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Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Spring Into Action: Advocacy and Adventure

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the Highway 30 bridge opening | Harald Kliems

Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter. We have a lot of events coming up, so read on to learn about them!

Advocacy Event @ Machinery Row

This Wednesday from 7-8:30pm at Machinery Row, Madison Bikes is partnering with WI Bike Fed to host Driving Federal Bike Safety Legislation, an event where you can learn how to be more involved in bike advocacy by making your voice heard. If you want to get more involved in bike advocacy but don’t know where to start, this is the event for you. Hear a first-hand account of pushing for change in the wake of tragedy. Madison Bikes board member Alicia Bosscher and her father Dirk Debbink will share the story of the loss of Sarah Debbink Langenkamp to traffic violence, the inception of the bill named her, and it’s progress through congress.

While Madison is already a great place to ride a bike, we still have a long way to go to make transportation outside of a personal vehicle safe and comfortable for everyone. Especially now with the current federal political climate, it’s more important than ever to let our representatives know we won’t back down and accept road and street infrastructure that is not safe for all users, and that they should support funding for alternative transportation options like biking.

Transportation Commission: Safe Streets

On the topic of safe street infrastructure, Transportation Commission is meeting on Wednesday, and the agenda includes discussing a number of new safe streets projects. The Safe Streets Madison program aims to improve the safety and accessibility for all users, including those who walk, bike, drive, and take transit. The program uses data from a High Injury Network that records incidents like crashes around the city to prioritize and plan future projects, including the ones on the agenda for approval this week. You can watch the meeting online on Wednesday at 5pm or find info about submitting feedback here.

Mini-Documentary Screening @ UW Arboretum

If you are interested in art, film, and traveling by bike, we have an exciting event planned for you! On Sunday, April 27th, Madison Bikes and UW European Studies are hosting an event featuring Julia Bourdet, a graphic novelist who traveled across the US by bike and train, while journaling and sketching her voyage. She is making the compiled material into a graphic novel, as well as a mini documentary, which we will be showing at the UW Arboretum at 11am. The event will be held in the Arboretum visitor center. Julia will be joining us virtually from France to discuss her documentary and work. You won’t want to miss this exciting and moving story about human-powered travel, adventure, and climate awareness!

RITUAL MTB Film Tour

On Wednesday night, go to Union South for the RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour:

Shimano presents RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour powered by Outside is a nationwide celebration of unforgettable film-going experiences like only the big screen can provide. The film tour highlights incredible athletes, creative filmmakers, engaging storylines and stunning cinematography; bringing riders together in 23 of mountain biking’s greatest cities and venues across the country. Doors 6pm, Show 7pm Local Time, tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

https://www.facebook.com/events/622053544104853

Celebrate Trails Day

Saturday is Celebrate Trails Day, an annual nationwide event by Rails To Trails Conservancy. Locally, Bike Fitchburg is hosting a celebration at the Velo Underround from 10 AM to 1 PM:

Join us for Celebrate Trails Day! 2025 with a pit stop at the Velo UnderRound!
Your host is Bike Fitchburg. Enjoy non-alcoholic drinks from national sponsor Athletic Brewing and snacks, pick up bike maps, and learn how we advocate for biking and walking that’s safer, easier, more fun, and more equitable in Fitchburg!
The Velo UnderRound is a two-level interchange among five regional trails, serving Fitchburg, Madison, Verona, and locations throughout Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Water, rest rooms, air pump, and repair stand with tools are nearby at Fitchburg’s Dawley Bike Hub. Epic mountain biking is adjacent at the Dane County Seminole Mountain Bike Park, just south on the Military Ridge Path at Saris Trails, and on the Military Ridge State Trail at Fitchburg’s Quarry Ridge Recreation Area. https://www.facebook.com/events/509841501781179/

That’s all for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.

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!

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Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Transportation Commission; Bikepacking Event

Participants line up near the start line of the Hugh Jass finale race at Blackhawk in Middleton

Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter. I hope you enjoyed the two week fat biking season. Well, that’s over and now it’s False Spring 2 meaning days are getting longer and bike rides are getting slightly warmer and more bearable.

