Author: Robbie Webber

Although we are deep in winter and low-ridership season, there are always opportunities to meet other bicyclists and learn about groups in the area. This week brings several of these, with GearShift Gathering, the Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap, and two chances to learn to work on your bike.

Not too much going on with city meetings, but there are some follow-up activities from meetings last week. And we now know who will be running for Madison Common Council and Dane County Board. As the candidates are out campaigning, it might be a good time to ask them about issues.

Week in review

Beltline presentation and comments to WisDOT

On Wednesday, the Transportation Commission was asked to provide input to city staff to shape the city’s comments to Wisconsin DOT. You can see the WisDOT-provided slides online. 

Although we had many public comments and a robust discussion at the meeting, this is a state-lead project. City staff emphasized that comments need to be submitted to WisDOT to be included in the public record. We urge anyone that wants to weigh in to submit comments via the WisDOT website. 

There are many proposed connections, both along and across the Beltline, that are included in the documents that would benefit connectivity for bicyclists. But it’s unclear how many of these would actually be built or paid for with state funding. There are also some significant capacity expansions and safety infrastructure proposed, some of which would require removal of existing housing and commercial buildings.

The deadline to submit comments has been extended until the end of the month. You can find further information and how to submit comments on the WisDOT project page. 

East High students help map safe routes

Members of the East Bike Repair Club met with Toole Design Group Thursday to give student input on a collaborative transportation design project with the City of Madison, MMSD, and the Wisconsin Bike Federation. The goal is to improve student transportation safety to and from East High School with a focus on 4th street from East Washington to East Johnson. They also looked at BRT use and bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

The week ahead

Monday CORP will host a clinic at Slow Roll on Monona Dr to teach you how to do simple adjustments to get the saddle, bars, brakes adjusted to be in the right position, tire pressure suggestions based on your setup, and shock adjustments. Registration is required.

Wednesday, the Queer Bike Ride will host its monthly ride. All bodies welcome. The ride is at a party pace and leaves from Law Park at 6:00 pm

Friday, from 4:00-6:30 pm is the GearShift Gathering, at Bikes for Kids Wisconsin space on Coyne Ln. This is a chance to meet representatives of local bike non-profits, including Madison Bikes and others, and build community. More information can be found via the Facebook event. 

Saturday, the Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap is at the Alliant Energy Center, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. This is a chance to buy both new and used bikes, bike equipment, parts, accessories, and clothing. There’s always stuff for other outdoor activities, like hiking, camping, skiing, and generally being an outdoor person. There are over 150 vendors and non-profit booths, and you’re sure to find something you want. 

Sunday, there is an open shop at Neighborhood House, 31 S Mills St, noon-4:00 pm. Bring your bike or work on donated bikes at Freewheel’s Open Shop. Experienced instructors are here to help. 

All skill levels welcome from beginner to pro. Everyone’s a learner, everyone’s a teacher.

Job opportunity

Wisconsin Bike Fed is hiring an Education Coordinator for Dane and Rock Counties. This is a part-time position most of the year, with up to 40 hours in summer. The position includes leading coordination for adult programs in both counties as well as seasonal responsibilities as an instructor in the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s existing youth education and Safe Routes to Schools programs in Dane County. If you or someone you know are interested, you can find more information on the Bike Fed page.

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!

All of the items below are usually accompanied by jackets, sweaters, and maybe even hats and coats. But this year we seem to have endless summer. Fun for biking, but a bit concerning in the big picture.

The past week

Bicycle Film Festival recap This past Thursday, we had a great turnout, starting with the pre-party at Working Draft Brewery. The weather was amazing, the bike parking was full, and the films were just fantastic. Thanks the Barrymore, Working Draft, all our sponsors, and all the volunteers that helped make this such an outstanding event. If you missed it…. That’s a shame, but make sure to come next year, because it’s just going to be better. 

Week Without Driving wrapped up on Sunday. The event challenges people to go without driving for a week and consider people who can’t or don’t drive. It started in 2021 focusing on disability rights, but each year there are bigger and more events across the country. It’s just another reminder to public officials, planners, and the larger community that not everyone drives, and we need to make our communities and streets friendly and accessible to all.

More on Midvale

Craig Weinhold wrote an analysis of the survey that went out about the Midvale Blvd project. (It’s most relevant to people who have been following the project, but does provide some context for those who need a refresher.) He argues that the city survey was poorly written, because the options presented were not remotely comparable; that many people who took the survey didn’t actually address the options presented; and that parking removal is not a significant burden, because the residences all have abundant off-street parking.

