A Madison rider sporting a u-lock and cable lock, allowing extra security when locking up outside. Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter
Last Week
Rain: Wet weather made for an excellent and very muddy kickoff race for Wisconsin’s cyclocross series on Sunday, and made the bike section for Ironman Wisconsin 2022 quite a slog. Sadly it was much too wet for BikEquity’s family-friendly community ride & free bike repair event, which was cancelled. We will keep an eye out for rain dates on their social media.
This Week
Social Rides: It may dry out enough by Monday evening for a quality Monday 40 social ride. Tuesday evening is looking great for the Madison Women’s Cycling Club Taco Ride, or the Slow Roll Ride. Wednesday evening features the Madison Queer Bike Ride, reach out to their instagram page for details. Saturday is looking nice for Brazen Dropouts’ morning Row Ride. Finally, you can still register day-of for Bike The Barns on Sunday!
Thursday: MPO Complete Streets Lunch & Learn Webinar The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting a webinar from 12-1pm defining Complete Streets, discussing how they help ensure the safety of people on bikes or on foot, and discussing how to overcome barriers that make building them a challenge for cities. While primarily aimed at local planners, transportation staff, and local officials, this webinar will surely provide great material for those interested in advocating to their local, state, and national elected officials in support of safety.
Image of the wire strung across the bike path, found Wednesday morning.
A dangerous wire was found strung across the Southwest Path bike bridge over the bike roundabout multiple times last week. The last known time a wire appeared was Wednesday morning, August 31. No word yet on if the perpetrator was caught.
A railroad contractor’s detour sending cyclists against traffic on a one-way street.
An unplanned change to a railroad replacement project caused the railroad’s contractor to route a bike detour the wrong way down a one-way street. While this was not a city project, use of the city’s Report a Problem tool helped improve the situation. The city will construct a path along Broom St, and part of the W Wilson St cycletrack that Madison Bikes has long advocated for, next year. The railroad has been instructed to hold off any projects that would close North Shore Dr until that project is complete.
Madison Bikes is looking for people to join the board! Want to become more involved in local bicycle advocacy? Consider joining the Madison Bikes board of directors. Applications are due October 7. Read more about it on this post published last week.
This Week
Today (Monday), the Isthmus Dance Collective brings back the Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival from 12-6 PM. Temporary performance spaces will be set up in four city parks nearby bike paths. The parks are Wirth Court Park, McPike Park, the Olin Park Vantage, and new this year; Brittingham Park.
On Wednesday, the Greater Madison MPO will have a regularly scheduled meeting starting at 6:30 PM. The MPO is responsible for comprehensive planning and decision making to build agreement on transportation investments that balance roadway, public transit, bicycle, pedestrian and other transportation needs to achieve an exceptional quality of life for all within the region. At Wednesday’s meeting, they will be discussing the 2023-2027 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a 5-year planning document that is intended to help lawmakers decide what projects to fund and when. Here is the Meeting Agenda, and here is the proposed 2023-2027 TIP. Action on the TIP will be taken at next month’s meeting on October 5.
It’s a quiet week on the schedule but I suppose that with school starting up many will be busy with new schedules and new bicycle routes.
Presumably the University will be wrapping up many of their summer-long projects and closures that have been so disruptive to navigating through campus. Of course, you still have a month-long closure of a segment of the path on the north side of University Ave to look forward to. Expect that in later September.
Vision Zero is getting a lot of attention from Madison Bikes, the City of Madison, and the press. Now you can explore and visualize different aspects of the data driving these discussions with the Madison Vision Zero Dashboard created by Harald. This complements and expands upon his work in the Twitter bot sphere.
Finally, on Sunday, maybe bisect your a long Labor Day weekend with a late summer classic, the Wright Stuff Century presented by the Bombay Bicycle Club. This year it’s free for everyone with route lengths ranging from 35-100 (hilly) miles.
Last Week
If you’re looking for more immediate engagement, there are plenty of discussions on the Madison Bikes Community forums. A quick glance over the last week and you’d find topics such as:
The increase in bike thefts in Madison and bicycle locking strategies
Repeated attempts to sabotage and (presumably) injure users of the Southwest path by stretching cables across at a bike bridge
A call to action to get the City of Monona to consider bicycle lane improvements on the Atwood/Monona Dr corridor
Something for everyone!
Other Stuff
You might be interested to read this article from Streetsblog USA titled “Three Common Types of Bike Laws That Are Overdue for an Overhaul.” As referenced in the article, much of the data from this sourced from this paper.