Transportation Commission: W Wash and Transportation Improvement Program

Transportation Commission is meeting on Wednesday at 5 pm. The agenda includes a couple of relevant biking projects: one involving the SW Path crossing at W. Washington and the other about the Transportation Improvement Program.

During this week’s meeting, TC will give an update on the SW Path crossing alternatives. If you aren’t in the loop, the Railroad Commission is requiring that the city remove the Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon (RRFB) which was installed in 2017. Back in September 2024, following a series of crashes, this crossing was temporarily narrowed down from 4 total lanes to 2, which decreased crossing time and improved safety for users of the SW Path. Because the RRFB has to be removed, there are two alternative considerations. While both options involve adding a traffic signal to the intersection to stop vehicle traffic for path users to cross, one includes keeping the currently built 4 lanes, while the other involves curb work to permanently narrow it to 2.

The other topic on the agenda is the Transportation Improvement Program. The document lays out the potential road and path projects from 2026-2031, including street reconstructions, resurfacing projects, bikeway and sidewalk additions and improvements, and bridge repair. One notable new path planned for later this year is the bike path along the North side of North Shore Drive (opposite the existing bike path) from the SW Path to Bedford. Infrastructure projects like this path extension take a lot of planning ahead of time, so it’s necessary to plan them well in advance to better anticipate the needs of our growing city. Check out the program slides for more detailed info and all the known projects.

Bike Packing Social Event

Looking ahead to later this month, on March 23rd, Madison Bikes will be hosting a Bike Packing Social community event! We’ll be at the Goodman Community Center at 2 pm to share bike packing stories, gear tips, and get ideas churning for future adventures.

We’ll have brief show-and-tells featuring different gear setups and explanations of what you will need to pull off your own adventure. Presenters will talk about their experiences exploring northern Wisconsin, doing an ultra race around the Netherlands, riding RAGBRAI without having to worry about carrying your gear, and riding through the Alps. After that there will be plenty of time for Q&A, socializing, and planning for getting out there on the next adventure.

If you have Facebook, please let us know you can make it on the event page.

That’s all for this newsletter. Thanks for reading! Hope to see you at the bike packing event or one of our other functions this year.

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!

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Bike News Newsletter

Candidate questions, Safe Streets answers, heat wave

New candidate questionnaire

No foolin’, spring elections are April 1. Madison Bikes has partnered with Madison is for People, Madison Area Community Land Trust, Affordable Housing Action Alliance and Strong Towns Madison on a questionnaire for Madison Common Council candidates covering transportation, housing and sustainability.

Get to know your future representatives and let them know more about you and your concerns by reading and sharing the spring candidate questionnaire when answers are posted starting March 5. Until then, you can help spread the word by asking the candidates in your district if they’ve participated in the questionnaire.

Where are we all going so fast?

What do you know about Vision Zero? How about Safe Streets Madison? For a — begging your pardon — crash course on traffic safety in Madison, look no further than this recent presentation by Yang Tao, the city’s Director of Traffic Engineering. His talk, “Prioritizing Traffic Safety for all Road Users,” was a lunch-and-learn for an audience in City Council District 7, but there’s plenty to glean about the city-wide approach to improving access and eliminating traffic fatalities.

Sneak preview: Mud season

A drastic swing in daytime temperatures will take Madison straight from the deep freeze to a bit of pseudo-spring this week. The high highs will make quick work of the snow, exposing a thick layer of grime on many bike routes.

The good news is … water is liquid at these temperatures. So, while you hang up the balaclava and that extra layer or two you’ve been wearing, considering helping your bike shed some accumulated layers of salt and fresh spatters of sand and mud with a quick shower. Just don’t forget to treat that chain (if you have one) to its own post-shower dose of lubricant to keep it loose and happy.

And enjoy some sun!

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!

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Bike News Newsletter

Winter Biking Adventures & Madison’s Transit Tale

Turnout at International Winter Bike Day

Madison Bike’s International Winter Bike Day 2025

Madison Bike’s International Winter Bike Day event was a resounding success, drawing around 50 enthusiastic participants despite the chilly weather! We are proud of our community of bike riders who ride in any weather, and the city staff that make it possible.

