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In Depth

Midvale Bike Lane Survey Review

credit: City of Madison

Resurfacing Background

Midvale Blvd north of Mineral Point Rd is going to be resurfaced in 2026. Resurfacing is relatively low cost since it involves only a new layer of asphalt and painting new lane lines. There may be light curb work done, but the overall road geometry is left alone. By resurfacing in 2026, the City hopes to delay a full reconstruction of Midvale for 10-15 years. The full reconstruction costs much more and includes stormwater, utilities, curb, medians, sidewalks, etc.

Plans to add bike lanes to Midvale Blvd go back to 1975, but the curb-to-curb width north of Mineral Point Rd isn’t wide enough for bike lanes and on-street parking and two vehicle lanes in each direction. South of Mineral Point Rd, the road is a bit wider and the City long ago painted a shared bike + parking lane there.

In 2023, the City first explored converting parking lanes to bike lanes as a Safe Streets For All (SS4A) project. In late 2024, a combined resurfacing + bike lane project was introduced. In summer 2025, the City sent out a public survey asking for feedback on three options for bike facilities:

  • option 1 paint bike lanes on Midvale Blvd and remove street parking from most of the road.
  • option 2 move bicyclists to a quiet side street and have them cross multi-lane University Ave and Midvale at un-signalized intersections.
  • option 3 make no changes to Midvale, but do make minor improvements to Mineral Point Rd crossings at Segoe Rd and Owen Dr.

This survey had serious flaws. Its three “options” were not remotely equivalent: options 2 & 3 were minor projects on existing bike routes, while option 1 was the rare chance to fix a 50-year old bike route gap. The options were also presented with technical jargon and diagrams rather than visual renderings, which may explain the large number of respondents who misunderstood what was being proposed. The survey’s creators also favored option 3, as evidenced by the bias in the “pros and cons” listed for each option.

The survey generated record-setting amounts of public input – around 2500 responses and 1400 written comments. The results were presented at the Sept 20 Transportation Commission (T.C.) meeting. Below is a summary:

Option 3 was the clear winner in the survey, yet the T.C. voted for option 1 because it was the only one that addressed the City’s long-established area plans and transportation policies. I.e., it was the only option that improved bicycling in the area.

City Alders all spoke and voted strongly against option 1 because the loss of street parking would affect about sixty households. The meeting recording is worth watching (Alders and T.C. discussion happens around the two-hour mark). The Alders will now try to overturn the T.C. recommendation at Common Council. In describing her fight to overturn the T.C. vote, Ald Regina Vidaver cites “the overwhelming opposition of the public” to option 1.

Is that true?   Was there really overwhelming opposition to option 1, bike lanes?  To test this, I and a few volunteers cataloged all 723 written responses from people who listed option 3 as their main choice. Here is the raw spreadsheet for anyone to check the work or do their own analysis. Option 3 was analyzed because it was the option chosen by nearly everyone!  It was chosen by bike-lovers and bike-haters. It was chosen by those wanting to preserve street parking and by those concerned for pedestrian safety. It was chosen by people with amazingly poignant and detailed ideas about traffic engineering, as well as those venting about no-turn-on-red signs. Option 3 was a very big tent!

Below is a summary of our findings with select quotes.

Analysis of responses to option 3

Only 11% of responses mentioned the actual option 3 improvements

I am really excited about the possibility of these improvements

Option 3 provides an even safer route for an existing route many already take, including middle school students, due to the biking lanes already present on Segoe

Owen Drive is a main pedestrian walking route for children living in the Sunset Village neighborhood as they walk to School (at Queen of Peace or Midvale Elementary). Improving that intersection along with the proposed pedestrian safety improvements to Midvale would make a huge positive impact to the walkability/bikability for residents and commuters alike.

This shows 11% of respondents understood the proposed crossing improvements along Mineral Point Rd at Owen and Segoe, and that they are very worthwhile. At the T.C., City Engineering acknowledged these improvements would likely happen regardless of Midvale resurfacing.