Alder Regina Vidivar, who is also Council President, posted on her blog, “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about the Transportation Commission’s recommendation to move forward with “Option 1” on Midvale Blvd, which would remove parking from Mineral Point to University Ave to allow an on-street bike resource. Alder Tishler and I have been in close contact with City staff on this project, and at this point, it looks like the project will be delayed for a while. We’ll share more details as they emerge, but please know that there will be no changes to Midvale for the short term.”

It sounds like this may be an ongoing discussion, as well as a test of some of the policies that the Council passed with the Complete and Green Streets Guide.

Wednesday – Transportation Commission

You can find the full TC agenda on line, but here are some highlights. You can submit comments or speak at the meeting, which is online at 5:00 pm. 

Pflaum Rd back is back on the agenda. When it first came to TC, the committee pointed out that there were both a middle school and a high school on the section to be repaved, yet no bike facilities were included in the project. Staff came back with some options after having another public meeting with the neighborhood.

The Transportation Engineering presentation for the meeting includes the result of the survey, which shows a clear preference for a two-way, physically separated cycletrack that would mean the removal of parking on both sides. There may be more information added before the Wednesday meeting.

The Mayor’s proposed capital budget for Engineering Bike and Pedestrian Projects is also on the Transportation Commission agenda. The Mayor’s operating budget will be released on Tuesday. The capital budget contains physical projects that are planned for the next five years.

In addition to city funds – usually through borrowing for capital projects – the budget contains anticipated state and federal funding. Obviously, the federal funding is very much in uncertain, as has been discussed in various forums. 

Capital bike projects anticipated for 2026 include a continuation of the Capital City Path to the east. This would bring it to the city limits, just under the interstate. After that, it’s a County project to fill the gap to Cottage Grove and the Glacial Drumlin Trail. 

In the follow years – 2027-2031 – the following projects are anticupated:

• A extension of the West Towne Path from Zor Shrine Place to Gammon Rd 
• Two overpasses and a path associated with the northern section of the Stoughton Rd project
• Paths along E Rusk and Moorland Rd, the West Beltline, and Woodward Dr. 

More on these future projects as they come up and we know we have funding.

You can also view the Traffic Engineering capital budget, which contains the Safe Streets Madison program – which contains the Vision Zero projects; small infrastructure projects such as traffic islands, curb extensions, pavement marking, or RRFB signals – and various traffic signal improvements or changes. Many of these changes improve bicycling safety and comfort.

All the city departments capital budgets, as proposed by the Mayor, can be viewed on the city website. The budget will be discussed and passed in the next six weeks.

Winter Bike Fashion Show coming in November

Mark your calendar for the Winter Bike Fashion Show on Sunday, November 16, 1:30-4:30 pm at the Goodman Community Center. And you could be part of it! 

This is one of our most popular events, and a great way to carry bicycling enthusiasm into the colder months. If you are winter-bike curious, or want some tips on how to extend your bicycling into colder weather, this is the event for you. Your friends, neighbors, and fellow bicyclists will be modeling how they dress, tips for wet/cold/dark riding, and how they take care of their bikes to ride in all weather. 

And if you are already riding in the colder months, you could be a model. As a volunteer model, you’ll come dressed in your own gear, walk the catwalk, and share some of your personal tips for winter riding to encourage others to ride more this season. Application deadline is Monday October 27. Just fill out this form to say you’re up for sharing your tips and tricks.

We are looking for models of all ages, colors, sizes, styles of dress, and types of riding. No experience needed, and you can show off everything from Farm and Fleet specials, St Vinny’s deals, REI, or high tech gear from your favorite bike shop.

You don’t have to be a year-round cyclist to apply, it’s cool if you’re new to riding in the cold. Are you a summer cyclist who’s found a good way to extend your commute into the late fall with a few extra layers? Do you have a teenager who manages to get around town by bike with very little specialized gear? Are you a parent who has figured out how to keep your kids warm for weekend adventures on the bike path? We want to showcase winter biking and winter bikers in all their many forms!

Rides this week

Monday you can join the Mad Town Mondays weekly party ride at 6:00pm at Orton Park

Wednesday is the monthly Madison Queer Bike Ride. Meet at Law Park at 6:00pm

Also Wednesday is the weekly Motorless Motion Taco Ride. Meet at Motorless Motion at 6:00pm

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!