Transportation Commission’s Transit History Presentation

Illinois Central Lines (1887)
Illinois Central Lines (1887)

City staff will give a presentation titled, “The History and Future of Madison Transportation” at the Transportation Commission on Wednesday, February, 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM. The presentation will cover the early days of mule-drawn buses, the rise and fall of electric streetcars, and the introduction of bus services that have connected Madison’s neighborhoods over the decades.

Hugh Jass Fat Bike Race

Saturday, February 22, 2025 is the date of the Hugh Jass Bike Race in Middleton, WI, starting at 9 am. Find more information here. What to expect: Get ready for the series finale at Blackhawk!! Machine built singletrack, jump lines, groomed CX ski trails, climbs on the side of a ski hill? You won’t want to miss this one! NOTE: ONLY Fat Bikes (3.7in tire or larger) can ride this one.

Address: 10118 Blackhawk Rd, Middleton, WI 53562

2025 Spring Primary

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Last, but certainly not least, there’s a spring primary election in Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Check your registration here and make sure to have your voice heard at the ballot box!

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
Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Tom Lynch Retires; Bike Gatherings

A group of people ride fat bikes across a frozen Lake Monona
That’s Fatbiking | Photo: Dave Supple

Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter! It seems Winter is finally here and those of us who enjoy fat biking, ice skating, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and more are taking what we can get. I hope you all are doing well in whichever way you choose to fight off the Winter blues.

Tom Lynch Retires; City Seeks New Director of Transportation

After 7 years as Director of Transportation, Tom Lynch is retiring. Over his time as Director, Tom has supported active transportation and improving transportation safety through projects such as Vision Zero, Complete Green Streets, and Transportation Demand Management (just to name a few). He has clearly been a strong ally for cycling and other alternatives to driving, and for that, we say a huge THANK YOU and congratulations!

That also means the city is looking for a new Director of Transportation. The new director will be expected to expand on the work Tom has accomplished and lead our growing city into an even more efficient, safe, and equitable transportation future. Experienced urban planners and transportation professionals need only apply here.

Cycling Friends Unite: GearShift Gathering

This Friday, January 17th from 4-7 pm, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is hosting a GearShift Gathering where local bike nonprofits will meet to socialize, share updates on bicycling projects, and learn about volunteer opportunities. Visitors are more than welcome to attend and learn about what’s going on in the Madison bike scene and how they can get involved. There will be snacks and door prizes, too! If you plan to attend and you have access to Facebook, please RSVP on the event page.

Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap

Polish up your spare bike parts and get ready to haggle. Bike enthusiasts will not want to miss the annual Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap this Saturday, January 18th from 10 am – 1 pm at the Alliant Energy Center. If you haven’t been to this event before, the exhibition hall with be filled with tables full of used and new bike parts, accessories, and gear, along with a corral of complete bikes available to be test ridden.

The bike swap will take place in the New Holland Pavilion, where parking is available for $8, or ride your bike for free! While you do not need bring anything to “swap,” if you (and 2 friends) have surplus bike parts or gear you want to sell, you can sign up to be a vendor. As of the time of writing this, there are still tables available. You can also bring complete bikes to sell along with a completed Bike Corral form, no table required. The form and all other bike swap info can be found on the website linked at the top of this section.

Be aware that there is a cost if you want to shop early for the best selection:

$10 early bird admission 10am-11am
$5 general admission 11am-12pm
$0 free admission 12pm-1pm

The swap will be sure to have some great deals, and it supports reusing bikes and parts that still have a lot of life left in them!

That’s all we have for you this week. Hope to see you at an upcoming event and thanks for being part of the Madison Bikes community.

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
Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Stoughton Road Study

A cyclist rides along the Yahara River bike path
A bicyclist rides down the Yahara River Path in Winter

Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter. It’s a light week in bike advocacy news with the holiday, but there is some highway news we think you should know about.

