An underpass connects the existing trail on the east side of Highway M to the new trail through the state park
It’s a quiet week after the holidays. I used the weekend to explore new trails near Governor Nelson State Park. There is a new section of trail, connecting the existing bike path at the Bishops Bay development to the park entrance road and then on to North Shore Bay Drive. The trail is all graded and ridable; paving will probably happen in the spring. This gets us one step closer to being able to bike around Lake Mendota on low-stress trails and roads.
If you’re into mountain biking, join Capital City Offroad Pathfinders (CORP) as a member and attend their annual meeting at Slow Roll Cycles this Saturdayat 5pm. They’ll “go over the highlights of the past year, talk about what’s coming in 2022, and take care of elections. We’ll have food and drink to thank our volunteers and members. Meet the folks who make things happen, and learn how to get more involved.”
Speaking of supporting your local advocacy orgs: Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, and if you appreciate the work that Madison Bikes or any of the great bike organizations in town are doing, consider making a donation. We’d greatly appreciate it.
Saturday’s Wisconsin Cyclocross State Championships saw record attendance! Kudos to Madison’s Revolution Cycles for organizing the race. High turnout was partially due to the efforts of one of Madison’s newest racing teams, Femme 40 Racing. The team was created this year by a few local women to promote WFTN-B (women, trans, femme, non-binary) participation in bike racing. Femme 40 is welcoming to aspiring WFTN-B racers of all riding experience levels. One of the organizers, Kristin Zarr, also created the Monday 40 social ride this past Spring; for more information, including how to join the team, check out Monday40.com.
On Sunday, Cranksgiving Madison 2021 went off without a hitch. Kudos to Black Saddle Bike Shop for hosting the event and making manifests for the dozens of riders who participated. By Sunday afternoon, enough thanksgiving meals (including many turkeys!) were delivered by bike to meet the demands of Goodman Community Center.
Photo: Cranksgiving Madison Instagram
This Week
Not much is on the docket this week. No TPPB or TC meetings, and not many bike events to speak of, as hopefully many Madisonians are finding some much-needed time off for the holiday. Wednesday might be the last day this year with weather in the 50’s, so enjoy a nice Fall ride while you can before winter biking comes fully into season!
Looking Ahead
Starting December 6th, the University Ave bike path will be closed just east of Whitney Way up to the railroad crossing intersection with the Blackhawk bike path, including the intersection at Indian Hills Park, for a MMSD sewer project. Path users can detour via N. Whitney Way and Old Middleton Rd. via the Blackhawk path, with plans to allow detouring via Flambeau Rd. through Indian Hills Park by mid-January 2022 as the project progresses. See closure and detour maps below.
Madison plans to reconstruct Jackson St. and Ohio Ave. where they cross the Cap City path, as part of a larger street resurfacing project next Spring. Current plans include raised tabletop crossings for path users, and making Jackson a southbound one-way street to avoid conflict between drivers turning from Atwood and path users crossing at Jackson. These intersections are busy with foot and bike traffic, especially in warmer months when adjacent parks and ice cream shops are in high use. A bike rider was injured in a crash with a car here in 2019. The city opened a survey to give feedback on project design, linked here. There will also be virtual public input meetings November 30th and December 1st, more info on these here.
Winter slowly creeping its way in. Photo credit: Harald Kliems
Last Week
At Tuesday’s Common Council budget meeting, an amendment to halt funding for BRT until the council approved an alternate route failed to receive enough votes to pass. This means that for now, BRT will continue to be funded with the plan to have it run down State Street.
On Friday, The Bodgery unveiled its new bike work stand area. Members can schedule its use 24/7. It is a warm space where you can work on your bike projects over winter.
On Saturday, Madison Bikes held its Winter Bike Meet and Greet. If you missed it, you can always post to our Facebook Community page with any questions you have about extending your riding into the winter season!
This Week
This is a pretty packed week with lots going on, so let’s dive in!
On Monday there will be a virtual meeting of Madison’s Transportation Policy and Planning Board at 5:00 PM. One big item is the approval of TAP projects. These are projects that would improve the ability of people to get around without a car. Here’s the full agenda.
