Wednesday from 6:00PM – 7:30, join a virtual city meeting discussing S. Park St. redevelopment for BRT. Thursday from 5:30PM – 7:30 PM, there will also be an in-person meeting on the same topic in Fitchburg.
Madison Bikes board member Craig Weinhold mentioned these meetings two weeks ago in an in-depth blog post about the sacrifices bicyclists and pedestrians have had to make to avoid disruptions to single occupancy vehicle traffic as BRT is expanded. Bicyclist safety and accessibility on S. Park St. is key to overall safety and accessibility on the S. side. It is important to show up often to city meetings to ensure the city fully explores options to allow bicyclists and bus riders safe and convenient roadway access, instead of pitting bikes and buses against one another while refusing to prioritize safety over single occupancy vehicle convenience.
Transportation Commission updates
The Mineral Point Rd. “widened sidewalk” plans are going to TC this Wednesday. The compromised state of the bike facilities included in this project were also mentioned in Craig’s blog post (link above). Feel free to send a written comment on “Agenda Item 2” to share your thoughts on this, instructions on how to do this are always included in the TC agenda.
Welcome to the Madison Bikes newsletter! We hope you’re keeping warm this week as you pedal your way into November.
Remember, your hands and feet will be the first to feel the cold so make sure to have good gloves that keep the water out. If you don’t have waterproof gear and you have to cycle in some nasty conditions, try this. Hack #1: Layer your normal gloves with kitchen or latex gloves. To keep your feet warm, doubling up on socks can help, but if your shoes are already snug, you’ll want to avoid it because it can reduce circulation. I’ve also found that wind still goes right through even with a second pair which is why I prefer hack #2: Wrap aluminum foil or cling-wrap around your toes over your socks. It will provide a wind-resistant layer and help keep the heat in on longer rides and it shouldn’t cause well-fitting shoes to feel too tight. Plastic shopping bags can also work in a pinch.
With those tips out of the way, here’s what you should know about bike advocacy in Madison this week.
The Street Project Film Screening
Monday night, Madison Bikes along with The Congress for the New Urbanism and the Wisconsin Student Planning Association will be hosting a screening of The Street Project, a film about humanity’s relationship to the streets. The film features real stories about traffic violence and the fight to make streets safer for bikers and pedestrians. Shot with a 500mm lens, typically used for filming wildlife, the film is intended to give a fascinating, ground-level perspective of transportation and movement and capture real-life human behavior.
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to gather with other members of the biking community and get your mind churning with ideas on how we can improve our streets here in Madison. We’ll kick things off with a happy hour at the Sett Pub at 5 PM, followed by the film screening at 6 at the Marquee Cinema, both located in the UW-Madison Union South. After the film, stick around for a panel discussion with the following members of the community at 7:
Alicia Bosscher, Organizer, Ride for Your Life
Baltazar De Anda Santana, Director, The Latino Academy of Workforce Development
Chris McCahill, President, The Congress for the New Urbanism – Wisconsin Chapter
Also on Monday at 6:30 PM, Traffic Engineering is hosting a virtual neighborhood meeting regarding Midvale Blvd Safe Streets improvements. A buffered bike lane has been proposed and would require removing some parking. The purpose of the meeting is to hear from residents, discuss impacts, and answer questions. If you bike on or near Midvale Blvd between University Ave and Mineral Point Rd, your support is needed! Check out the project page on the city’s website for more details and to register for the meeting.
Atwood Ave Bike Bridge is Here
The new bridge along the Atwood Ave path | Christo Alexander
The Atwood Ave bridge over the Starkweather Creek is up and ridable. The bridge caps off a series of improvements to the bike infrastructure along Atwood on the North side of Lake Monona. The new multi-use path goes from Lakeland Ave, past Olbrich, and down Atwood Ave and is a great way to navigate the Northern section of the “Monona Lake Loop.”
That’s all for this week. Have a safe and spooky Halloween, stay warm, and keep biking!
