Ride to the ribbon-cutting
One of Madison’s newest bike paths opened to users during the deep, brumal chill of December. So, on April 16, the city is throwing a vernal celebration for the Autumn Ridge Path, a north-south route anchored by a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Highway 30. The path connects neighborhoods divided by the highway, eases access to another bridge over Highway 51 to tie more of the city’s bike infrastructure together, and opens the door to future path extensions to the northeast.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday at 4346 Commercial Ave., the new bridge’s landing spot on the north side of Highway 30. Join Madison Bikes and other path-appreciators for a ride to the Autumn Ridge Path and the event, kicking off at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the BCycle station near Machinery Row Bicycles, 601 Williamson St. The leisurely ride — exclusively on bike paths and relatively quiet streets — will pass the BCycle station at Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, around 8:20 a.m., and proceed east and north over the venerable Highway 51 bridge, through Hiestand Park and adjacent greenway, and across the new Autumn Ridge span.
Get a good look at the new route before planning your estival jaunts across the city.
More upcoming April Madison Bikes events
• April 23, Driving Federal Bike Safety Legislation: a meeting at Machinery Row to provide the newly motivated and the long-time advocates and everyone in between with updates on bike-related legislation and ways to take action on behalf of bike safety.
• April 27, Two Wheels, Many Stories: a mini-documentary screening and talk at the UW Arboretum with Julia Bourdet, French artist and author who traveled across the United States by bicycle and train, interviewing climate activists and collecting material for her upcoming graphic novel.
Ride the Drive set for 2025
One more, longer-term save-the-date: Madison has picked Aug. 10 for this year’s Ride the Drive event, planning for biking on more than 2 miles of closed streets connecting three hub parks.
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!