But the fact that 89% of responses made no mention of the improvements suggests that option 3 was a protest option. I.e., it represented the least change, the least cost, the closest to the status quo. For many who chose option 3, its improvements were beside the point.

28% were openly hostile to any bike facilities and/or past City projects.

And half of them also made negative mention of Segoe’s protected lanes, Whitney Way’s parking removal, BRT lane changes, no-right-turn-on-red signs, etc:

Listen, you pencil-necked bureaucrats, you’re at it again, aren’t you? 

For God’s sake leave Midvale alone and leave something un-f’d up.

Stop harming people who need to drive vehicles in favor of virtue signaling.

The Segoe redo is a disaster for driving and there are virtually no bikes that use it.

11% mistakenly believed option 1 would remove vehicle lanes or erect concrete protected buffers.

I oppose any options that reduce traffic lanes on Midvale

The Option 1 plan seems to mimic what was created on Segoe Rd from University Ave to Regent Street

if you add bike lanes that block cars from being able to pull over to let emergency vehicles though, YOU will have blood on your hands!

This misinformation was common on social media, and probably resulted from the survey’s technical jargon and lack of visual renderings.

To be clear, option 1 adds a simple painted bike lane and does not remove any traffic lanes.

22% mentioned street parking.

This is the main opposition to the removal of street parking needed to add bike lanes. This group is discussed in more detail later on. For a third of these responses, parking was their one and only one concern.

Losing parking on Midvale is not fair to homeowners.

People living on Midvale need to be able to have on street parking, don’t take it away as you did on Whitney Way. 

The residents who pay property taxes to the city should take priority over construction projects that will benefit others that do not live there and also decrease those residents’ home values

16% of respondents self-identified as bicyclists.

1% preferred the status quo, 4% would support a bike lane if it were protected (like N. Segoe), and the other 11% felt that since they don’t ride on Midvale, no one else needs to either.

I personally don’t like biking busy streets so that’s why I’m against option

I am a biker and I will always choose a route that is less hazardous than going on Midvale. Even if you make improvements I wouldn’t use them. 

as a biker, I never felt Midvale Blvd was a safe option for bike riding.

6% mentioned cost

It is fiscally irresponsible to undertake another expensive project so close to the recently completed Segoe Rd. project.

The city of Madison would be extremely short sighted to undertake such a large project at the taxpayer’s expense while benefitting only a handful of cyclists.

How can this be in a supposed stretched budget? This mayor overspends my tax money

The survey did not discuss costs, other than mentioning that cost savings was a benefit of option 3. The City budget shows $2.75M to resurface Midvale Blvd and implement all pedestrian crossing upgrades and signal improvements. The cost of the three bike options are not broken out, but an educated guess is $150k for option 1, or $50k for options 2 or 3. I.e., all are less than 5% of the project budget.

To put $2.75M into perspective, consider that Rimrock resurfacing is $1.1M for a similar length and width, while Virginia Terrace resurfacing is $2.6M for a road half as long and half as wide. These projects have a lot of cost variability.

25% were “nanny” responses.

These responses believe they’re looking out for the interests of bicyclists by discouraging them from riding on Midvale. These respondents ignored the many reasons why bicyclists might want or need to take Midvale.

Directing bike traffic to nearby, less-traveled streets looks like a better option that will be safer for both bicyclists and motorists.  

Keep us safe and keep us off Midvale. 

Best move the bikes to neighborhood streets parallel to Midvale.

30% of responses seem to be pure protest votes against the City, against bicycling, or in favor of car-only roads.

This group of responses does not mention street parking, nor do they say anything favorable about safety improvements, alternate bike routes, or crossing improvements. They show little understanding of the resurfacing project nor the options presented by the City engineers. They also show little concern for the problems of the current road (e.g., speed) and for neighbors who live, park, walk, and bike in the area. Basically, they just want to yell.