Cyclists enjoining one of the many multi-use paths in Madison. #CyclistsofMadison
Monday – Madison Bikes Meet Up
Brittingham Park Shelter @ 6pm. Come join us to chat about all things bikes! This is an informal social event, all are welcome to join. We look forward to talking with you about bicycling, advocacy, repair and pedestrian safety, and more. Light food and refreshments will be provided and you are welcome to bring your own.
Wednesday – Military Ridge Trail Input
The Madison Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) is planning a sanitary waste facility upgrade near Verona which could temporarily close the Military Ridge Trail during construction. On a positive note, one of the proposed options for reconstruction after the upgrade, includes connecting the Badger Mill Creek Path and the Military Ridge Trail. If this is a path you use, please make an effort to attend this meeting and ask that the Military Ridge Trail be kept open during construction and voice support for connecting the trails. MMSD is seeking public input Wednesday, Aug 24th at 5:30 held via Zoom; register here.
Thursday – Hawthorne Truax Neighborhood Plan Dialogue and Night Out
August 25, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Hawthorne Elementary School. The City of Madison invites community members to review initial concepts and recommendations for the Hawthorne-Truax Neighborhood Plan covering future land use, new street connections, pedestrian and bike improvements, parks and open space enhancements, partnerships for community programs and services, and more. This is a perfect opportunity to advocate for long term bike facility investments at a relaxed family friendly setting.
Bike Theft on the Rise
Many community members on the Madison Bikes Facebook group have recently posted reports of attempted or successful bike thefts. In particular, e-Bikes are frequently targeted due to their high resell value. The likelihood of theft can be minimized with a few reasonable steps like investing in a good bike lock, registering your serial number on BikeIndex and storing your bike in a secure area (when possible). In addition, e-bike owners can remove their battery to make their bike less attractive to theft.
TC and MPO meetings cancelled
Both the Madison Transportation Commission and Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meetings on August 24 are cancelled.
Tyranena Oktoberfest Ride Cancelled
Unfortunately, the annual Oktoberfest Ride hosted by Tyranena Brewery in Lake Mills was cancelled this year and probably indefinitely. A number of factors lead to increasing costs and dropping participation, made this event non-longer viable.
The new BCycle station in McFarland’s McDonald Park has gone live. This is right at the other end of the Lower Yahara River Bridge from Lake Farms Park, so it will provide an important connector for those who want to commute into Madison or just borrow a BCycle to enjoy a ride on the bridge and around the parks on either end.
Stewart Tunnel
Letter from Department of Natural Resources (Image: Friends of the Badger State Trail)
Some great news came out about the currently-closed Stewart Tunnel on the Badger State Trail. The DNR has chosen an alternative for fixing the tunnel based on considerable public input and analysis of cost alternatives. While we don’t have a date for when you can avoid the hilly detour caused by the closure of the tunnel, funding will be requested in the next DNR budget.
City wayfinding survey
And a reminder to take the city survey about which style of wayfind sign you prefer on the multiuse paths. On our Facebook Community, many people have questioned why these signs are needed or if the information will be useful. Don’t pedestrians and bicyclists already know how far things are and how long it takes?
Not necessarily.
We get a lot of out of town visitors, new residents, and people just trying out the paths for the first time. Cues as to where you are don’t always exist on the paths, especially parts of the SW Path, Cap City, or Cannonball Trail that have fewer cross streets or are in less developed areas. If you didn’t know how close Monroe St was — with all the amenities it offers — you’d never guess riding on the SW Path. And studies have shown that giving people a time reference to nearby destinations encourages walking and biking. They may see the sign and think, “Oh, it’s only ten minutes to walk there? It would take me that long to find a parking space!”
The week ahead
Monday
The Transportation Planning and Policy Board meets at 5:00 pm online. They will be discussing the Complete and Green Streets plan for the city. This plan will eventually create a modal hierarchy that will change the transportation planning assumptions for the city to prioritize walking, then transit, then bicycling, and finally driving. Parking is even below driving in use of the public right of way. Needless to say this is very different from the conventional way transportation decision making has been in most U.S. cities. The plan will also create street typologies to recognize that a neighborhood residential street will function differently than a street where offices and big box stores are the dominant land use.
The TPPB will also be discussing the Transportation Demand Management plan for the city, which will require new developments to offset their predicted traffic generation with actions and amenities that incentivize not driving (providing transit passes, bike share stations or memberships, improved connections for walking, paying for parking separately from rent, etc.)
The TPPB will not be making a final decision on these, but the discussions should be interesting.
Construction updates
The intersection of North Shore Drive and John Nolen Drive will be closed later this month so that the railroad tracks can be replaced. Bicycle access through the area will be maintained either by the path (with possible delays or brief closures) or via a lane on the road. The work doesn’t start until Aug 26, but it might be a good plan to start thinking of alternative routes.