After an especially dry few weeks, we made up for it with a rain storm that flooded areas of the city and resulted in the cancelling of Ride the Drive. Boooo…. Madison Bikes had planned to have the Bike Blender serving smoothies; Machinery Row had a Pedal Parade with costumes planned; and lots of other non-profits and community groups — not to mention tons of families — were ready to enjoy John Nolen Drive and other local streets without cars rushing by.

Many cities around the world do events like this every month or even every week. It’s too bad that Madison can only manage it once a year. At least we have lots of paths and quiet streets where we can be (almost) car-free every day.

Recap of the last week

Cap City Trail extension meeting

On Thursday, there was a meeting about the extension of the Cap City Trail east to the city limits. “When are they going to close the gap from the Cap City Trail to Cottage Grove?” has to be one of the top bike questions in the last ten years. Now you can find out how the city and county plan to fill the gap.

The city project would only go as far as the interstate, or technically, just under it. From there to Cottage Grove, it becomes a county project. You can view the slides from the city meeting as well as a recording of the meeting at the city project page. It wasn’t a long meeting – 40 minutes, including Q&A.

Briefly, two options were presented: 

One would cross the RR tracks at Vondron Rd, meaning no additional permissions required for another RR crossing. This would be more expensive and a longer path, plus the city would need a new easement, but wouldn’t be held up by requesting another RR crossing (which is a huge PITA.)

The other option would cross the RR at Wagon Trail. This would mean a very short path along an existing city easement and would be much cheaper. But the request for another RR crossing could take much, much longer, and could be flat out denied. Ironically, the city once had permission to cross the tracks in this location, but the permission was rescinded by the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads. The reason for the rescission is unclear. 

You can also take a look at the slides outlining the upcoming county project that would run from the interstate to Cottage Grove. It is considerably less complicated, as the county already has the right of way to build the trail.

The week ahead

Midvale survey

Remember to fill out the survey on Midvale Blvd. The survey asks what option you would prefer for an upcoming city resurfacing project of Midvale Blvd from Mineral Point Rd to University Ave.

This section does not have bicycle accommodations, but it does have quite a few destinations that would otherwise be easy to reach by bike. The project will include some intersection safety improvements, and possibly bike lanes on Midvale. There has been significant pushback from neighbors to removing on-street parking for bike lanes, so other north-south options – on parallel streets – have been proposed. Especially if you live, work, shop on Midvale/at Hilldale, or otherwise need to reach destinations in the area, it is important to make your voice heard. 

No excitement at city meetings

The Transportation Commission meeting looks fairly dull as far as bike-related content. There is a presentation about safety on Williamson St after a number of high-profile crashes, some resulting in damage to local businesses. 

Social rides and other community events

If you just want to go out and ride with some folks, there are a bunch of rides and events from our partners around the community. You can find more information on locations, time, group dynamics, etc. on the Madison Bikes Community Calendar:

Monday: Mad Town Mondays weekly party ride

Wednesday: Madison Queer Bike Ride. Also, the Motorless Motion Taco Ride

Friday: Lunch Bunch E-bike Group Ride

Saturday: Lake Monona Loop with 1st Baptist Church of Madison

Sunday: Century Training Club Group Ride. Also, Freewheel Open Shop at Neighborhood House

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!

Whew. We seem to have entered the heat of construction/detour season as well as the hot weather. There are a bunch of projects that might disrupt your normal biking patterns, but most seem to be on the near west side.

The city used to have a weekly update on construction and projects, but that seems to have disappeared with Renee Callaway.

There aren’t any bike-related city meetings or agenda items at committee meetings this week, but there’s still plenty of news.

Ride the Drive Needs Volunteers

Here’s your chance to volunteer for a fun event. Ride the Drive is on Sunday, August 10, from 10 am to 2 pm, with streets closed from 8AM to 3PM. This event promises to be a fantastic day of community, cycling, and fun.  

Most shifts are only 2 hours, so you can volunteer AND ride in the event. The roles with the most need are: Intersection Guides, Setup Crew, Information Station Guides, Cleanup Crew. Sign up today at ridethedrive.com and be a part of this wonderful community event!

 How to Sign Up:

1. Review the volunteer role descriptions and choose a position or positions that work for you.
2. Click Browse Opportunities and Register Online
3. Enter the requested contact information, select “Register” and you will receive an email confirmation.
4. Report to your registered location and time on Sunday, August 10 to receive further instructions and pick up your free, RTD t-shirt!