This is why people hate you. You and your clipboards, your “community input” meetings where the same three NIMBYs show up to whine.

too.much is spent on idiotic accommodations for bikes.

Construction on Midvale for pedestrians is a waste of money and time

These are valid voices, of course. But are they constructive? Do they deserve the same weight as the other thoughtful comments, especially when many interpret the survey as a democratic vote?

If those 30% of pure protest responses are excluded, the “overwhelming opposition of the public” claim withers and options 1 & 3 are left with similar public support:

The case for bike lanes

Plans for Midvale bike lanes have been firm for fifty years – 1975 Madison Bikeway long-term plan, 2000 Bicycle Transportation Plan (pg 72), 2014 Hoyt Park Neighborhood Plan (pg 63), 2015 Bicycle Transportation Plan (pg 40), and 2024 West Area Plan (pg 24).  Of the sixteen roads identified in 2000 as having the “greatest need for bicycle facilities,” all but Midvale and Gammon have already been addressed.

Real bike usage data (see map below) show that:

  • Bicyclists use Midvale Blvd in high numbers today, even though it has no official bike facility.
  • For bicyclists crossing University Avenue, Midvale Blvd is by far the most popular place to cross in the two miles between Whitney Way and Highland Ave.
  • Of bicyclists traveling north or south of Regent St, slightly more choose Midvale Blvd than the alternate routes on Segoe or Owen.

Segoe and Owen are both excellent bike routes, but they do not serve all riders and all destinations:

  • Midvale is where the shops, groceries, schools, hardware stores, banks, medical offices, restaurants and library all are. Midvale is part of a 15-minute city.
  • Midvale is the shortest and most intuitive connection between the Southwest Path, the University Ave / Shorewood Path, and the Regent / Kendall bike boulevard.
  • Segoe & Owen alternate routes can also be longer, slower, steeper, and require crossing busy Mineral Point Rd, Midvale Blvd, and/or University Avenue without a stoplight. They are also unintuitive to those new to the area, navigating by GPS, or only familiar with major roads.

Below is the biking data from Strava, an activity tracker used by many athletes and commuters. This data is very good for seeing how popular different routes are, but it is not good for counting the number of bicyclists. Click the image for a better view.

The case for on-street parking

Nearly every major road from University Ave to Monroe St has had parking removed or restricted at some point in the past. Here is how Wisconsin State Journal reflected on Regent St rush hour parking removal back in 1960:

This has hurt some merchants and regrettably so, but the council has acted for what it feels to be the greater good.

A policy, to be valid, must be applied impartially. That means Regent St., as well as the many other streets in the city where parking has been restricted.

If the policy isn't applied impartially, then it had better be discarded, and we'd better remove rush hour restrictions from other streets as well...

Every City must weigh the needs of thousands of daily motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and bus-riders against the needs of the adjacent landowners. In business districts that lack off-street parking, the economic aspects often win out and influence road designs, as happened on S. Park Street with BRT. In residential districts, especially those with ample off-street parking, the homeowner resistance usually loses out to City policy and plans.

Madison policy has favored transportation over parking since at least the 1950’s, and that policy is now enshrined in the Complete Green Streets modal hierarchy.

source: Complete Green Streets Modal Hierarchy
https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/initiatives/complete-green-streets

In the Midvale survey, 161 responses (22%) were in favor of preserving parking, with most comments mentioning the homeowners of the sixty properties south of Regent St:

We have elderly family with mobility issues that will no longer have access to our home.

Removing the Midvale parking will create an inconvenient and dangerous situation for guests and contractors visiting Midvale residences.

Option 1 is unfair to the numerous homeowners on Midvale.  Being completely unable to park on the street outside their homes would be a hardship. 

The City did numerous counts over two years showing that those homeowners rarely use street parking. How does that fact square with the homeowner pleas to preserve parking?