Madison’s Transportation Commission meets at 5 p.m. Wednesday to take up an agenda that includes a pair of Bikeways 2023 projects. The Bikeways program covers “small improvements and repairs to the city bike network,” and the projects up for review fit the bill. Each is just a skinny block long and meant to ease bikes past higher-traffic interruptions in otherwise lower-traffic routes.
One of the two projects — both scheduled for construction in 2024 — would add an off-street bike path along Seminole Highway between Manitou Way and McCaffrey Drive, providing an easier entrance to the UW Arboretum. The other project would reconfigure West Lakeside Street between Gilson and Rowell streets, removing street parking on the south side of West Lakeside and replacing it with an off-street, two-way bike path close by Franklin Elementary School, Bernie’s Beach Park and Goodman Pool.
This stretch may be fresh in the minds of bicyclists, as it was part of a detour last week while the Cap City Trail was closed for repairs along the John Nolen Drive causeway. Here’s a reminder that after a break for the weekend, those repairs restart for the work week, and this portion of the Cap City is to be closed again Monday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 27. The detour will get even more use in the planned future, when it’s time to replace John Nolen bridges.
Mineral Point Road “Widened Sidewalk” meeting tomorrow
Monday, Oct. 30, Madison Bikes, the Wisconsin Student Planning Association, and the Wisconsin chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism present “The Street Project,” a story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer, at 6 p.m. in the Marquee Cinema at Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St. Before the film screening is a happy hour at 5 p.m. in The Sett Pub, also at Union South. After it, a panel discussion. Admission is free, but please RSVP here.
Speaking of John Nolen Drive, last week the Transportation Commission approved the design for the intersection of Broom Street and John Nolen Drive. The new intersection will be a great improvement of the current design: The bike/pedestrian crossing will become much wider and have space for people queuing at the crossing; a slip lane from John Nolen Drive to Broom will be removed, and there will be a connection to the to-be-built bike path on the north side of John Nolen Drive. And in case you were wondering: Yes, the City is making sure that the placement of the path will be compatible with a potential underpass at the North Shore Drive crossing.
Atwood Ave almost done
In other good news: The Atwood Avenue project is getting close to completion. The street is now open to two-way traffic. The only big missing piece is the completion of the bridge approaches for bike path on the south side of the project. Here are some pictures from last weekend of the path on the north side:
Save the date: Car-Free Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Nov 14
After we had hundreds of people walking and biking through the holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park in early January, the organizers granted us permission to have another car-free event this year. Unfortunately we were given only a two-hour window before the cars come roaring back, but at least it’s earlier in the season. So save the date for November 14 at 5pm. We’re still working out some of the details and will keep you posted.
In case you missed it in this week’s newsletter: We have a great event coming up at Union South on October 30, starting at 5pm (movie screening at 6pm): We are partnering with the Wisconsin Student Planning Association and the Wisconsin chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism to show “The Street Project.” The movie documents stories about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer. Here’s a bit more about the movie:
In 2010, the small community of specialists who pay attention to US road safety statistics picked up on a troubling trend: more and more pedestrians and cyclists were being killed on American roads. In fact, pedestrian deaths have increased 51 percent since reaching their low point in 2009. In addition to the loss of human life, it is estimated that road injuries will cost the world economy $1.8 trillion from 2015–2030.
THE STREET PROJECT is the story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer. Digging deep into the root causes of traffic violence, the filmmakers engage a diverse array of experts. These expert interviews are interwoven with the stories of real people working to make their communities safer.
To discuss what the movie’s lesson are for our work in Madison to make streets safer for everyone and to reduce all traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero, we invited a number of speakers for a panel discussion following the movie. On the panel will be
You can also join us for a social get-together at the Sett Pub starting at 5pm. The movie The event is open to everyone and free. Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/RmEoXs7d2G15d8Jt6
Please join us on the 30th, bring a friend, and spread the word to others.