Next advocacy meetup at Machinery Row

The next Bike Advocacy Meetup is Sunday, July 6 from 5:00-6:30pm at Machinery Row! We’ll spend time writing postcards to city employees and other government officials thanking them for their advocacy and efforts to complete the Autumn Ridge Bike Bridge and the Sycamore Bike Park; handing out Bike Advocacy Bingo cards; and discussing advocacy work and projects we want to focus on in the coming months. We hope you can join us for a fun and informative filled evening!

Discord correction/update:

Last week we mentioned the new Madison bike advocacy Discord server. The link had expired. Here’s a new link (good until Friday): https://discord.gg/abZASVmB

City survey closes July 1

One more reminder that the city survey about walking and biking, and what they can do to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable, closes July 1. This is different than the survey put out by the MPO. 

Construction:

Highland/Campus Dr Path

Starting today, Monday, June 30 until the end of August, the southbound lane of Highland Ave will be closed from the VA Hospital parking lot to University Ave. The on ramp from Highland to Campus Dr will also be closed. However, the Campus Dr Path will remain open, and possibly be a much easier crossing without turning vehicles, half the cross traffic, and generally fewer motor vehicles. However, if you need to transition from the path to Highland – like me – you will have to use the eastside sidewalk to get under the Campus Dr bridge.

The C bus will also be routed down the 2600 block of Stevens St and Farley instead of on Campus Dr, and the E bus will take Regent to Farley, so take care if these streets are part of your route.

More Shorewood Hills detours

From our friends in Shorewood Hills: “Beginning on Monday June 30^th, the westbound University Ave bike lane between Shorewood Blvd and Highbury Rd will be closed nightly from 7pm to 7am.  The bike lanes will be open outside of these hours. We anticipate this nightly closure will last a few weeks, with all work requiring the detour expected to be completed by Monday, August 4^th.

“Alternate Route: During this timeframe, westbound cyclists are encouraged to use Shorewood Boulevard to Locust Drive to Rose Place to University Avenue which will be marked with signage. We recommend riders allow a few extra minutes of travel time.”

UW Lakeshore Path/Eagle Heights access disruptions

There is yet another water pipe project happening that will disrupt path access, this time on the UW campus. It won’t start until July 7, but I’m including it now so I won’t forget. It’s unclear how long this project will last. The work will be done in small chunks, so it should be fairly easy to detour onto University Bay Dr when a section is closed.

Access to Eagle Heights apartments will be affected, and the drive will need to be closed for the day. However, the primary impact is on the Lakeshore Path. To minimize disruption, the plan is to replace 20 feet of pipe at a time, backfilling each section as we progress to maintain passability.

Despite these efforts, Lakeshore Path traffic will be interrupted. The UW wants to be sure everyone is aware. Please share any concerns or comments regarding the planned reroute of pedestrian traffic. with the UW Transportation Services.

The future of the top of State Street

Although this is not a bike facility per se, many people bike through the intersection of W Mifflin, N Carroll, and State Street every day. The city is going to rebuild this important junction, and they have started having public meetings asking what people want to see. Last week there was an in person and online meeting, which you can watch at the link above. Then send the city your thoughts about what’s important to you. (This is an important bike connector for me, since I usually access the Square via W Mifflin. For years, I rode illegally between the cul-de-sac and the top of State. The city finally made it legal.)

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!

With the end of the UW semester, the downtown/campus area is going to be much quieter. This past weekend was a bit crazy, with both graduation and Mother’s Day filling the city with people from out of town and lots of happy families.

We are definitely getting into peak biking season, and the paths have been pretty crowded. Please be courteous on our lovely shared use paths and be patient with those going at a slower pace. There are lots of less-experienced bicyclists, walkers and other non-wheeled people. We also get lots of out-of-towners, who may be moving more slowly or in less predictable ways. Let’s make them feel welcome, safe, and happy. More people on bikes is good for everyone.

If you are in a hurry or want to go at top speed, the paths through the Isthmus or campus, along Lake Monona, or SW from Camp Randall may not be the best place to ride. Streets allow faster speeds, and you’re less likely to scare a family walking or a visitor checking out the scenery. 

Madison Bike Week events calendar is live!

The calendar of events for Bike Week, June 1-8, is live! A reminder that you can already submit any events your organization, business, club, or neighborhood may have planned. Just fill out the submission form on the Madison Bike Week page. 

