Crashes at the Southwest Path crossing of West 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
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
- 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.