On Tuesday, the University Bicycle Resource Center is holding a hub overhaul demo at 6:00 PM. The class will cover disassembling and repacking a hub’s bearings. This is a free event and will be located at the UBRC’s location in the Helen C. White garage, next to the Memorial Union.
Also on Tuesday, there will be a public meeting for Connect Greater Madison 2050. This meeting will take place at noon. You can learn more about it and register for the virtual meeting here.
On Wednesday Madison’s Transportation Commission will meet virtually at 5:00 PM. On the agenda is an update on Sheboygan Ave bike lanes, and an item asking for review and feedback of 2022 Public Works transportation projects. You can get the full agenda here.
On Friday, the Bike Fed of Wisconsin will be holding its Fall FUNdraiser. This event will be at Trek HQ in Waterloo, and is scheduled to run from 6-10 PM. You can read more about it and get tickets here.
On Saturday, the Wisconsin State Cyclocross Championship races are being held at Trek HQ in Waterloo. This event starts at 9 AM. You can learn more about that here.
Finally, Sunday is Cranksgiving. Cranksgiving is “part bike ‘race’, part food drive, part scavenger hunt”. This year’s event will be more virtual, but you can participate by picking up a manifest at Black Saddle Bike Shop in N Sherman, biking to the various grocery stores for items, then dropping off those items at Goodman Community Center on Waubesa St. You can learn more here.
A cyclist basking in the afternoon fall sunshine. Photo: Cyclists of Madison
It’s been a beautiful stretch of weather for fall riding! With the time change, you might find yourself unexpectedly biking home from work or school in the dark, so it’s good to be prepared and to be visible. Throughout the month of November, the city is promoting its second annual Be Bright at Night campaign. This includes free bike light and reflective gear giveaways at all Madison Public Library locations for walkers and cyclists (while supplies last).
Unfortunately these balmy temperatures won’t last forever but this year’s rendition of our classic Winter Bike Fashion Show is happening on Saturday! We’re partnering with Madison Parks and holding an outdoor Meet & Greet to show off your winter bike clothes, bikes and related gear. More details below in this week’s schedule.
Several riders enjoying the new pump track at Leopold Elementary School. Photo: Harald Kliems
This location is really great, right along the Cannonball Path, and there’s lots more to come next spring with a new skills track surrounding the pump track and even more of the Madison Bicycle Adventure Trail. For another take, you might enjoy this article + video (paywall from madison.com).
Also, last Thursday, the mayor held a press briefing that covered a variety of topics. One of those was a briefing on the Vision Zero project progress by City Traffic Engineer (and fellow cyclist) Yang Tao. His comments begin around the 10m 50s mark and take around six minutes.
This Week
On Thursday at 5:30pm, Greater Madison MPO is hosting a Connect Greater Madison 2050 public meeting. The plan presented and discussed at these meetings “will guide transportation planning in the Greater Madison area for the next 25 years.” If you can’t attend this one, there’s another chance next week Tuesday at noon.
On Saturday between 12pm and 2pm, Madison Bikes partners with Madison Parks to hold our Winter Bike Meet & Greet. The event is outdoors and will be held in-person at the Tenney Park shelter. We’ll have complimentary single-serve snacks, beverages supplied by Cafe Domestique and plenty of great info about riding in, *ahem*, cooler weather. Temperatures should be a bit more typical of the season so let’s see your flashiest, hottest winter gear. And yes, shout it from the rooftops: Continuing our annual tradition, Madison Metro is bringing a bus so you can practice putting your bike on the rack!
Further Out
On Tuesday, November 16 at 6pm (just in time for you to pull your winter ride from the deep recesses of your garage or storage unit) the University Bicycle Resource Center will be demoing how to overhaul a bicycle wheel hub. Not your cup of tea? They have nine classes from the last two years archived on YouTube. Something for everyone!
On Saturday, November 20 between 6pm and 10pm, the Bike Fed is holding their fall fundraiser in Waterloo, with a party + a behind the scenes tour @ Trek. Please RSVP by November 11.