Stoughton Road Redesign

The second public involvement meeting for the Stoughton Road redesign project was last week, and WisDOT is looking for more feedback on the design alternatives. The project scope includes US51 (Stoughton Road) from just South of Highway 30 to just South of the Beltline. That corridor of Stoughton Road is notoriously dangerous, with record numbers of crashes including 8 bicycle/pedestrian injury crashes and 2 fatal vehicle on pedestrian crashes. 83% of all crashes in this corridor are at intersections, with both Buckeye and Broadway being ranked in the 10 worst intersections for crashes in Madison. In addition to the poor safety record, WisDOT has observed concerning and inefficient traffic conditions at most existing intersections and anticipates 1/2 mile backups by 2050 if no changes are introduced.

A map of the section of Stoughton Road included in the study, which is from South of WIS 30 to Voges Rd / Terminal Drive.

For the redesign, the materials included 6 options (including the “no change” option). Alternatives included expanding intersections or removing frontage roads and providing direct access to businesses. Some of them propose reducing speed limits to 35mph and adding safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure. You can see all the design options in detail on the project site, or check out the one-page summary here.

Personally, I would love to see a number of changes to Stoughton Road to improve safety and access for users outside motor vehicles, including reduced speed limits, increasing the number of safe crossings, and reducing the total width of the roadway to allow for more green space. Studies have shown that increasing the number of lanes and adding extra capacity for motor vehicles does not have a positive impact on the amount of traffic, but instead encourages more people to drive resulting in the same or worse traffic congestion as before the expansion. The only reliable way to reduce traffic congestion is to provide viable alternatives to driving. What can you do to help with that mission and make biking better in Madison? It only takes a few minutes to fill out the survey and let WisDOT know you care about bike, pedestrian, and transit access.

Come Chat Winter Biking With Us

Looking ahead to next week: on Tuesday, December 3rd Madison Bikes is hosting a Winter Bike Social at Working Draft, from 5:30-7:30. We’ll be enjoying warm drinks and chatting about all things biking, including how to have a successful ride in cold and wet weather. Stop by any time and bring your bike and your favorite piece of Winter bike gear!

That’s all we have for you this week. Thanks for being part of the Madison Bikes community.

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
Weekly Update

Great weather, elections, and JND

Last week

Can you believe the weather we are having in late October? Hope you’d been able to get out and enjoy this warm, dry stretch of beautiful fall. A ride through the Arboretum or far out into the country are both great ways to enjoy the colors. And a bit more to come this week.

Atwood Path artwork

As part of the city Percent for Art program, some path artwork and reminders of etiquette appear on the Atwood Paths near Olbrich Park this past week. A discussion ensued on our Facebook community, with some enjoying the additions, and others saying you can’t read them while riding at speed or they didn’t like being scolded with messages.

John Nolen Drive project

The informational meeting on John Nolen Drive had both good and bad news. The bad news is that at this time, the underpass of JND between North Shore Dr and Broom St has been removed from the plan. The cost to build it was estimated to be almost as much as the entire rest of the road project. The city did show two possible versions of the underpass, but they are not planning on moving forward with either one at this time. The underpass would not have been constructed with the first phase of the JND project regardless of cost because of funding from the state and federal government – which makes up most of the funding for the first phase – wouldn’t have covered it.

Another bad news item from the meeting, although more expected, was that the Capital City Path from Lakeside to North Shore – essentially the causeway – will have to be closed for about a year during construction. There is just no way to keep it open while the bridges are being rebuilt. The roadway portion will be down to one lane in each direction, and bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be detoured around Monona Bay.

The good news of the project is that the new path on the northwest side of North Shore and JND through Brittingham Park will be built before the construction starts, creating a connection between the SW Path and Broom that avoids JND completely. The JND intersections at North Shore Dr and Broom will also be vastly improved, making crossing these streets and JND itself much easier and safer (once all the construction dust clears.)

You can view a recording of the meeting and/or see the slides on the project website. 

Autumn Ridge bridge raising

We don’t have any photos, but on Tuesday there was a bridge placed over Highway 30 that will be part of the Autumn Ridge Path on the east side. We won’t be able to use the path and overpass until next year, but this is going to be a great connection for the area.

One of our community members mentioned on Facebook that he took video. Maybe he’ll share that.

The week ahead

Wednesday, 5:00, online Transportation Commission will meet, but there isn’t much exciting on the agenda. You can also watch the meeting or register to comment at that link as well.

