The bounding area for the West Area Plan region (Image: City of Madison)
The in-person meeting was cancelled last week due to weather and will probably be rescheduled soon. In the meantime, you can make comments on the interactive map. It’s a good opportunity to highlight areas where you enjoy biking or where you wish there were better connections.
In case you missed it last week, the Bike Fed’s summer youth camp programs are open for registration. Also, plenty of good info on the site even if a youth camp isn’t your bag!
Last Week
On Friday morning, many hearty cyclists came out and stopped by our bike station despite the attempted knockout blow delivered by the big, wet Thursday snowstorm. It was somewhat treacherous conditions for all road, path and sidewalk users due to the late-night freeze following a day of sloppy conditions.
Who doesn’t love SWAG? (Photo: Harald Kliems)
With warmer temperatures than we’ve had in the past, it was good to see faces (both old and new) and sunshine. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, along with our sponsors and partners for the coffee and good times.
The path conditions look pretty good, all things considered! (Photo: Harald Kliems)
Finally, Groundhog’s Day was two week ago, but we still seem to be in this time loop where we get the same big storms on Thursdays. Until then, we’ll see great melting conditions that should leave paths and sideroads pretty rideable (sorry skiers). Watch out for refreezing, but otherwise enjoy!
From the Archives: Cyclists enjoying Holiday Fantasy in Lights 2019 (image: Mark Renner)
This Week
On Monday between 4:30pm and 8pm join us to experience the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park without cars! The weather’s looking pretty nice, all things considered, and we’ll have volunteers around helping guide your experience.
If you’re feeling social, drop by the Sheraton from 4pm-5pm for a pre-lights party (hot chocolate, snacks, swag) and then enjoy a nice, relaxed group ride through the lights at around 5pm.
The city announced that it received federal funding for the Autumn Ridge Path, which amongst other things, provides a crucial connection across Highway 30 on the east side. Expect the final planning work to be completed this year (which, incidentally is 2023, Happy New Year to all) with construction in 2024.
It’s a short week for many, but we have some interesting and timely stuff to discuss.
Last week we all got a taste of slippery, variable winter conditions. It’s a great reminder to consider your winter riding plans and experiences and if you have a Facebook account, our community is a great place to start. Look below for more details about our annual winter cycling forum, taking place next week Monday.
This Week
On Monday at 5:30 pm, the Plan Commission meets to discuss establishing a new Transportation Demand Management ordinance. As Harald writes in his post:
Heads-up that the new Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance will be in front of the Plan Commission on Monday. What is TDM? “Transportation Demand Management” means that when a new building of a certain size/in a certain area is built, the developer has to take measures that reduce the number of car trips that the new building generates. E.g. by reducing the number of car parking spots, offering residents transit passes, or having a BCycle station at the building. Sounds great? Yes, but developers often don’t like these kinds of rules. So if you support or oppose the TDM ordinance, you can register in support/opposition, speak at the virtual meeting, or submit written comments.
Heads up that next Monday, November 28 at 6pm we will host a virtual community forum discussing winter cycling in Madison:
For this month’s community meeting, join us to find answers to your questions about keeping warm and safe on your bike through the winter months.
Whether you need to know how to keep your face and extremities warm, how to keep fog off of your glasses, how to stay upright on ice and snow, how to find safe winter routes, how to keep rust off your bike, or anything else on your mind, we’ll help you find answers.
You can join using the zoom link. If you have questions you’d like to see answered, you can add them as a discussion for the event or email Connor directly.
A rider flies over the barrier at the Trek CX Cup in Waterloo over the weekend (Credit: Harald Kliems)
First, I’ll re-up two requests from previous weeks.
City of Madison District 18 Alder Charles Myadze is seeking input on improving cycling infrastructure on the north side. See last week’s update for more details on how to give feedback.
This week is the last week to get your application in to join the Madison Bikes Board. The deadline is Friday, October 14.
This Week
All week we’ve got Bike to School Week for Lapham Elementary, Marquette Elementary and O’Keefe Middle here in Madison. Thanks to board member Kyle for helping organize these events.
On Wednesday at 5pm the Transportation Commission meets virtually. You can check out the full agenda, but probably the most interesting discussions will be centered around two Vision Zero items. First, a discussion comparing safety data between the first six months of 2021 and 2022 (spoilers in images):
Citywide Vision Zero 2022 vs 2021 (City of Madison)E. Washington Ave Vision Zero 2022 vs 2021 (City of Madison)
The second item of note is an update on the city’s application for vision zero grant from the federal government. Included in that update you’ll find a letter of support from Madison Bikes.