Also, towards the end of this month a more significant closure will happen. As part of the ongoing University Ave reconstruction, the Campus Dr Path will be entirely closed for about a month from Marshall Ct to Highland. This includes the crossing of University Bay Dr as well as the portion of the path that runs next to the VA Hospital parking lot. There will be no way to get through on the path, so plan your detour now. There will be a marked detour starting at Shorewood Blvd (if you are headed east), but depending on your destination, you may want to choose a different route.
We’ll keep you updated when the closure will actually happen.
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.
It was supposed to happen during Madison Bike Week, but this Wednesday it is finally time for the inaugural queer bike ride. Every second Wednesday of the month the “party-paced” ride will depart in Law Park at 6pm. This month’s route follow the Cap City Trail and make a stop at the Great Dane in Fitchburg. Follow @madisonqueerbikeride on Instagram for the latest updates and details. All bodies are welcome.
Pflaum Road has bike lanes, but they lack physical separation from motor vehicles.
We are in contact with the family of the victim to organize a memorial and ghost bike dedication. Stay tuned.
Every person killed or injured while biking is one too many, and we must continue to do whatever we can do to reach Vision Zero: No more death or injury on our streets. But as for the injured, they can rely on products like those CBD Capsules to alleviate their pain.
How the City subsidizes driving
Bike activists have long pointed out the many ways in which driving is subsidized, at the federal, state, and local level. Don’t believe us? Well, the listen to Tom Lynch, the City’s Director of Transportation. At last week’s meeting of the Transportation Policy and Planning Board he presented a stark local example of these subsidies: The new Wilson Street garage in downtown. One parking stall in the garage costs the city about $450 in debt service and operations. The revenue from parking fees, on the other hand, is merely $212. This leaves a gap of $240 per month per stall that goes to people who drive their cars downtown!
Local youth utilizing one of Madison’s low-stress routes. Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter
Last Week
Funding for N Mendota Trail: Dane County announced it will award Middleton $1 million for construction of the next segment of the North Mendota Trail, from the Highland Way / Century Ave signal to just past city limits near Century Drive. This trail is a multi-year project to help regional bike routes like HWY M safer for bike riders and pedestrians.
This Week
New Legislative Advocacy Tool: People For Bikes released this year’s Bicycle Friendly States rankings, and they weren’t pretty. Wisconsin fell to #29 in overall bicycle friendliness, and down to #49 in spending per-capita on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This week, the WI Bike Fed released this tool to help concerned citizens tell relevant state legislators to invest in bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Wisconsin can do better, and we will.
Bike the Barns: FairShare CSA Coalition’s Bike the Barns ride is open for registration, event link here. The event is FairShare’s largest fundraiser, and helps fund the Partner Share Program that supports low-income families in accessing locally grown produce. The event needs volunteers, if you are interested sign up here.
Monday: Transportation Policy and Planning Board is meeting virtually at 5pm, agenda here. Tuning in to TPPB meetings is a great way to learn more about how bike and pedestrian infrastructure is planned in Madison. One interesting agenda item this week is approval of Madison’s application to the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Discretionary Grant Program, designed to repair some of the harm caused by mid-20th century highway expansion and associated destruction of low-income urban communities.
Tuesday: The Aldo Leopold Park Pump Track is being dedicated with a big community party, from 1-7pm! See here for details, including the inspiring story of how local kids inspired a host of private and public investments that made this project possible.
Wednesday: At 6:o0pm, Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is meeting virtually. Link to agenda and participation details here. Following the MPO is a great way to stay up-to-date on pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure affecting Dane County.
Capital City Trail near Monona Terrace with sign emphasizing that the path is for everybody. Last Week the Transportation Policy and Planning Board discussed shared use path conflicts, including suggestions for conflict mitigation including more signage, more space, and speed limits.
Last Week
On Monday, Madison’s Transportation Policy and Planning Board (link to the Meeting Minutes, link to Agenda Item) had an extensive discussion on path etiquette and the potential of a speed limit policy for bike paths. The discussion largely revolved around the idea of shared space, the need for more space, and the need for educational signage that does not lay all of the burden of responsible use on people on bikes. Click here for a recording of the full TPPB meeting, the discussion on path etiquette starts fairly early at the 12 minute mark, and lasts for about 64 minutes.
Trees are down! The storms that swept through the region on Saturday and early Sunday morning left several sets of trees down on the Military Ridge Trail according to reports on the Madison Bikes Community Facebook Group. There were no Facebook reports, it is probably safe to assume some instances of downed trees on the other regional state trails. The DNR will be working to clear those in the near future, so please be patient if you see crews working on clearing the trails.