2025 Madison-area construction map  

Spring also brings road construction, and that can mean bad biking or detours. Madison does a pretty good job with keeping routes open, but not all parts of the county are as diligent. 

Madison Bikes board member Craig Weinhold has created a Google community map with ongoing construction projects, detours, and closed path segments throughout the greater Madison area, but we need your help with keep it up to date. The map covers more than the city of Madison, so if you are out on a ride and notice a closed road, unannounced construction, or even trees down or chip sealing, please add it to the map. 

Craig says, “So far I’ve added construction announcements from State, Dane County, Madison, UW, DeForest, Windsor, Verona, Monona, Waunakee, Marshall, and Stoughton.  If others can help canvas other areas, that’d be great. Look for a road construction page. The towns are the least organized; they often have no announcement of their chip-seal plans.”

Madison Area MPO wants your opinion on walking and biking

The Metropolitan Planning Organization has a survey out about how you feel walking and biking. It covers the whole MPO area, which includes most of the suburbs of Dane County. Please take a moment to weigh in, especially if you live/work/visit area outside of Madison. There is also an interactive map to highlight areas of concern or needing improvements. The results of the survey will be shared with surrounding communities.

New alder talks bicycling

New Alder Davy Mayer shared a blog post this past week titled, “I Love Bikes and Especially Bike Infrastructure,” including how he helped solve a bicycle-parking problem for a bar in his district by getting a couple of racks installed by the city.

Volunteer opportunity for Run Madison 

Run Madtown is an endurance event coming up on May 24th (5K) and May 25th (10K & half-marathon) in Madison. It is also a fundraiser for various non-profits in the city. They are looking for bike marshals to take the lead on the course on Saturday, May 24th, 6:45-8:30 pm, and Sunday, May 25th, 6:30-11:00 am. If you are interested in volunteering, let them know that Madison Bikes sent you when you fill out the volunteer form.

The week ahead

It’s a pretty quiet week for meetings. The Transportation Commission is meeting, but there really is nothing to note on the agenda. (As a member of that committee, I’m happy for small miracles after a couple of long ones.)

Tuesday and Thursday

There will be two in-person meetings about the North-South BRT line plans. These two meetings focus on South Park St and Fitchburg, but you can provide input on the entire route, if you missed previous meetings. Since the BRT will affect bicycle facilities in the area — both positively and negatively — bicyclists may want to weigh in on these plans.

Tuesday, May 13, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Madison Labor Temple, 1602 Park St. Rm 201B
Thursday, May 15, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Fitchburg City Hall, 5520 Lacy Rd, Council Chambers

Wednesday

Madison Queer Bike Ride meets for its monthly ride in Law Park near Machinery Row at 6:00 pm. All bodies are welcome, and the ride will be at a party pace. Follow them on Instagram for more details.

Friday

Friday, May 16 is National Bike to Work Day. Here in Wisconsin, we don’t follow the national calendar for a couple of reasons –  it’s often still chilly in Wisconsin in May, so we prefer to celebrate bicycling in early June, and we want a whole week to celebrate all types of bicycling – but there are a couple of events this Friday to celebrate the national day.

Coffee and donuts at 8-10 am at Machinery Row commuter station

Machinery Row, Madison Bikes, and the City of Madison are hosting this event on the Capital City bike path at the corner of John Nolen Dr. and Williamson St. Stop over on your morning bike commute for a quick bite!

Ride with the Fitchburg Mayor

Celebrate Bike to Work Day with the City of Fitchburg with a bike ride to work with the Mayor! The event will start with assembly at 7:00 a.m. at the McKee Farms Park BCycle station (near the main shelter), and will include a 1-mile ride to City Hall at 7:15 a.m. and brief remarks, including award presentations to Fitchburg’s newest Bicycle Friendly Businesses, at City Hall about 7:30 a.m.

Sunday

Freewheel volunteer/board meeting will happen at 11:00am – 12:00pm at Neighborhood House Community Center, 29 S Mills St. Join in person or on Zoom to get involved with Freewheel planning. New volunteers warmly welcomed!

Then at noon, join Freewheel for Open Shop @ Neighborhood House. Bring your bike or work on donated bikes at Freewheel’s Open Shop. Experienced instructors are here to help. All skill levels welcome from beginner to pro. Everyone’s a learner, everyone’s a teacher.

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!

There aren’t any meetings or events coming up this week, but here’s a little news catch up and some reminders.