Location: Union South 5pm: Social hour at the Sett Pub 6pm: Movie screening 7pm: Panel discussion RSVP: https://forms.gle/RmEoXs7d2G15d8Jt6 Free admission
We’re breezing right into fall this week- and it’s time to bundle up. Here are your weekly updates.
Photo: Rico Bucci, Bike Path Closure sign at John Nolan Dr. and Lakeside St.
John Nolen Drive Reconstruction Project— Broom Street Segment
The city’s monumental reconstruction project on John Nolen Drive continues to make progress. On the Transportation Committee’s agenda for Wednesday, October 11, 2023 is the approval of the roadway geometry for the reconstruction of John Nolen Drive. This proposed transformation spans the North Shore Drive, S Broom Street and John Nolen Drive area and carries significant benefits for Madison’s cyclists and pedestrians. In particular, the proposal will remove a dangerous “slip-lane.” The type of lane at the John Nolen Dr-Broom St junction that allows motorists to change roads without actually entering the intersection. These dangerous lanes are certainly one factor in a number of high-profile collisions in Madison in recent years. It is about time these widely known issues with the lanes are addressed.
Upcoming Bike Path Closure
Attention riders! We’re still a week away, but it’s time to prepare for upcoming closures and chilly weather on the Capital City Trail, between October 16-20 and October 23-27. You can expect the detour to add approximately 1.3 miles to your commute, so plan accordingly. The path will be open for the weekend of Oct. 21-22.
“The Capital City Trail will be closed along the John Nolen Drive causeway for two consecutive weeks for bridge repairs. The path will reopen for weekends.
The closure periods will be: 7:00 a.m. Monday, 10/16 until 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10/20 7:00 a.m. Monday, 10/23 until 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10/27
A signed detour will be in place to route path users around Monona Bay using W Lakeside St, S Shore Dr, W Shore Dr, and N Shore Dr.
The work is to repair the steel expansion joints on the bike path portion of the bridge until the full reconstruction of the John Nolen Drive causeway, scheduled for 2025-2026.“
In the news
Madison’s Department of Transportation plans to revitalize Park Street, prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists by introducing protected bike lanes and increased greenery as part of the bus rapid transit project.
The reconstruction, contingent on $6.8 million in local funding and $10 million in state money, also involves dedicated bus lanes, improved sidewalks, and potential federal Small Starts funding. The project covers Park Street between West Washington Avenue and Badger Road, aligning with the city’s broader plans for growth and redevelopment in South Madison. The city council is set to vote on the mayor’s capital and operating budgets on Nov. 14-16. If you want to learn more, see the full story here.
Events
The Street Project Screening October 30th
Save the date for this exciting event organized by Madison Bikes, the Wisconsin Student Planning Association, and the Wisconsin chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism: On October 30, we will show “The Street Project,” a story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer. Before the screening at 6pm, join us for a happy hour at the Sett Pub, and following the movie, we will host a panel discussion with local experts and advocates on street safety.
Alicia Bosscher, Organizer, Ride for Your Life
Baltazar De Anda Santana, Director, The Latino Academy of Workforce Development
Chris McCahill, President, The Congress for the New Urbanism – Wisconsin Chapter
Collin Mead, Wisconsin Bike Federation
Juliana Bennett, Madison Alder, Dist 2
Morgan Ramaker, Downtown Madison, Inc.
The event will take place at the Marquee Cinema at Union South. Admission is free, but please RSVP here. We are super excited about this event and hope to see many of you there.
Sunday, October 13, the bi-weekly Bike Ride for Trans Rights will leave the Law Park boat launch at 9 a.m.
Wow. The weather has been really spectacular for fall riding. I hope everyone is enjoying the opportunity to get out , whether for a ride, whether it’s commuting, doing errands, longer rides after work and weekends, or just bopping around seeing friends on the street. Soon we’ll be talking about tips for dealing with snow, ice, and cold, so let’s enjoy these last days.
Two rides this last week were blessed with perfect conditions. We had a good-sized group for the second social ride in partnership with Madison Is For People, starting at Machinery Row and ending at Garver Feed Mill after a ¾ loop of Lake Monona.