The TC will receive an update on BCycle/Bicycle Transit Systems transition, but as of this writing, there are no documents on the item, so it’s hard to say how extensive or interesting it will be. There will also be an update of the Transportation and operating and capital budgets for next year. Again, no documents at this time, but there may be information on what may change if the referendum doesn’t pass.

Please vote!

Early voting is available until Sunday, Nov 3. Early voting is available across the city at libraries three locations on the UW campus, and a variety of other locations, so everyone should be able to find a place close to where they live, work, or shop. If you are not registered at your current address, you can register at the same time as you vote through Friday, Nov 1 or on Election Day.

Although Madison Bikes has not taken an official position on anything on the ballot, Harald and Craig wrote an excellent blog post on how a referendum failure might affect bicycling – including maintenance, safety programs, and future infrastructure.

Obviously, voting is incredibly important, and your voice on all things local, state, and federal. We all know how important Wisconsin will be in the presidential race – the last two presidential elections came down to 3 votes per ward across the state. Please make sure you are one of those votes.

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.

Categories
Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Infra News; Bike Donations; BCycle Update

Revolution Cycles Hosting a Fall Bike-to-Work Commuter Station on 9/27

Welcome to this week’s newsletter! It was wonderful to see all of you who came out for the Bicycle Film Festival at the Barrymore last week. What an inspiring series of films and an awesome event! Here’s what you need to know about this week:

Campus Path Closed

Heads up to commuters and other path users near Campus Drive and the Vet School: the multi-use path will be closed from Monday-Friday (Oct. 7-11) for repairs. Those traveling through will want to take the detour to the North on Walnut St. and Observatory Dr. instead.

Donate Your Old Bikes

Saturday, Oct. 12th from 10am-2pm, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is hosting a bicycle donation drive at their shop at 354 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713. Bikes of all types and sizes will be accepted. Donation bikes should be gently used, although they will also help recycle bikes that are beyond repair with a small monetary donation. Check out the website, https://bikesforkidswi.org/2024-bike-donation-drives-oct-12-nov-23/, for more info and other donation options!

New Opportunities in Bikeshare

On October 1st, Bicycle Transit Systems (BTS) acquired BCycle from Trek. Prior to the acquisition, BTS ran the bikeshare operations (using BCycle bikes and software) in Philadelphia, LA, and Las Vegas. All of the employees of BCycle, including myself, were offered roles at BTS to continue to run and support the BCycle systems across the country. With more of BCycle unified under the BTS umbrella, the organization will be able to focus solely on bikeshare and product development to deliver the best possible bike rental process.

Among the changes, Helen Bradley was promoted to Director of Business Development for BTS, so Madison BCycle is looking for a new General Manager! If you love bikes and transportation, are a leader, problem solver, and have business aptitude, you are encouraged to apply. Check out the responsibilities and requirements and apply here.

Flock to State Ending & Feedback

Have you gotten a chance to enjoy the pedestrian mall on State Street this Summer? If you hadn’t heard, the city further restricted traffic on State Street by limiting the times that non-emergency vehicles can use the street, calling it “Flock to State.” While the street has be closed to private vehicles since 1974, in May the city decided to run a pedestrian mall experiment, where from Gorham to Hawthorne, State Street did not allow any non-emergency vehicles from 3pm to 4am on weekdays and 10am to 4am on weekends.

In addition to the traffic limitations, there were also events planned around that area of State Street such as the Concert Series in September, Science on the Square (upcoming on October 17th), and of course the Madison Night Market. The pedestrian mall is ending on October 30th, and the city wants your feedback on the experiment to determine the next steps. If you enjoyed having this space further dedicated to and prioritizing pedestrians, please consider filling out the super short survey and telling the city what you liked and didn’t like about it!

Mifflin Diverter Project

Looking ahead to next week, the Mifflin Diverter will be installed on Monday, October 14th. The test will add a motor vehicle traffic diverter to the Westbound lane of E Mifflin just past Breese Stevens Field. Vehicles traveling West on E Mifflin will have to turn onto N Paterson, but bicycle and pedestrian routes will remain unaffected. The project is focused on improvements to the bike boulevard on E Mifflin, a critical bicycle traffic artery North of E Washington. Traffic Engineering has been gathering data about traffic volumes before the install, and they will continue to do so throughout the coming months when the diverter is in place. They will also be looking for public feedback, so if you ever bike along this route, be sure to send them a note!