  • An examination of the sixty houses shows that nearly all have garages and at least two off-street parking spaces. Most have yard space to add more parking and some have already done that.
  • All affected homes are less than a block (600′) from off-street parking on quiet side streets.
  • During public meetings in 2023 and in early 2025, multiple residents explained the low street parking rates were due to the fact that cars get hit when they’re parked on the street.
  • Crash data from Community Maps confirms that. It shows 17 crashes with parked cars along Midvale in the past 15 years. For comparison, the similarly long stretches of Regent & Bluff had twelve crashes, Mineral Point Rd had four, Owen had five, and Segoe had zero.
source: https://transportal.cee.wisc.edu/partners/community-maps/

(That brings up the topic of Midvale Blvd speed and safety that was mentioned by at least 13% of respondents. They were near unanimous that the street is becoming unbearable to live near. All wanted the City to do more to control speeds and reckless driving.)

The homeowner protests are real and sincere, but also a bit hollow given how little they use street parking, how much off-street parking they have, and how hazardous it is to park on the road. I wonder how they feel about nearby Mineral Point Rd where there is practically zero usage of street parking. I also wonder about fairness and impartiality: don’t people who live in no-parking areas of Regent St or Commonwealth or Glenway also have contractors, guests, or elderly family with mobility issues? And most importantly, I wonder if this is really an issue of hardship, or is it one of convenience?

I also wonder if the the public would be so defensive of street parking if this project was adding a motor vehicle lane rather than a bike lane… What would the survey results look like then?

The case for compromise

At the T.C., the project was presented with no room for compromise. That’s a shame because there are options.

For example, empirical and anecdotal data suggest that Midvale bike lanes are needed most between Regent St and University Avenue. That’s the business area around Hilldale Mall with many businesses and apartment buildings. One compromise could be to only add bike lanes on that stretch.

Or consider that Midvale Blvd south of Regent St is a big hill. Since northbound downhill bikers travel faster and are more in need of lane space, another compromise might have a bike lane only in the northbound direction.

Several survey responses suggested widening the Midvale sidewalks into paths, like the path along Hammersley Rd. That’s far too costly for the resurfacing project and would also require tree removals and/or yard encroachment. But if there’s enough buy-in from the homeowners, maybe the Alders could drive this idea forward.

I’m personally not a fan of any of these compromises, but politics involves concessions. At this point, it’s for the Alders to figure out and they should be thinking about all available options.

Last word: Shared bike + parking lanes

Any compromise will leave gaps where bikers will need to ride in unofficial 9′ shared bike + parking lanes that are even narrower than the 10′ shared lanes Midvale has today south of Mineral Point Rd. The image below shows today’s lanes in white compared to the future lanes in purple. Talk about a door zone!

source: Google streetview

NACTO frowns on shared bike + parking lanes, but Wisconsin likes them. The 2004 Bicycle Facility Design Handbook (pg 2-14) specifies 12′ minimum width while the 2003 Bicycle Planning Guidance (pg 39) specifies 14′. Madison’s 10′ lanes are really small but better than nothing.

A design point is the right-side painted line. Drivers naturally expect bikers to stay to the right of it, but that’s not always possible and bikers often find themselves in sketchy and uncomfortable situations. At those times, it’d almost be better to NOT have that right-side painted line.

This point brings to mind survey response no. 491:

I observe that the few cyclists who do chose to use  Midvale Boulevard seem to be intentionally making a point.  They either occupy a full  traffic lane, or swerve out into traffic around parked cars.  They seem to be engaged  in dangerous performance art or protest.

I guess one person’s survival skill for navigating bad infrastructure is another person’s performance art!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

S. Park Street BRT; TC

Madison Bicyclist in front of the Monona Terrace. Photo: Cyclists of Madison

S. Park St. Redevelopment

Wednesday from 6:00PM – 7:30, join a virtual city meeting discussing S. Park St. redevelopment for BRT. Thursday from 5:30PM – 7:30 PM, there will also be an in-person meeting on the same topic in Fitchburg.

