side and cars and buses on the other. And the one that the Council did not approve. The changes that Engineering made are merely cosmetic. The plan still forces people to bike in the door zone. They do not make the street safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.

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Image credit: Bob Moore

Please write to the Common Council before the meeting on Tuesday and ask them to vote against this proposal. You can email the council at allalders@cityofmadison.com, and you can find your district’s alder here. This is what I’m going to write:

Dear Alders:

I’m writing about the proposed plan to reconstruct Winnebago Street between 2nd St and Bashford Ave (agenda item 52086). I greatly appreciate that when the plan was in front of the Common Council in May, a majority of you voted for a cross-section that would have created buffered bike lanes. This would have created a Winnebago Street that is safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. The plans that are in front of you now fail to achieve this. People riding their bikes on Winnebago would be squeezed between a narrow parking lane on one side and motor vehicles on the other. The changes that have been made do not change that basic fact. Please do not approve the proposed design.

Thank you for you consideration.

Last Week

It was the end of an era: The Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC) met for one last time. Going forward, Madison now has a Director of Transportation, and PBMVC and many other transportation-related committees have been replaced by a Transportation Policy and Planning Board (TPPB), and a Transportation Commission (TC). Time to get used to new acronyms and a new political process…

One important agenda item from the last PBMVC meeting was the return of the undead Winnebago Street Option 1 proposal. A few weeks back, the Common Council had voted for Option 2, which had buffered bike lanes and was supported by Madison Bikes. Mayor Soglin then vetoed the Council’s decision, and at a subsequent Council meeting, there was no majority for any of the other options. Instead of going back to the drawing board and coming up with a comprehensive proposal for the whole corridor, Engineering made minor modifications to the failed Option 1 design and brought it back. “Option 1B,” as it is now called, suffers the same flaws for people on bikes: In order to preserve as much free on-street parking as possible, people biking on Winnebago would be squeezed in between a narrow travel lane on one side and a narrow parking lane on the other. The proposal will be back at the Common Council on July 10, and it will be important to voice your opposition to Option 1B. Stay tuned for an action alert.

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On a more positive note: The plans for reconstructing Atwood Avenue between Fair Oaks and Cottage Grove Road also were before PBMVC because the schedule for the project has been moved up. While not perfect, this project will greatly improve conditions for people on bikes and walking.

This week

Because of the holiday, things are quiet this week.

On Friday, Revolution Cycles Cycling Club has their kick-off party for the season. “Come meet the crew, learn about the club, try on some kit from Verge Sport, and enjoy yummy snacks from our sponsors, Banzo.” 7pm at Revolution Cycles.

And on Saturday, the BiciClub Latino de Madison is organizing a 24-hour ride in support of immigrants and refugees. How does it work? “You can join this ride in two ways:

• Ride with Baltazar 30 minutes, one, two, three, or 24 hours.

• Ride anywhere 30 minutes, one, two, three, or 24 hours and post your pictures to this page’s event. Ride solo or in teams

Only requirement: Use a white piece of fabric, or paper and write the following words: RIDING IN SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES and pin it to the back of shirt or jersey.”

Also on Saturday is the Fitchburg Festival of Speed, which includes a sanctioned bike race as well as more relaxed riding options. More details on their website.

It’s June, and it’s peak biking season in Madison. Wisconsin Bike Week started on Saturday and will serve a packed calendar of events this week.

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We from Madison Bikes had a blast at Ride the Drive yesterday, offering free ABC Quick Checks and chatting with lots of you! If you signed up for our newsletter at Ride the Drive: Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to Madison Bikes! More pictures on our Facebook page.

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Monday

On Monday there will be commuter stations at

• Cap City Trail and Ohio Ave
• SW Path and W Wash
• Cap City at Machinery Row
• Cap City at Law Park
• Middleton: Old Middleton Road at Asbury Path
• Fitchburg: Badger State Trail at Marketplace Dr

In the evening, come to Genna’s for a Women’s Cycling Happy Hour (open to all women-identified people), starting at 5 pm.