Catching up on news

Madison Bikes represents at the National Bike Summit

Three Madison Bikes board members – Jacob Bortell, Alicia Bosscher, and myself – attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, March 11-13. This meeting is a combination of workshops, rides to see innovative infrastructure in DC, national speakers, and lobbying on Capitol Hill. It’s a great opportunity for board members to meet others from around the country, hear about programs we might want to replicate, and get information to help us push the city and country forward. Plus, we go up to talk to our Senators and House members about federal policy, funding, and legislation.

The biggest news to come out during our visit – although not good news – was the announcement that the US Department of Transportation plans to cut projects that contain bike infrastructure. We put out an action alert from the League of American Bicyclists, but we are still trying to figure out the details of the administrative memo and what this will mean for Madison. 

The Wisconsin Bike Fed wrote a good summary of our congressional visits and the two federal initiatives we were pushing. 

Renee Callaway retires

Renee Callaway – formerly the city Pedestrian and Bicycle Administrator and later promoted to Assistant Director in Traffic Engineering – retired on March 20. Renee has been working in bicycle planning, outreach, and engineering for 25 years or so. She has worked for the UW, WisDOT, the Madison Area MPO, and the city. We’ve been so lucky to have her working to improve bicycling all these years. You can read more Renee in a City of Madison post highlighting her career.

Now she’s going to enjoy more mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and general exploration. She’s got quite a travel itinerary planned, but she’ll also be around Madison a lot. Happy retirement, Renee, and thanks for all your hard work over the years! 

Elections

Spring is upon us, and that means two things: Spring elections and road construction. They can both be painful, but if you pay attention, good things (or bad) may come of the pain.

April 1 is the spring election for local and non-partisan statewide offices. We all know that “non-partisan” is in name only for statewide offices, but since we are a local group, let’s concentrate on the local elections that will most impact bicycling, housing, transportation in general, and other close-to-home issues. 

Every alder in Madison will be elected this year. In the future, half the Council will be elected each year in April. Because spring elections tend to be much lower turnout than fall elections, your vote counts even more. In 2023, one alder race was a tie, and the winner was selected by drawing a name from a hat. One more vote would have made the difference!

If you want to know more about the people that will be deciding what the city looks like, how it feels, how we can move around, and where we are going to spend money, check out this great resource that Madison Bikes board member Craig Weinhold put together. It has every candidate, their websites, the answers to questionnaires from local groups (including the one that Madison Bikes did jointly with others), and organizational and media endorsements they have received. Madison Bikes does not endorse candidates, but the answers to the questions we submitted for the joint questionnaire will give you some good information. 

The election is April 1, but you can also vote in-person absentee – aka “early vote” – at locations around the city until March 30. To see who is on the ballot, where you vote on April 1, or where to vote early, go to MyVote.wi.gov/.

Road construction

East Wilson St

Work continues on the reconstruction of E Wilson St in downtown. This will include the extension of the two-way cycle track on Wilson St. But things are going to be messy from April 2 until mid-June. E Wilson will be fully closed from King St to S Pinckney St. More information can be found on the city of Madison site.  

Seyne Rd

Work on Seyne Rd where it crosses the Cap City Trail in Fitchburg is scheduled to begin Monday, March 24. As always, there’s some flex in that date, due to coordination with local utilities. There may be disruptions to the trail crossing, and walking one’s bike across may be necessary at times. 

When a Madison Bikes Community member asked the city of Fitchburg about turning onto Seyne Rd, this was the response:
“For parts of the summer, the north/south path along Syene will be closed. I don’t have expected dates for when that will be, as it will depend on the contractor’s work schedule. We’ll be posting on social media and our website with weekly updates on closures and openings as the project progresses. The Capital City trail will remain open throughout construction, but there may be times when bikes need to be walked across the crossing with Syene.”

This is part of a larger project on Seyne Rd. If this is part of your ride or commute, you may want to check out the full project site. 

Get your discounts via Bike Benefits

The warmer weather is bringing out more cyclists, so we wanted to make sure Bicycle Benefits is on everyone’s radar. You can get discounts at participating businesses around town by showing your helmet with a Bike Benefits sticker. Although Madison Bikes doesn’t run the program directly, we’ve sold the stickers in the past and plan to again. 

So how does Bike Benefits work? It’s simple:      

1. Cyclists purchase (for $5) a small Bicycle Benefits sticker for their bike helmet.
2. Show it at a participating location in order to get a discount or reward for arriving by bike.