Coming Up
On Saturday November 19, be ready for the next bicycle collection drive supporting Free Bikes 4 Kidz. Last Saturday (October 8) marked the start of their season with a collection drive at six locations around Madison.
It’s a quiet week on the schedule but I suppose that with school starting up many will be busy with new schedules and new bicycle routes.
Presumably the University will be wrapping up many of their summer-long projects and closures that have been so disruptive to navigating through campus. Of course, you still have a month-long closure of a segment of the path on the north side of University Ave to look forward to. Expect that in later September.
Vision Zero is getting a lot of attention from Madison Bikes, the City of Madison, and the press. Now you can explore and visualize different aspects of the data driving these discussions with the Madison Vision Zero Dashboard created by Harald. This complements and expands upon his work in the Twitter bot sphere.
Finally, on Sunday, maybe bisect your a long Labor Day weekend with a late summer classic, the Wright Stuff Century presented by the Bombay Bicycle Club. This year it’s free for everyone with route lengths ranging from 35-100 (hilly) miles.
Last Week
If you’re looking for more immediate engagement, there are plenty of discussions on the Madison Bikes Community forums. A quick glance over the last week and you’d find topics such as:
The increase in bike thefts in Madison and bicycle locking strategies
Repeated attempts to sabotage and (presumably) injure users of the Southwest path by stretching cables across at a bike bridge
A call to action to get the City of Monona to consider bicycle lane improvements on the Atwood/Monona Dr corridor
Something for everyone!
Other Stuff
You might be interested to read this article from Streetsblog USA titled “Three Common Types of Bike Laws That Are Overdue for an Overhaul.” As referenced in the article, much of the data from this sourced from this paper.
It’s a very quiet week for bike news in Madison, but not for traffic out on our bikeways. Seems like everyone’s out biking somewhere — maybe for fun, maybe to get to work, maybe for exercise. Whatever your reason, enjoy!
This Week
On Monday at 5pm, the Transportation Policy and Planning Board (TPPB) meets virtually. You can read the full agenda here but probably the most interesting item to note is the discussion titled “Speed Policy on Shared Use Paths”. It’s a 27-slide deck that, if you are a user of any shared use paths, you absolutely must read. Then, after being reminded what an absolute mess we are in together, go out and ride our paths bringing your patience, awareness, and kindness.
On Monday evening at 7pm, join Madison Bikes and returning special guest (and friend of the show) Dr. Dirk von Schneidemesser for an informal social hour at the Memorial Union Terrace. Important note: This replaces next week’s scheduled Community Meeting!
This month, Dr. Dirk von Schneidemesser is in Madison again and will be joining us for an informal social hour. As a board member for the German nonprofit Changing Cities, Dr. Schneidemesser helped organize a grassroots ballot initiative that was instrumental in the 2018 creation of Berlin’s “bicycle law.” This law, the first of its kind in Germany, legally required Berlin to build certain types of infrastructure to improve bike and pedestrian safety. Similar laws have since been passed by local governments all over the world, and can be useful in shielding transportation safety initiatives from the whims of local politics.
Aside from the dozens of Madison Bike Week events, this week there are a few city meetings we’ll mention up front.
On Monday at 5pm the Transportation Policy and Planning Board is meeting with a light agenda that includes consideration to adopt the Metro Network Redesign Plan. The outcome of this will be presented at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday. Watch online or in person.
On Tuesday at 8am, attend a Bike Week-themed press conference and, afterwards, a short ride led by the Mayor. It’s all happening in front of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, right off the square. Come on down and support Bike Week!
On Tuesday at 6:30pm the Common Council meets virtually (agenda). Lots of minor business items but the aforementioned Metro Network Redesign is on the agenda. Maybe a Bike Week proclamation too?!
Bike Week’s been going for a couple days and people have been out and about enjoying it already, with events like the Trek Pride Ride on Saturday and “Biscuits 4 Bikers” from GRiT on Sunday.
Biscuits 4 Bikers courtesy of GRiT and other supporters (image: Harald Kliems)
Bus Tracker
An annual tradition returns! Look out for the four city buses with our Bike Week ad on the side. You can track where they are in real-time using this map.