Tuesday

Madison Bikes is joining HotelRED to host a commuter station today! We promise: You won’t have to bundle up like we did in this picture from our commuter station during Winter Bike Week!

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Tuesday’s commuter stations will be at:

• Cap City Trail and Ohio Ave
• SW Path at HotelRED with Madison Bikes
• SW Path and W Wash
• Cap City at Dickinson with bacon cheddar waffles
• Cap City at Central Park/McPike Park
• Cap City at Law Park
• Middleton: Old Middleton Road at Asbury Path
• Fitchburg: Velo Underround (where Cap City, Cannonball, SW Paths intersect)

Our friends from Bombay Bicycle Club are hosting a ride and social in the evening, starting at the Hop Garden in Paoli. And north of Madison, join the 1st Annual Pedal For Paws, Creekside Family Bicycle Night in Sun Prairie.

Wednesday

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On Wednesday, stop for free morning treats at:

• Cap City Trail and Ohio Ave
• SW Path and W Wash
• Cap City at Brearly
• Cap City at Machinery Row
• Cap City at Law Park with Bratcakes
• Middleton: Old Middleton Road at Asbury Path
• Fitchburg: Badger State Trail at Marketplace Dr

Sun Prairie Bicycling Advocacy Group is hosting their Brats, Brews, and Bikes Ride in the evening. Meet at 6 pm at Wetmore Community Park.

Not part of Bike Week: The Madison Area Transportation Planning Board has their regular meeting at 6:30, Water Utility (E Olin Ave).

Thursday

More commuter stations!

• Cap City Trail and Ohio Ave
• SW Path and W Wash
• Mifflin Bike Boulevard at Paterson: Celebrate the new diverter!
• Cap City at Law Park with Bacon on the Bike Path
• Middleton: Old Middleton Road at Asbury Path

In the evening you can pick among several social events: Revolution Cycles will have a Hot Pizza and Cool Drinks happy hour on the Cap City Trail behind their shop. On the way there, stop for a root beer kegger on the Cap City between First and Division. If you live in Waunakee, join Bombay for a 25-mile ride, departing 5:30 pm at Prairie Elementary. And in Middleton, you can join community leaders for an 8-to-10-mile ride featuring recent investments in bicycle routes and amenities, and learn about future plans and opportunities.

Friday

It’s your last chance to hit one of the commuter stations. Today you can find them at:

• Cap City Trail and Ohio Ave
• SW Path and W Wash
• Cap City at Law Park
• State St at Johnson (Short Stack Eatery
• Middleton: Old Middleton Road at Asbury Path

Bike Week doesn’t end on Friday, but it is the day for the big bike week celebration at HotelRED from 5-6:30 pm.

Women-identified folks who want to learn about setting up the suspension on mountain bikes can head to Fitchburg Cycles for a “suspension clinic.”

Saturday

Bike Week ends with several options for riding your bike: The Trek 100 charity ride takes off from Waterloo. Bombay hosts a women’s ride starting at the Glacial Drumlin trailhead in Cottage Grove. And women-identified folks who want to test some MTBs should head to Blackhawk trail system in Middleton. If you prefer a Madison event, head to the UW Campus for an “open house of interactive programs on the UW-Madison’s East Campus Mall and along the Lakeshore Path.”

For more details about any of the bike week events, go straight to the Bike Fed’s calendar.

Last week

The highlight of last week certainly was the Common Council voting in favor of buffered bike lanes on Winnebago Street. Madison Bikes put a lot of energy into this project, and we’re very pleased that in the end, a majority of alders supported the project. You can watch a recording of the debate about the project on City Channel (starts at 1:04:00). Here’s the voting record:

Alders voting in favor of Option #2 (buffered bike lanes): Bidar-Sielaff, Demarb, Eskrich, Hall, Kemble, Martin, Palm, Phair, Skidmore, Wood, and Zellers.