Then on Sunday, around 700 people joined the Ride For Your Life on a slow roll through the near west side and ending at the Capitol to honor Sarah Langenkamp – killed in Bethesda, MD, two years ago, and whose sister lives in Madison – and Tom Heninger – musician and teacher who was killed crossing John Nolen Drive. The ride also honors and remembers all the other people who have died from traffic violence. We ride to bring attention to the need for safer conditions for those walking, biking, and rolling on our street. Thanks to Bike Fed, Trek, and the City of Madison for helping make the ride happen.
Rally and speakers at the Capitol after Ride for Your Life
The week ahead
The upcoming week is pretty quiet as far as city meetings. Budget season is upon us at the city, but there aren’t any budget meetings this week.
However, we got some good news recently when it was announced that money to design an underpass of John Nolen Drive was added to the budget by Alder Mike Verveer. This is a big win, and we can thank the people that both pushed for the city to look at this possibility and then testified about how much it was needed. This underpass is an example of the power of your voice.
The design of John Nolen Drive from North Shore Drive to Broom Street – the area where this underpass will be located – will be coming before the Transportation Commission on October 11. We’ll have more on that meeting in next week’s Monday Update.
Wednesday, the October Ride for Joe will be leaving the Fitchburg Senior Center at 10 am. These rides are geared to seniors, but anyone is welcome. The rides are in honor of Joe Imilkowski, long-time Fitchburg resident and avid bicyclist and senior center patron. Each month there is a little bike education along with the ride. This month the topic is Wisconsin Bike Laws.
Sunday, the biweekly Ride for Trans Rights will leave the Law Park boat launch at 9:00 am.
In the news
On Thursday, two local TV stations ran stories about bike theft in Madison, and then the Wisconsin State Journal ran an article on Friday morning. We’ve seen a huge uptick in theft, as anyone who has followed our Facebook community discussion has seen. If you want to check out the news stories, as well as tips for keeping your bike safe, here are the links:
Photo: Harald Kliems, Bike Parking at Great Taste of The Midwest at Olin Park
SUNDAY: Ride For Your Life
Ride for Your Life Madison is finally here this Sunday, October first. The ride has been discussed quite a bit in previous blog posts this summer. It is being held in memory of the tragic death of Sarah Langenkamp, as well as countless other cyclists and pedestrians killed by drivers in a country that has long prioritized motor vehicle convenience over public safety.
The ride is Sunday, October 1, 2023. Bicyclists will ride 5-6 miles at a slow pace, and pedestrians will walk 1 mile through Madison to the steps of the State Capitol. A rally to raise awareness of the need for pedestrian and cyclist safety will then be held. Ride staging begins at 2:00pmat Brittingham Park, and riders will depart at 2:30pm. The ride will end on the steps of the Capital with the rally ending at 4:00pm.
The city Finance Committee will vote on capital budget amendments on Monday. Alder Verveer has proposed two amendments that would significantly improve the John Nolen Drive project for bikes:
Amendment 6 would extend the project’s scope, allowing construction of a new multi-use path on the north side of North Shore Drive, from JND to Bedford
Amendment 7 would allocate $1M for design and another $4M for construction of a bike/walk underpass of John Nolen Drive at North Shore Drive, connecting to the path from Amendment 6, creating a safe route between downtown and the lakefront path that doesn’t rely on the bike elevator.
Send comments to financecommittee@cityofmadison.com
The Bassett neighborhood has several overlapping path projects, all of which create a network much more connected to downtown. See a map of all existing and proposed projects below, courtesy of board member Craig Weinhold.
FB4K Bike Drive
Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison is hosting its first Fall bike drive Saturday, September 30 from 9am-2pm, with a goal of 400 bikes donated. They will spend the winter refurbishing them before giving them to folks unable to access their own. Please also volunteer to help unload bikes at the drive if you can. Gently used bikes of all sizes and styles are accepted. Bikes that cannot be saved can be dropped off with a $20 disposal donation. Bring bikes to 354 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713 near Rimrock and the Beltline Highway. If you are unable to donate on the 30th, drop off Monday-Friday between 9:30-3pm at the same location. If you live in an apartment complex and see unused bikes at your bike rack, FB4K suggests asking your property manager to donate them before throwing them away!