Madison Bikes board member Craig Weinhold mentioned these meetings two weeks ago in an in-depth blog post about the sacrifices bicyclists and pedestrians have had to make to avoid disruptions to single occupancy vehicle traffic as BRT is expanded. Bicyclist safety and accessibility on S. Park St. is key to overall safety and accessibility on the S. side. It is important to show up often to city meetings to ensure the city fully explores options to allow bicyclists and bus riders safe and convenient roadway access, instead of pitting bikes and buses against one another while refusing to prioritize safety over single occupancy vehicle convenience.

Transportation Commission updates

The Mineral Point Rd. “widened sidewalk” plans are going to TC this Wednesday. The compromised state of the bike facilities included in this project were also mentioned in Craig’s blog post (link above). Feel free to send a written comment on “Agenda Item 2” to share your thoughts on this, instructions on how to do this are always included in the TC agenda.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Community Meeting, MPO on TAP, Autumn Ridge Path

Photo: Cyclists of Madison Mastodon

It’s looking relatively warm this week, but keep the studs on and watch out for freeze/thaw ice patches. For more pictures of people enjoying biking in Madison, visit our Mastodon page.

Last Week

Tuesday: Madison had a very strong turnout for the Spring primary election, a reflection of the critical importance of this year’s WI supreme court race. That said, kudos to all of you making your voice heard in local aldermanic and mayoral elections as well. Strong local political leadership is a key part of successful of bike safety and accessibility projects in Madison.

Friday: In case you missed it, Madison Bikes provided comments on the city’s Reconnecting Communities federal grant application. The city hopes to build an overpass connecting N. and S. Perry St. on the South Side. Currently, the Beltline cuts these two streets in half. Hopefully, this project could increase bicyclist and pedestrian access across the Beltline.

This Week

Monday: Join us on Zoom from 6:00 – 7:30 PM to discuss the three final proposals for the Monona Lakefront Design Project. We plan to assess how each proposal contributes to an all ages and abilities bike network, especially in relation to safe connections from the Cap City across John Nolen to access the Capitol. We’d love to hear what you like about the proposals, what you don’t, and any other ideas you have about the John Nolen Drive project. If you aren’t familiar, feel free to explore the links and join us to learn more.

Wednesday: Madison MPO meets at 6:30 PM this week. TAP project scoring for applications from February is on the agenda. Scores will be used to prioritize distribution of $3.5 million in TAP funds. Link here to the draft project scores plus a link to join the meeting.

In case you missed it, the WI Bike Fed recently discussed Governor Evers’ pledge to leverage more federal and state funds to support TAP projects, along with other important bike policies, in his biennial budget. Governor Evers acknowledged the state has a $7 billion budget surplus, and with Wisconsin ranking 49/50 in per-capita pedestrian and bicyclist spending, spending some of that surplus is long overdue.

Thursday: The city is hosting a public information meeting on the Autumn Ridge Path project. Plans include an enhanced crossing of Milwaukee St. east of HW51 and a bike/ped overpass for HW30 just west of Thomson Dr. The HW30 overpass would be the only low-stress crossing east of HW51, would link nicely with the HW51 overpass, and would serve as an important connection between residential and commercial areas on either side of HW30. Info and meeting registration here.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

MLK Day, Advocacy Wins, Bike Swap

Photo: Winter rider in the city (Cyclists of Madison Twitter)