The sticker does not expire, and most users will agree that it’s the best $5 they’ve ever spent.  We hope that cyclists and individuals see the value in seeking out and patronizing locations that prioritize healthy transportation in the community.  It’s affirmative-transportation-action led by the most progressive local businesses.If you know a location that you’d like to see pop up on the roster, pass them the link to sign-up.  If you’d like to help us out as a volunteer ambassador or want more information on the program, send Ian Klepetar a message at ian@bicyclebenefits.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!

If you believe Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie, we’ll have an early spring. But Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania says six more weeks of winter. Depending on how you feel about cold weather and local vs national prognosticators, you can believe whichever rodent you like. Either way, it’s been an unusually dry winter, so our normal concerns about snow plowing have been mostly moot.

With a gray start to the week, it’s going to be pretty quiet as far as meetings. 

The week ahead

Wednesday: Transportation Commission

You can take a look at the agenda and how to watch or participate, but the only interesting item is the quarterly traffic safety reports by the police department. There are lots of charts and numbers about how many tickets and traffic stops they’ve made in various categories. You’ll also see slides about grants, special initiatives such as safety patrols around schools, targeted enforcement, and comparisons to past quarters and years. Each quarter, the MPD also presents a detailed analysis of any traffic fatalities. 

If you are a data nerd, there’s lots to work with, although sometimes the categories aren’t always useful. Why are pedestrian and bike safety tickets under “hazardous offenses”? I’ve asked that before, and I don’t even remember the full explanation, but it seems any ticket involving vulnerable users is considered a “hazardous” driving offense. These are almost entirely tickets issued to drivers for not yielding to pedestrians or bicyclists, or some other driving violation, not tickets issued to bicyclists. 

Sunday: Third meeting of the book club 

The third session of the book club reading “Killed by a Traffic Engineer” meets on Sunday, Feb 9, from 4-6 pm at Machinery Row. 

The first session, on Jan 26, focused on community building and allowed participants to discuss initial impressions of the book and some areas of the city that need attention. The second session, on Feb 2, featured presentations from city Transportation, Traffic Engineering, and Engineering staff on city initiatives and how decisions are made on what our streets look like. 

The third session, Feb 9, will focus on advocacy and what we as community members can do to help build an all ages and abilities biking city. 

Speak up for what you want

During Sunday’s session with city staff, they discussed how during public meetings about road reconstructions, there are many competing interests. Sometimes even the bicyclists testifying don’t agree! There is considerable pushback to change: narrowing lanes, removing parking in favor of bike facilities, and slowing speeds. All of these changes would make walking and biking safer and more pleasant, but neighbors show up en masse to object. As bicyclists (and pedestrians and transit users), we have to be there to show support for the changes the staff has proposed. We have good city staff, but we must provide the public push to show that there is demand for these changes. 

Staff mentioned two projects specifically, both of which have been mentioned in Monday updates previously and are being discussed now:

South Stoughton Rd. This is a Wisconsin DOT project, but city staff have weighed in on the side of a slower, narrower boulevard with more crossings. But many people showed up at the public meetings and completed surveys in favor of keeping the road faster and with limited access. You can comment and see information on the project – including slides and alternatives presented at the meetings – on the WisDOT project page.

Midvale Boulevard: Neighbors insist they want parking to remain on the street, but this would make it difficult to add bike lanes between Mineral Point Rd and University Ave. You can watch a recording of the public meeting that happened on Jan 30, see the schedule for a decision on this project, and provide your input via the city project page. There was also an article about the project in the Wisconsin State Journal. Midvale Blvd will be before the Transportation Commission on Feb 19.

In proud-of-Madison-bicyclists news

Lyllie Sonnemann, daughter of former Madison Bikes board member, Emily Sonnemann, has been invited to compete in the World Cyclocross Championships in Leiven, France. Wisconsin has a proud tradition of world cyclocross competitors, with Madisonian Caleb Schwartz competing in the world championships in 2020-2021 and Racine native Kaitlin Keough competing in 2019. 

Way to go, Lyllie!

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!

We had your first real blast of bitterly-cold weather, which prompted questions on our Facebook Community group about how to cope with winter weather. We seem to get the same questions every year: gloves/mittens/cold hands, foggy glasses, studded tires, etc. But that’s OK, because the community discussion group is here for you. Ask all your winter biking questions, and someone — or many people — will have an opinion on the best way to keep biking all year.

The East High School bike repair club got some wonderful media coverage this past week. The club helps members keep their bikes in good shape and teaches skills, cooperation, budget management, as well as helps fellow students with their bikes.