That’s all we have for you this week. Now go ride your bike!

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
Bike News Newsletter Weekly Update

Bikes, BRT & Regent Street

Bicycle Film Festival October 3

Do you have your tickets yet? Bicycle Film Festival is coming to Madison October 3, 6:30 pm at the Barrymore Theatre. 

Join us for a pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company starting at 4:30. There will be NA beverage and vegan food options available. 

Bicycle Film Festival has been celebrating bicycles through art, film and music over the last 24 years. BFF spans the world in over 100 cities worldwide to an audience of over one million people. We’re excited to bring the festival to Madison for the first time!

BFF Madison presents a new short film program. These stories will appeal to a wide audience from film connoisseurs to avid cyclists and everyone in between. Curated documentaries, narratives, animations, award-winning directors, and emerging talents – all share equal billing. For lovers of gravel, road cycling, mountain biking, and bike packing, and the advocates who are pushing the bike movement forward in their communities.

This program will take you on a journey around the world featuring: 

  • Kailey Kornhauser and fellow “fat cyclist” Marley Blonsky are on a mission to change the idea that people with larger bodies can’t ride bikes
  • A family gives up everything to be together in their motorhome, traveling from bike park to bike park across Europe
  • The 1900 mile bicycle journey by Erick Cedeno (Bicycle Nomad) retracing the original route of the Buffalo Soldiers
  • A charismatic Ghanaian immigrant in Amsterdam teaches refugee adult women how to ride bikes
  • Cycle sport as relief from genocide (Oscar nominated director)
  • A Diné mountain biker hosts the first ever Enduro race in the Navajo Nation
  • And more…

Check out the trailer here!!: Bicycle Film Festival Madison – Trailer on Vimeo

Get your tickets here: https://barrymorelive.com/event/bicycle-film-festival-madison/

This Week

BRT Service Flyer
BRT Service Flyer 9/22 – Daniel Villegas

Rapid Route A Service Launch

Madison’s first ever Bus Rapid Transit route, the Rapid Route A, started its first full week of service on Sunday, 9/22. The route stretches roughly from East Towne Mall area to Junction Road at Watts Road on the Far West Side.

For those of you inclined to bring a bike on the bus, bike racks are now located inside the bus accessible using the rear doors of each sixty foot bus.

Learn (with me in the video) how to travel with a bike on Metro Transit’s new 60 foot, articulated buses being used on Routes A, B, and F here.

Public Evaluation of Regent Street

Regent St at rush hour
Regent Street – Madison Bikes

Regent Street will be up for reconstruction soon. Documenting its current condition and its shortcomings for people walking and biking is an important first step. Madison Bikes seeks your feedback to share with the City of Madison for when that reconstruction eventually takes place.

We will conduct a casual audit of Regent Street meeting in front of Budget Bicycles (1124 Regent St. location) at 5:30 p.m., followed by a social hour at Camp Cantina at 6:30 p.m.

We will have printed bike audit tool-kits available for everyone and we will provide guidance on how to use it. At the social hour, we can discuss how to best use the observations to advocate for improvements.

Madtown Monday Ride

GPS Mapped u003ca href=u0022https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48451885u0022u003eRideu003c/au003e – u0022Unfairportu0022

Join Cap City Cyclists Madison for their “Mad Town Monday” ride on Monday, 9/23. As always, the group meets at Orton Park, at 6 p.m. – party pacing at about a 12 mph pace for the 15 mile route. A bike light, helmet and a flat kit are highly recommended.

West Waubesa Trail open

Dane County Parks opened another beautiful trail. The West Waubesa Trail connects Lake Farm County Park to Goodman County Park and provides a safer alternative to biking on Lake Farm Road. Our board member Harald made a short video about the trail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmC3ofG6Xjc

Shorewood Detour Sep 30

Beginning next Monday Sep 30, the path behind the Shorewood Hills pool will close. (sewer construction has had several false starts since August, but they’re confident that Sept 30 is the date). This is a major disruption to the University Avenue path, breaking connectivity between Locust Drive and University Station.