Last Week

A member of our Madison Bikes Community Facebook group notched a win against the hairball intersection, and we are all grateful. She noticed the John Nolen Dr. crossing connecting the new E. Wilson path to the Cap City (along Willy) forced her to pause on an island in the new intersection, instead of smoothly crossing in one green light. She reached out to her alder and city staff explaining why crossing in one light cycle is much preferred to waiting for two lights, and the city realigned the timing to allow the quick crossing! Of course, the city is used to doing this kind of update in response to feedback. All of us users of bike infrastructure can be great resources for identifying and fixing problems. If you’re having a similar issue with light timing, snow, potholes, or other hazards impacting your bike route, you can use the city report a problem tool to let the city know. Reaching out to your alder and any elected officials representing you with your bike safety and access concerns is a great way to ensure your needs remain visible. Consistent local advocacy is essential to advancing our mission at Madison Bikes, and we commend anyone who gets involved. We plan on hosting a bike advocacy training event this year, details will be shared with you on this blog and on our social media.

This Week

Monday: It’s looking like cold rain on MLK Day. Don your rain gear and head to the Capitol Rotunda at noon for Wisconsin’s 42nd annual Tribute and Ceremony. At 5:45pm, you can also ride to the Overture Center for Madison and Dane County’s 38th annual MLK Day Observance.

Saturday: The annual Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap will be at the Alliant Energy Center from 9am-1pm. See link for details.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Vote for TDM, Passenger Rail, Santa Rampage Returns

Photo: Wisconsin Bike Fed

This Week

Tuesday: City Council will vote on the Transportation Demand Management program that has been in the works on for a number of years. Its passage would be a big push for better biking, walking, and transit services for developments in the city. Your emails or testimony in support are strongly encouraged to help it pass!

Simply put, this program supports infrastructure for modes of transportation that reduce congestion (biking, walking, transit, etc.) when new developments are being approved, or when the use of an existing development changes.

Things the program could require include secure bicycle parking and showers/changing rooms, allowing those who don’t use a car parking space in a development to have the value of that space in other ways (reduced rent, extra storage, etc.), free or reduced transit passes, free BCycle memberships, and car sharing programs.

Plan Commission already requires TDM for some developments, but there are no guidelines or consistency to what is required. The plan up for approval on Tuesday would help implement TDM near networks of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel, rather than encouraging single occupancy vehicle use in these locations.

You can access all the documents that the Council will consider here. And you can view Robbie Webber’s more extensive comments to the Council here. Emails can be sent to the entire Council by using the following email: Allalders@cityofmadison.com

Wednesday: Madison’s Passenger Rail Station Study kickoff meeting is happening in person at 4:30 pm in room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, and virtually at 6:30pm. This study came from a recent influx of available rail funding from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, combined with recent US DOT guidance that passenger rail service to Madison should be “included on any mainline route alignment.” and is “critical to operational viability of the Core Express corridor between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.”

Saturday: Celebrate the seasons in your favorite festive costume with the Santa Cycle Rampage. Groups will ride in from all over town, and converge on Library Mall at 11am for a 5 mile slow roll, ending back at Library Mall by noon. Registrations will help fund the Bike Fed’s Safe Routes to Schools programming in Dane County. New and lightly used winter clothing for MMSD schools can be donated at the event. For more info, click here.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Winter Riding Info, TC, and a Group Ride

This Week

Monday, November 28

6:00 PM – Madison Bikes Community Meeting

This week’s Madison Bikes Community Meeting is a special one. The focus will be on strategies to keep warm and safe while on your bike throughout the winter months. Bring any questions you have and members of the Madison Bikes community will help answer those. This meeting will be held via Zoom at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/95317759840

6:00 PM – Bike Fitchburg Monthly Meeting

Monday’s also the monthly Bike Fitchburg meeting. This meeting is held every fourth Monday of the month, except in December, and is currently meeting at the Atomic Koi cocktail lounge at 2685 Research Park Drive in Fitchburg. It is an in-person only event. More details can be found here.

