It’s impossible to start this update without addressing the tragedy that occurred last Tuesday, June 7. At about 4 AM, Taylor Dunn was riding his bicycle to work when he was struck and killed by an intoxicated motorist at the intersection of Mineral Point Road and High Point Road. A vigil was held, and a ghost bike was placed to create a memorial for Taylor. A GoFundMe was created to help with funeral costs. That this happened during Bike Week was a reminder that despite the progress we’ve made in helping Madison become a city where anyone can ride a bicycle conveniently and comfortably to any place year round, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
This Week
On Wednesday, June 15, Darbo Council and BikEquity will be hosting a community bike repair and bike ride event. This event will take place starting at 5 PM at Worthington Park on Madison’s east side. Madison365 has a nice article highlighting the event.
On Friday, June 17, Madison will be closing Vilas Park Drive to through motor vehicle traffic. Starting at 4 PM, cars and trucks will no longer be allowed on the section of VPD between the bridge at Edgewood Avenue and the entrance to the Vilas Park Shelter parking lot. An event was created to help celebrate this positive change for people using the park outside of motor vehicles.
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.