The detour for the next few months will be on Harvard Drive through Shorewood Hills. Once winter sets in, they hope to have a shorter detour using the path on the north side of the pool. The work should be complete in the spring.

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.

Categories
Action Alert E-Mail Weekly Update

Crashes, Middleton, and a Challenge

Crashes at the Southwest Path crossing of West Washington Ave

Crash diagram at Southwest Path and West Washington
Diagram of crash at Southwest Path & W Washington Ave –
An Uncontrolled Pedestrian Crossing

In response to three serious car/bike crashes in as many weeks at the Southwest Commuter Path crossing of West Washington Avenue, City of Madison Traffic Engineering informed us:

Traffic Engineering immediately assembled a team and conducted a comprehensive safety audit, to analyze the crash patterns, collaborate with our colleagues in MPD in identifying factors involved, and identify infrastructure improvements that we can make to enhance safety.

While staff are still determining a few more improvements to make, one improvement that we want to test immediately instead of waiting is to close traffic lanes on W Washington Ave to one lane each direction at the path crossing.

We are trying to implement the test as soon as possible, likely after the morning rush hour on Tuesday, September 3

This is excellent news. We hope the test goes well and that the street is permanently changed to one travel lane in each direction at the crossing to enhance pedestrian/cyclist safety.

Middleton Active Transportation Survey

Middleton City Sign 540 "Middleton the Good Neighbor City - a sign provided by the Middleton Chamber of Commerce"
Middleton City Sign 540 – Channel 3000

Want to help shape a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly community?

The City of Middleton is gathering feedback for its first-ever Active Transportation Plan (ATP), which “aims to make the city more accessible and welcoming for pedestrians, cyclists, and users of small ‘micro-mobility’ devices, such as scooters.”

The survey and more information can be found here.

Smart Trips Challenge

RoundTrip Madison is hosting the Smart Trips Challenge throughout September to encourage walking, bicycling, public transit, and carpooling for everyday trips including work, school, and errands. The first 25 participants to log an eligible trip will receive a $10 gift card to Ian’s Pizza. The challenge will also offer weekly and grand prize drawings, along with a special Metro Transit swag drawing for participants choosing transit throughout the month.

Visit this page for a press release.

Community Updates

Cyclists on the Southwest Commuter Path
Cyclists on the Southwest Commuter Path – WI Bike Federation
  • On Labor Day, look for the Shifting Gears dance festival from noon to 6pm along bike paths at Brittingham Park, McPike Park, and Wirth Court (by Goodman Community Center).
  • B-Cycle Madison has a new station at the East Johnson Triangle in Eken Park!
  • Owen Drive (Near West) and Richardson Drive (Fitchburg) are both newly resurfaced. Segoe Drive is back open to traffic and its new protected bike lanes are usable, though there’s still construction activity.
  • The University Ave path through Shorewood remains open. A sewerage project will eventually close it, but the project’s start date has slipped several times.
  • On Tuesday, Sep. 3, the Transportation Commission will discuss the “Complete Green Streets” guide.
  • Meadowridge Library hosts Biking Across the U.S. with Sam & Chick Westby Sep. 19 from 6-7 pm.
  • To prepare for Metro Transit’s Rapid Route A launch on Sep. 22, they are hosting open houses on Fri Sep 6 12-3pm and Tue Sep 10 4-7pm at the Baldwin St Station. Also be on the lookout for the new “bendy buses” on campus routes, and Routes B and F. All door boarding at BRT stations is possible on these buses. Despite their size, their turn radius is similar to a regular bus.
  • Sign up for Metro Transit’s new paperless Fast Fare system. Features include: online accounts with re-loadable smart cards, fare cap pricing, and ticket vending machines at most BRT stations. More details, including on half-priced fares for seniors and others, found here.

Lastly, Happy Labor Day everybody. Shout out to all workers who make walking, biking, and taking transit safe and enjoyable for all in Madison.

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!