Madison Metro Bus with Bike Week 2022 Ad (image: Harald Kliems)
Event Info
There are a bunch of ways to get at all of the upcoming Bike Week event information! Here are a few options, depending on your preferences:
And if that still isn’t enough for you, Harald has graciously written up a day-by-day summary of events still-to-come that you can read as well. Enjoy!
Monday, June 6
The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
Monday 40 will be hosting a fun, party-paced ride around Lake Monona. Meet at Orton Park, 6 PM sharp roll-out.
Tuesday, June 7: Numbers Don’t Go that High
The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
The Cargo Bike Shop once again is serving Waffles on the Bike Path. Cap City Trail at S Dickinson, 6:30 to 8:30 AM.
Madison Bike Week sponsor Slow Roll Cycles is joining forces with The Meat People Butcher and Crema Cafe for an eastside morning pit stop with coffee, breakfast, and bike checks. Lake Edge Shopping Center, 7 to 9:30 AM.
Bike Fitchburg is hosting their Commuter Station at the Velo UnderRound, 7 to 9AM.
At 8 AM, you can ride with Madison Bikes and Mayor Satya. Meet at the Madison Municipal Building and show your support for biking.
In the afternoon, at 3 PM come to Fire Station #9 on the west side for a bike station sponsored by Hill Farms Neighborhood residents and Madison Bikes.
Same time, but on the east side: The FairShare Coalition is hosting a snack stop on the Cap City Trail at Dickinson.
And yet another event starting at 3PM: Come to the Lussier Community Education Center for free bike repairs and education.
GRiT stands for Girls Riding Together, an initiative to get more girls and women involved in mountain biking. Come to Sheehan Park in Sun Prairie at 5:30 PM for a free clinic for girls and women to try out mountain biking.
The day closes with a Tuesday Night Ride by the Madison Women’s Cycling Club. Meet at the Olbrich Beer Garden at 6 PM for a beginner-friendly, all ages ride. Open to all WTFnB (women, trans, femme, non-Binary).
Wednesday, June 8: Another Overstuffed Day
The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
Donuts, donuts, everywhere: Madison Bike Week sponsor Schwinn Bikes will have a Donut Pit Stop at their HQ on the Southwest Path, 7 to 9 AM.
Also serving donuts is Machinery Dough-uh-Row Cycles. At Machinery Row on the Cap City, 7:30 AM until the donuts are gone
On the Starkweather Creek Park at Commercial, the Eken Park Neighborhood Association is serving breakfast to go from 7 to 10 AM.
Black Saddle Bikes invites you to have Coffee Outside at the Tenney Park Pavilion, 7:30 to 9:30 AM. Bring your own coffee-making gadgets, or just a cup.
Be a car-free superstar! On the Cap City at E Wilson/Ingersoll, RoundTrip, Metro Transit and Vision Zero are celebrating car-free travel with bike and bus giveaways! 3 to 6 PM.
The Boys & Girls Club is kicking of their Move4BGC campaign from 4:30 to 6:30 PM with a happy hour at LJ’s Sports Tavern.
It’s Pride Month. Join the inaugural Monthly Queer Bike Ride. Meet at the BCycle Station in Law Park for a ride down the Capital City Trail, a stop in Fitchburg for some food and fun. All Queer, LGBTQ+ people of any body type or ability are welcome!
And over in Sun Prairie, Bikes, Brats & Brews is back! Wheels down at 6pm for a 5-25 mile ride; brats start at 7 PM.
Thursday, June 9: Mix-and-match your faves from the 8 options
The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
Short Stack Eatery is teaming up with Wheels for Winners and DreamBikes for free bike safety checks and coffee. At Short Stack Eatery from 7 to 9 AM.
More ??: Griessmeyer Law and RaceDay Events will serve coffee and donuts on the Badger State Trail at Sub Zero Parkway. 7:30 to 10:30 AM.
It’s Grand Opening Day for our friends at the Madison Bicycle Center! Take a tour of their awesome downtown space and enjoy some food and drinks. 4 to 7 PM.
Monona Bank is hosting a pit stop with free goodie bags on the Cap City at Amoth Ct. 4 to 6 PM.
Madison Bike Week sponsor Madison BCycle presents their 16 brand new Art Bikes at Garver Feed Mill. Talk to the artists, sponsors, and non-profits involved between 4:30 and 6:30 PM.