Wednesday, November 30

12:00 PM – WEBINAR: The Future of Electric Busses

1000 Friends of Wisconsin is hosting a webinar about the future of electric busses in Wisconsin. Speaking will be Trevor Jung (Transit and Mobility Director, City of Racine) and Susan Mudd (Environmental Law & Policy Center). You can register for the free webinar by clicking here. More details can be found on Facebook, or The Isthmus.

5:00 PM – Transportation Commission

This week’s TC Agenda is easily a big one. First up on the agenda is the adoption of and direction to implement the Metro Network Redesign in the summer of 2023. Following that, TC will discuss and vote on approving and creating a Transit Demand Management Program in the MGO (Madison’s municipal laws). While the votes in this meeting won’t change anything right away, it will help give the rest of the Common Council guidance on how to vote on these issues when it comes before them .

Saturday, December 3

10:15 AM – Jingle Mingle Bike Ride

This Saturday, Sun Prairie Moves and Bicycle Benefits Sun Prairie is hosting the Jingle Mingle Bike Ride. This is a casual social ride, and festive holiday attire and decorated bikes are recommended. The group will meet up at Beans ‘n Cream Coffeehouse (345 Cannery Square) at 10:15 AM, and depart from there at 10:45 AM. Click here for the full itinerary and further details. The final stop will be reached at about 2:15 PM.

5:30 PM – Capital Off Road Pathfinders Annual Meeting

This event is to show appreciation to all CORP members and volunteers. They will recap the past year’s highlights and look forward to next year’s plans. Food and drink will be available. The event will take place at Revolution Cycles, 2330 Atwood Ave. Link here for more details.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Costume Cross Race, Fall Group Rides, Bike Fitchburg

Seen in Madison last week, possibly the world record for track standing on a tandem Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter

This Week

Social Rides: Get out your Fall layers and get outside! Monday evening you can check out Monday 40 social ride. Tuesday for the Madison Women’s Cycling Club, or the Slow Roll Ride. Wednesday evening features the Madison Queer Bike Ride, reach out to their instagram page for details. Saturday for Brazen Dropouts’ fast morning Row Ride.

Monday: Our monthly community meeting will not happen this week, as we have a board retreat. We will keep you posted with future community meeting plans. For anyone who still feels an urge to meet and talk about bike safety and accessibility, Bike Fitchburg is having their monthly meeting at Atomic Koi 6-7:30pm.

Wednesday: Transportation Commission, 5pm. This week’s agenda isn’t too noteworthy, especially compared to last week’s TC data showing fewer deaths and severe injuries since Vision Zero plans were put in place, plus exciting plans for transformational grant funding for future Vision Zero safety improvements.

Saturday: If you have been looking for a place to ride bikes competitively in a silly outfit, or to spectate while others do this, head to Angel Park Speedway on Saturday for some friendly Halloween-themed cyclocross racing. First time racers get free entry. The WI CX Series Crossfire race traditionally features costumes and a place for spectators to toss ball-pit balls at racers as they try to jump over hurdles while carrying their bikes. More info here.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Complete Streets, Social Rides

A Madison rider sporting a u-lock and cable lock, allowing extra security when locking up outside. Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter

Last Week

Rain: Wet weather made for an excellent and very muddy kickoff race for Wisconsin’s cyclocross series on Sunday, and made the bike section for Ironman Wisconsin 2022 quite a slog. Sadly it was much too wet for BikEquity’s family-friendly community ride & free bike repair event, which was cancelled. We will keep an eye out for rain dates on their social media.

This Week

Social Rides: It may dry out enough by Monday evening for a quality Monday 40 social ride. Tuesday evening is looking great for the Madison Women’s Cycling Club Taco Ride, or the Slow Roll Ride. Wednesday evening features the Madison Queer Bike Ride, reach out to their instagram page for details. Saturday is looking nice for Brazen Dropouts’ morning Row Ride. Finally, you can still register day-of for Bike The Barns on Sunday!

Monday: Madison Bikes has its monthly board meeting from 6-8pm. We will keep you posted on relevant happenings, and we will be discussing the board application process. Please read about becoming a board member, and apply if you meet the criteria listed!