You may see some familiar names in the article, including Bike Fed High School Education Manager, Ben Varick, and former Madison Bikes board member, Emily Sonnneman.

The week ahead

This week has some opportunities for input — to Madison Bikes, Traffic Engineering, and Wisconsin DOT. Plus some positive moves by the city, which is a great chance to tell your representatives that you approve. As always, your voice makes the city and region better. It’s important to speak up.

Monday: Community meeting/brainstorming session

Join us on Monday for our December Community Meeting at the Central Library on West Mifflin St, Room 301. This month we will have a brainstorming session for what you would like to see at community meetings in 2025. Last year we had a ton of great suggestions, ranging from, “Legal dos and don’t if you get into a crash,” to “Combining biking and paddling.”

This is your chance to make suggestions for future topics and activities, and maybe even have a chance to help make it happen. A talk, a ride, a movie, or any other event — it’s up to you.

Even if you don’t have any ideas, come by to meet others from the community. Maybe a great topic will pop into your head when you hear from others.

Tuesday: District 5 traffic safety meeting on Zoom

The Regent Neighborhood Association on the near west side is partnering with city Traffic Engineering to host a Q&A event about traffic safety. You can join via Zoom at 5:30 pm. Although this is geared to alder District 5, it is a chance to bring up for any concerns you might have for bicyclists and trouble spots. Traffic Engineering staff will take back your suggestions and identify future opportunities.

Tuesday: BCycle closes 

BCycle normally closes on Dec 15, but because falls on a weekend, the bikes will stay out until Dec 17 to allow staff to finish removing them from the kiosks and docks. So you have a couple more days to use the BCycle before they are gone until March 15. With the acquisition of BCycle by Bicycle Transit Systems, the winter break will probably also be used to rebrand the system. 

Tuesday: Autumn Ridge ribbon cutting – 2nd try

Due to the bitter cold last Thursday, the ribbon cutting for the Autumn Ridge path and overpass was delayed until this Tuesday, Dec 17, at 8:30 am. If you would like to attend, head over to 4346 Commercial Avenue. More about the path and the ribbon cutting event can be found on the project web page.

You can check out what the new path looks like via this great video Nick Davies made of his ride.

Friday deadline: Stoughton Rd input to WisDOT

We posted about this in our Facebook Community group, but here’s another reminder. The deadline to provide input on the redesign and rebuilding of the southern portion of Stoughton Rd/Hwy 51 is this Friday, Dec 20. A recording of the last public meeting on November 19, plus all the information about the project is available on the WisDOT project page. 

WisDOT has divided rebuilding Stoughton Rd into two separate projects, and this survey covers the area from just south of Hwy 30 to just south of the Beltline. This portion has neighborhoods on both sides and a frontage road on both sides that provide access to the businesses and other land uses. It’s horrible to cross without a car, and the frontage roads aren’t much fun by foot or bicycle either. LaFollette High students need to cross the road if they live on the east side of Stoughton Rd. /shudder/

We have a chance to rebuild the road as an urban boulevard, and city staff are supportive of this alternative, but your input is very important. City staff is practically begging people to fill out the survey in favor of alternative 4 or 5, but many of the neighbors and businesses are supporting keeping the road as a high-speed highway with frontage roads. If you would like to see the full city presentation on this project from the Transportation Commission last week, including the current feedback results, I’ve bookmarked where to start in the meeting recording. 

Neighbors may be afraid of traffic in their neighborhood if additional crossings and connections are built, as suggested for the slower-speed alternatives. And they may just like being able to jump on a fast north-south connection. But if we want connections across this road and a chance to make it more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly, we need to make our voice heard. 

If the majority of public input supports a big, fast, limited-crossing option, it will be hard for the city to argue that WisDOT should reduce the cross section, lower the speed limit, and add additional street connections. Please fill out the survey before next Friday.

Also: City kicking off 20 is Plenty

The city plans to lower the speed limit on residential streets – generally streets with no center line – to 20 mph. Right now, the default speed limit is 25 mph, and while 5 mph may not seem like much, it can make a huge difference in how a street “feels” to those walking, biking, or playing in the neighborhood. 

Although most people are in favor of safer, slower streets in their own neighborhood, there has been a lot of negative feedback on social media and in the press. This would be a great opportunity to send a note of support to your alder. Letting them know you like a policy or change is just as important as contacting them when there is a problem.

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.