Watch out for Madison Bike sponsor Slow Roll Cycle’s tent at the Muskelle Lounge (Monona Dr and Buckeye). Happy hour tokens and swag from 4:30 to 6 PM.
And at 6 PM get out your tandem (or whatever you have) for Tandem Thursday, a social ride to the Hop Garden in Paoli.
Friday, June 10
It’s your last chance to enjoy the City of Middleton’s bike station with coffee and refreshments from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
Are you tired of ? yet? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Free Bike 4 Kidz Madison will serve coffee, donuts, and (for kidz only) Culver’s coupons on the Lake Loop/Cap City junction from 7 to 9:30 AM.
FairShare CSA Coalition will have another snack stop on the Cap City at Paterson, 7:30 to 9:30 AM.
And once again: Madison Bikes is throwing a party in Brittingham Park. Join us for a celebration of Bike Week, with DJ, drinks, bike repair, tabling, and more. At and around Brittingham Park Shelter from 4 to 7 PM.
After the party is before the after-party: Madison Bike Week sponsor Madison Cycle Works is hosting an after-party bike ride, 9 PM at Brittingham Park.
Saturday, June 11: Camping, camping, and soccer.
Get our your ⛺️ and camping gear out and join Solarpunk Travel for an easy 11-mile bike ride to McCarthy County Park. Camp at the group camp site and ride back the next day. Meet at Willy Street Park (1002 Williamson) at 11:30 AM.
Your other camping option: Family Bike Camping with The Cargo Bike Shop. Bring the kids and ride 7 miles to the group camp site at Lake Farms County Park. Depart at the Cargo Bike Shop at noon.
Are you into soccer and/or want to support the work of our friends at DreamBikes? $5 of every ticket sold for the Madison v Greenville game will go to DreamBikes. Kickoff at 7 PM at Breese Stevens. Ticket link here.
On Monday, the paid membership portion of the downtown Madison Bicycle Center, managed by Freewheel, will be opening for the first time. Members can access bike storage, showers, lockers, changing rooms, and other core MBC amenities 24/7/365. If you work downtown, you should definitely give it a look-see. The facility and services are still available M-F from 9am-6pm for everyone and the semi-enclosed/well-lit bike parking is available 24/7 for everyone too!
Have you been riding all winter and still have a thick salt crust on your bike? Did you just get back on the bike for the season and your ride sounds a little creaky? Bought a used bike and want to make sure it’s safe? Either way, join us for our Bike Wash on April 30. We’ll have cleaning supplies, tools, lube, and volunteers from Madison Bikes, Dream Bikes, and Wheels for Winners on site who can check your bike for basic safety.
Even if your bike’s already sparklingly clean, stop on by to socialize and chat about bikes and bike advocacy. After the event, the party will continue as an informal community meeting where we’ll discuss all things Madison Bikes including Bike Week 2022!
Finally, a Madison icon is retiring (maybe paywalled, sorry about that). Crazy “TV” Lenny, or now Crazy “Bike” Lenny is wrapping up his career (at least until whatever he does next). You may also remember the “Firenze” 10-speed road bikes from the 80’s that often came free with any sizeable purchase of furniture or electronics. His most recent venture, the bike shop that specializes in E-Bikes on Odana Road, will remain open under new local ownership.
Construction and Closures
Starting Monday, Old Middleton Road will be largely closed from it’s eastern terminus at Eau Claire Ave to Old Sauk Rd for the entire season. Once school is out for the year, it will close even further west from Old Sauk Rd to Capital Ave. Technically, one travel lane westbound only will remain open throughout, but that will probably not be a great biking option so best get used to your alternatives such as the University Ave path and/or winding through the hills south and west of Owen Park (h/t Harald).
Old Middleton Rd 2022 Closure Map (City of Madison)
The brand-new pump track at Aldo Leopold Park will be closed until July (again with the paywall) to install a new skills track around the pump track and to allow the grass to grow in. It will surely be worth the wait!
Can you believe that just seven days ago we were digging out from a wet messy snow storm? What a difference a week makes!
In addition to great bicycling weather, warmer temperatures mean that the street sweepers can get their brush on at night. Spring street sweeping keeps a lot of sand and salt out of the storm sewers (and the lakes!) and of course makes for safer and cleaner bicycling. According to the street sweeping site, shared-use paths are cleared using lighter equipment several times per year, so expect to see those vehicles out as well and if there are any major problem areas, use Report A Problem to let the city know.
