Last Week
An online petition to keep Arboretum Drive closed to car traffic gathered over 1000 signatures. Arboretum Drive closed to car traffic earlier this year to allow walkers, joggers, and bicyclists space to maintain adequate physical distancing during the pandemic. The University reopened Arboretum Drive to car traffic on July 31 despite the worsening conditions of the pandemic. Read the guest post by Sally Lehner.
This Week
There will be a virtual meeting of the Transportation Commission on Wednesday at 5 PM. On the agenda is an opportunity comment on the future of the intersection of Cedar Street with Park Street. Currently there are four options on the table for the intersection and it is still open for public comment. We would like to make sure the intersection features good bicycle access along and across Park Street. Another item is the approval of the reconstruction plans for South Blair Street. These plans also include the final reconstruction of the Blair/John Nolen intersection. Of note, the city is apparently moving forward with plans to add a cycletrack to the south side of Wilson Street. Getting good bicycle facilities along Wilson Street has been a years-long push by Madison Bikes to improve bicycle access to the downtown area from the lake shore.
In other news, on Friday there will be another Virtual Book Club event. This month’s book is Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development by John G. Stehlin. This book has been chosen because it addresses biking, mobility and social inclusivity.