Thursday: MPO Complete Streets Lunch & Learn Webinar The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting a webinar from 12-1pm defining Complete Streets, discussing how they help ensure the safety of people on bikes or on foot, and discussing how to overcome barriers that make building them a challenge for cities. While primarily aimed at local planners, transportation staff, and local officials, this webinar will surely provide great material for those interested in advocating to their local, state, and national elected officials in support of safety.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Leopold Pump Track Dedication Party, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Funding, Bike The Barns

Local youth utilizing one of Madison’s low-stress routes. Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter

Last Week

Funding for N Mendota Trail: Dane County announced it will award Middleton $1 million for construction of the next segment of the North Mendota Trail, from the Highland Way / Century Ave signal to just past city limits near Century Drive. This trail is a multi-year project to help regional bike routes like HWY M safer for bike riders and pedestrians.

This Week

New Legislative Advocacy Tool: People For Bikes released this year’s Bicycle Friendly States rankings, and they weren’t pretty. Wisconsin fell to #29 in overall bicycle friendliness, and down to #49 in spending per-capita on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This week, the WI Bike Fed released this tool to help concerned citizens tell relevant state legislators to invest in bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Wisconsin can do better, and we will.

Bike the Barns: FairShare CSA Coalition’s Bike the Barns ride is open for registration, event link here. The event is FairShare’s largest fundraiser, and helps fund the Partner Share Program that supports low-income families in accessing locally grown produce. The event needs volunteers, if you are interested sign up here.

Monday: Transportation Policy and Planning Board is meeting virtually at 5pm, agenda here. Tuning in to TPPB meetings is a great way to learn more about how bike and pedestrian infrastructure is planned in Madison. One interesting agenda item this week is approval of Madison’s application to the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Discretionary Grant Program, designed to repair some of the harm caused by mid-20th century highway expansion and associated destruction of low-income urban communities.

Tuesday: The Aldo Leopold Park Pump Track is being dedicated with a big community party, from 1-7pm! See here for details, including the inspiring story of how local kids inspired a host of private and public investments that made this project possible.

Wednesday: At 6:o0pm, Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is meeting virtually. Link to agenda and participation details here. Following the MPO is a great way to stay up-to-date on pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure affecting Dane County.

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!

Categories
Newsletter Weekly Update

Hot Weather, Bike Rides, TC Safety Updates

A Madison resident enjoying a summer B-Cycle ride. Photo: Cyclists of Madison

Last Week

Vilas Park Drive: If you missed the event last week, Vilas Park Drive is officially closed to motor vehicle traffic between the bridge at Edgewood Ave and the entrance to the Vilas Park Shelter lot. This change is designed to better support the safety of pedestrians and bike riders using the park.

This Week

Monday: Madison’s casual, fun, and inclusive Monday 40 group rides are up and running again. This week’s ride is around 20 miles, leaving from Orton Park at 6:00pm. See details here.

Tuesday: Slow Roll Cycles will host their free casual weekly group ride, leaving from their shop (4118 Monona Dr, Madison, WI 53716) at 6:20pm, details here.

Wednesday: Transportation Commission meets at 5pm, see here for agenda and participation details. Agenda items include a review of the quarterly traffic safety report, which shows a modest reduction in reported severe injuries and fatal crashes compared to Q1 last year.

Saturday: Black Saddle Bike Shop is once again hosting a free night of bike camping for Swift Campout weekend! Ride out from Black Saddle Bike Shop (601 N Sherman Ave) at 11:00am, following a 31 mile route that mostly follows the Southwest and Military Ridge paths to arrive at the beautiful Brigham County Park group camp site near Blue Mounds. If you can’t make the group ride, you can also get to the campsite using whatever route you prefer! For more info on camping bags and the ride, contact Black Saddle. Full event details here.

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!