Alders voting against Option #2: Ahrens, Cheeks, Clear, King, Rummel, Verveer.

Carter was excused, Baldeh was chairing, and Harrington-McKinney abstained.

Please consider sending a quick email to your alder to thank them for or let them know your opinion on their vote.

[Breaking: We just learned that Mayor Soglin has vetoed the council’s decision. The Council now has to vote on it again, and the project will need a 2/3 majority to pass. Read the mayor’s letter here.]

Also at the Common Council was the Madison Yards project. This is a huge development project on the city’s west side, next to the Department of Transportation building on Sheboygan Ave. If you followed the news coverage and Facebook discussion after the council meeting, there was some confusion about an amendment that seemingly affected plans for bike lanes on Segoe. The amendment was voted down and bike lanes on Segoe (and other affected streets) remain part of the project.

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At the Board of Public Works, the East Mifflin diverter passed unanimously. The diverter blocks motor vehicles from entering Mifflin at Blair and should help to keep traffic volumes on the bike boulevard in check. The city’s report on the test installation of the diverter was positive, but public testimony at the meeting had a large number of critical voices. The project will now go to the Common Council.

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Places for Bikes released their new city rating system on Wednesday. The scoring system incorporates a variety of data sources on ridership, infrastructure, community perceptions, safety, and current investment levels. Madison scored 3.3 out of 5 possible points. This puts us on 6th place overall, and 3rd among large cities. Where we did worst was in the “acceleration” category, which rates “how quickly a community is improving its biking infrastructure and how successful its encouragement programs are at getting people to ride.”

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On the weekend, the Wisconsin Bike Summit took place, including the Madtown Unity Ride on Friday evening, “celebrating the unity and diversity of Madison and to connect communities together.” Channel 3000 has a short segment on the ride.

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Oboi Reed from Equiticity presenting at the Summit (Photo: Peter Gray)

This week

Tonight, on Monday, the Madison Bikes events committee has their monthly meeting. The next big event on the horizon is Ride the Drive and Bike Week in early June. 6pm at Barriques on Park. New faces are always welcome!

If you want to see better biking and walking in Monona, attend the ped/bike open house on Tuesday. The city’s bike and ped ad hoc committee will give a presentation on the committee’s goals and an open house to discuss potential improvements. 6pm at Winnequah Elementary School.

On Saturday you need to choose between two bike events: REI is hosting their Big Backyard Bike Bash. Dreambikes will accept donations of bikes and used parts at the event, and you can get free safety checks and use the bike was station. 10-4 at REI on the west side. If you’d rather combine biking and Craft Beer Week, join the 80s-themed Madison Bike & Brew Tour. All proceeds from the event go to Down with Bikes, Madison’s newest mobile bicycle repair non-profit. 11am at Alt Brew.

For details on any of these events, head to the Madison Bikes calendar. If you have an event that you’d like added, send the details to info@madisonbikes.org.

At last night’s meeting, the Madison Common Council voted in favor of reconstructing Winnebago Street from Bashford to Second with buffered bike lanes and canopy trees (option 2)! Madison Bikes supported option 2 with a position statement that you can read below. The decision to remove on-street parking and reallocate that space for safer and more comfortable bike facilities and street trees is a major victory for active transportation and livability in our city.

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We’ll have more details later. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this happen!

Madison Bikes Position Statement Winnebago

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We’ve written about the Winnebago Street reconstruction several times. But now it’s decision time: The Common Council will decide the future of the street at their meeting next Tuesday (5/1). Without a strong showing of support from the public, the Council will most likely go with Option 1. Alder Rummel supports Option 1, as does the Board of Public Works. Some of the neighbors affected by the conversion of on-street parking into space for trees and bikes will likely speak at the meeting, supporting option 1.

So please voice your support for Option 2 by speaking at the meeting or writing to your district’s Alder.