Final path alignment crossing Russel St is in, but work continues on the shoulder and on Russel St.
Finally, several near east side projects are winding down, including the path crossing at Russell St. The path crossings of Jackson St and Ohio Ave reopened earlier this summer, with the nearby streets nearing completion. Shoulder grading at Russel St and final paving of Jackson St and Ohio Ave crossing the Capital City Path has yet to be completed, so continue to be aware of construction traffic.
This Week
On Monday, Bike Fitchburg is having it’s monthly meeting. Bike Fitchburg’s regular monthly board meetings are generally held on the fourth Monday of each month (except December) from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. The meeting will be held in the conference room at the Fitchburg Public Library. Everyone with an interest in improving bicycling in Fitchburg, Wisconsin is welcome at all board meetings! Click here for more information.
This Wednesday is the Grand Opening of a new Wheel & Sprocket location in Fitchburg. The new location will be at 2970 Cahill Main #101, a stone’s throw away from where the Capital City State Trail crosses Fitch Hatchery Rd. To celebrate, W&S will be hosting a “chain cutting” ceremony with local officials starting at 3:30 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend, and there will be free food, drinks, and door prizes. Click here for more information.
Finally, on Wednesday, Madison’s Transportation Commission will be meeting virtually starting at 5 PM. Click here for the full Agenda. Discussion items will include applying for funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program, and application for funding for the city’s Vision Zero program.
It’s a very quiet week for bike news in Madison, but not for traffic out on our bikeways. Seems like everyone’s out biking somewhere — maybe for fun, maybe to get to work, maybe for exercise. Whatever your reason, enjoy!
This Week
On Monday at 5pm, the Transportation Policy and Planning Board (TPPB) meets virtually. You can read the full agenda here but probably the most interesting item to note is the discussion titled “Speed Policy on Shared Use Paths”. It’s a 27-slide deck that, if you are a user of any shared use paths, you absolutely must read. Then, after being reminded what an absolute mess we are in together, go out and ride our paths bringing your patience, awareness, and kindness.
On Monday evening at 7pm, join Madison Bikes and returning special guest (and friend of the show) Dr. Dirk von Schneidemesser for an informal social hour at the Memorial Union Terrace. Important note: This replaces next week’s scheduled Community Meeting!
This month, Dr. Dirk von Schneidemesser is in Madison again and will be joining us for an informal social hour. As a board member for the German nonprofit Changing Cities, Dr. Schneidemesser helped organize a grassroots ballot initiative that was instrumental in the 2018 creation of Berlin’s “bicycle law.” This law, the first of its kind in Germany, legally required Berlin to build certain types of infrastructure to improve bike and pedestrian safety. Similar laws have since been passed by local governments all over the world, and can be useful in shielding transportation safety initiatives from the whims of local politics.
The Transportation commission will be meeting at 5:00pm to discuss a variety of items including the proposed redevelopment on Olin Ave and the MPD quarterly Traffic Safety report. You can view the full TC meeting agenda here and live stream the meeting on the City of Madison YouTube channel.
Quarterly Traffic Safety Report
The Madison Police Department will be presenting the most recent Quarterly Traffic Safety Report and General Traffic Safety Update at the Transportation Commission. This report contains information about specific traffic fatalities occurring in the mot recent quarter (Q1 2022) and trends over time.
Regrettably, East Washington Ave continues to be one of the most hazardous roads in Madison. The following charts from MPD show the number of serious & fatal crashes on East Wash are increasing compared to other parts of the city and are becoming more lethal!
The crash increase has occurred despite MPD allocating nearly 1/3rd of their traffic enforcement resources to East Wash. This underscores the necessity of comprehensive initiatives like Vision Zero to safely accommodate all transportation users, because traffic enforcement alone is inadequate.
Introduction to Jumping Clinic
On Wednesday, Capital Off Road Pathfinders, Inc. is hosting a Learn to Jump Clinic with local legends Mike McGarry & Matt Yerke. Intro to getting both wheels off the ground on purpose. We’ll focus on learning the basics of a solid bunny hop and progress to tabletops and a small gap jump. 100% of your workshop fee will go towards the CORP trail fund which is currently MATCHED by the Friends of Blue Mound in support of the trail work to start this fall.
Saturday July 16th
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County is excited to host our 20th annual MOVE4BGC. This event will be a fun, in-person experience with a virtual option. You can participate in a team or as an individual to bike, run, walk, or for the first time ever, yoga!