This Week
On Monday at 5pm, the Transportation Policy and Planning Board will meet (agenda) and it looks like you’ll be able to enjoy a presentation about the Transportation Improvement Program, which discusses a whole cargo bike-full of bicycling improvements from 2023-2028.
On Tuesday, BCycle season officially kicks off. This year you’ll find a bunch of new stations (eight announced to be available at launch with more to come) and 75 new bikes in the system. The prices are increasing slightly, but until March 15 you can still lock-in last year’s annual rate and save yourself $15. I’m not sure if that includes tomorrow, March 15, or not, so best do it ASAP using the code BACKTOBCYCLE.
One of the four options for routing the multi-use path through Olbrich Park (City of Madison)
Here’s a quick cheat-sheet:
Design option #1 routes closer to the lake than the existing route.
Design option #2 is similar to what exists now but would not be a year round bike route because it crosses the bottom of the sledding hill. Parks would not clear the path in the winter, similar to some parts of the Garner Park and Elver Park path systems.
Design option #3 is similar to #2 except that it routes around the bottom of the sledding hill to allow for snow removal.
Design option #4 (submitted by local neighborhood groups) would take the path completely out of the park, making it a longer route and adding elevation and an additional conflict point at the parking lot entrance.
Expect to hear a lot more about this in weeks and months to come. The work is scheduled to be done in 2025 but the city is trying to move it up to next year.
Last Week
Last week had a stacked Transportation Commission meeting. Here are a couple of the highlights:
The commission unanimously approved the proposed design for Hammersley Road. The rebuild includes a multi-use path on one side, and it greatly improves the crossing of Whitney Way by turning a turn lane into a center island. The project still needs to go through the Board of Public Works and the Common Council. The district’s Alder, Yanette Figueroa Cole, spoke in favor of the project, despite the vocal opposition from some residents. Consider sending the Alder an email thanking her for the support of the project: district10@cityofmadison.com
Staff presented an option that will turn on-street parking into a buffered bike lanes on Tokay Boulevard between Whitney Way and Segoe. The project will come back to the commission again at a later point, but commissioners supported the overall design.
Winter riding on streets with juuuust enough ice (Image: Cyclists of Madison)
It’s another quiet week on the Madison cycling news front, but overall it’s been a pretty good stretch to actually get out and ride. The storms last week left a mess in their wake for all road, path and sidewalk users, but temps have warmed enough that the paths and thoroughfares are in pretty good shape.
This Week
On Monday at 5pm the Transportation Policy and Planning Board (TPPB) is meeting virtually — an unusual day of the week for them. The agenda includes a presentation of the Metro Transit Network Redesign Draft Plan. There are several different maps presented, but I’ll include one here as a representative sample.
Metro Transit Network Redesign – Draft Plan (Image: City of Madison)
If this interests you, check out the web site, read through the slides, and maybe listen in on one of these meetings to get a more complete picture.
On Wednesday at 6:30, the Greater Madison MPO Policy Board has their monthly meeting (virtual). Nothing particular important to note on the agenda except for another stab at presenting the Metro Transit Network Redesign Draft Plan along with a BRT update.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison is looking for distribution partners for its spring bike giveaway. The deadline for applications is February 16. In addition they are looking for volunteers to help refurbish their vast stash of bikes. You can come in individually or as part of team and no experience is necessary!
Proposed plan for Hammersley Rd (Image: City of Madison)
In short, the two-year plan removes bicycle lanes and on-street parking and adds a city-maintained multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. This stretch of the road currently lacks sidewalks, so this is a big improvement for pedestrians. This path will also connect up cleanly to the Southwest Commuter Path at the bridge across the beltline.
Property owners will not be responsible for snow removal and will not pay assessments for the construction of the path, nevertheless I’d expect quite a vocal minority in opposition.
International Winter Bike to Work Day is a real thing…and we’re loving it! Join us on your way home from work or school and enjoy a warm beverage, a hot fire and some friendly winter biking conversations. Coffee donated by Lodgic Everyday Community.
In addition to various specials all day around the city, join us between 3pm and 5pm along the Capital City Trail — near the timekeeper between the convention center and the causeway. We’ll have treats, a hot fire, warm beverages and a lot of the enthusiasm!