As a reminder, these are some of the arguments in favor of Option 2:

• space for bigger, canopy-type street trees
• better access for walking from southeast side of street, especially with the elimination of the current grade separation
• better, shorter crossings for people on foot
• buffered lanes for bikes instead of a door-zone bike lane on a bus route with narrow lanes
• ADA accessible bus stop at Fourth St
• narrower lanes for motor vehicles to encourage lower traffic speed

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Rendering of Option 2 (Image: City of Madison Engineering)

Grant wrote a comprehensive overview of the project and its implications for people walking and biking on Winnebago here. The Isthmus also covered the debate in a recent article.

Some quick tips for writing an effective comment:

• Primarily address your district’s alder, but also include allalders@cityofmadison.com as a recipient
• Start the letter by saying why you care about this issue. Do you live in the neighborhood? Do you frequent businesses on Winnebago? Does your kid go to East High? Does your commute take you in Winnebago (or would it, if conditions were better)? Do you support the city’s sustainability goals? Do you like big trees on all Madison streets? Have you had a good/bad experience riding or walking on Winnebago? Etc.
• Short letters are fine, as are long ones
• Make it clear that you support Option 2
• Ideally send your letter by Monday evening

Feel free to share your comments in the comment section below or on Facebook so that others can see them as well.

Last week

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A post shared by The Cargo Bike Shop (@thecargobikeshop)

The Wisconsin Bike Fed is changing its organizational structure to become more effective in their advocacy. Last Wednesday, the Bike Fed’s executive director Dave Schlabowske met with Dane County bike advocates and presented his plans and ideas. Stay tuned for further announcement online or at the Wisconsin Bike Summit.

Bombay Bicycle Club had their annual spring membership meeting on Sunday, and their 2018 ride calendar will be available shortly. We’ll work with them to also get those rides on our Community Bike Calendar.

This week

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Current plans for Atwood Ave reconstruction

The big advocacy event this week is a public involvement meeting on Atwood Avenue. The street is going to be reconstructed between Fair Oaks and Cottage Grove Road, and one goal of the project is to improve conditions for people walking on biking in the corridor. Right now, Atwood forms a barrier between the residential areas and the park and lakefront. Crossing the road is difficult, and vehicle speeds are high. Bike access is limited to a narrow sidewalk shared with people on foot. The city has proposed a number of improvements that would address some of these issues. But some important questions remain — for example, do we really need two lanes in both directions on Atwood? Will the new road design lead to slower vehicle speeds and allow safe
crossing? Why does the city want to allocate more space for car parking? So please attend the meeting and help the city get this
project right. Monday, 6:30-8 pm at Olbrich Botanical Garden. You can also send questions and comments to the project staff:
cpetykowski@cityofmadison.com and bwilkinson@msa-ps.com

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Current state of Atwood (Image: Google Maps)

Sun Prairie Moves, the local bike advocacy group in Sun Prairie, also meets on Wednesday. On the agenda: Updates on planned events, on a planned network of off-street paths, and on a new official bike map in Sun Prairie. Wednesday, 6:30pm at Colonial Club Sun Prairie.

An area that also could use improvements for those who don’t get around by car is the “Milwaukee Street Special Area“. The planning efforts for the area are still in the early stages. Learn more at the first open house at Whitehorse Middle School on Thursday, 6:30-8pm.

On Saturday, you can again join the folks at Cafe Domestique for their rain-or-shine Spring Rides. Meet at Cafe Domestique at 8:30am. A more mellow ride option starts at noon at Freewheel Community Bike Shop: This kid- and family-friendly ride will go to Elver Park and include a potluck picnic. And if you’d rather stay inside on Saturday, consider attending Terrace Town at Monona Terrace: Dane County elementary school kids have build a small-scale city with a focus on sustainability out of recycled materials, and now they’re eager to present their work to the public. 10-4 at Monona Terrace.

And on Sunday, bike out to Warner Park for the Annual Bird and Nature Festival. Or finally get that tax return done…

For details on any of these events, head to the Madison Bikes calendar. If you have an event that you’d like added, send the details to info@madisonbikes.org.