Madison Is For People Ride
After a very well-attended first event, Madison Bikes is again co-hosting a group ride with Madison is For People. Both of our organizations believe in a Madison where safe and equitable car-free transportation is accessible to all. See the event page for more details.
The ride is roughly 7.5 miles, starting at Law Park off John Nolen Dr., near the B-Cycle station at 6pm. We’ll go counter-clockwise along the Lake Loop and end at Garver Feed Mill where we can hang out, chat, eat and drink. The pace will be leisurely, around 10 mph. Nobody will be left behind. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow housing and bike advocates and have fun!
Sunset will be at 6:45pm, so you must bring bike lights!
The Lower Yahara River Trail – A great place to ride a bike | Christo Alexander
Welcome to this week’s update! Here’s what you need to know this week about bike advocacy in the Madison area.
Campus area commuters needed
If you bike around the Madison campus, your help is needed to evaluate how bike friendly it is! UW-Madison has applied to renew its status as a Bicycle Friendly University and TheLeague of American Bicyclists (LAB) is sending out the survey to students and any other users of the bike infra around campus. If that’s you, please take the survey here! The input received will help the LAB award their final decision and will anonymously be included in feedback to the university. Your feedback is appreciated. To learn more about what it means to be a Bicycle Friendly University, check out the LAB website. Note: the survey closes Tuesday, Oct 10th at 11:59pm PT.
September Community Ride
Not this week, but next Friday, September 29th, we will be co-hosting another community ride with Madison is for People! The ride will meet at 6pm at Law Park near the BCycle station, take the lake loop counterclockwise at a casual pace, and end at Garver Feed Mill for food and beverages. The days are getting shorter so remember to bring lights!
In addition to riding your bike and having a great time, it’s a good opportunity for anyone interesting in joining the Madison Bikes board (see below) to chat with current board members and get your questions answered. Check out the event on Facebook and let us know if you can make it. We’d love to see you there!
Looking ahead to October 1st: The “Ride For Your Life”, a 5-6 mile advocacy ride will be taking place. The ride is in memory of Sarah Langenkamp, and any cyclist who has needlessly lost their life on the road. It’s long overdue that everyone stands up and demands safer places for biking and walking. The ride will meet at Brittingham park at 2pm, with a departure time of 2:30 and end at the Wisconsin State Capitol, to rally for congress to fund safer infrastructure. If you can make it, be sure to register on the website. The ride is free and open to all. Volunteers are also needed to help with crossings and other support. We hope you can participate. If you do, you’ll be helping make biking safer in Wisconsin and standing up for something you believe in, which is pretty cool.
We want you to join the board!
Yes, you! If you enjoy biking infrastructure, advocacy, volunteering for a good cause, or you just want to see fewer cars in your life, consider filling out an application. The application is not a commitment. It’s just to let us know you’re interested in getting involved.
We’re seeking members from all areas of the Madison community. We want your perspective and ideas on how to make Madison a more comfortable and safe place to get around!
A cyclist loading (or unloading) their bike from a Madison Metro Bus rack (h/t Cyclists of Madison)
With the first week of school over, new routes learned and fresh routines formed, hopefully there is some peace and joy that can come from a quiet week of seasonal, beautiful cycling.
This Week
On Wednesday at 5:00 PM the Transportation Commission meets virtually (agenda). Of particular note will be a review of Safe Streets Madison detailing significant improvements to Baldwin Street,Eastmorland Neighborhood, and Midvale Boulevard. On our Facebook community group, there was a robust discussion about the Baldwin Street improvement and how they could be better. You can submit your input by email to transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com, or you can register for the meeting here.
A visual summary of the Safe Street changes proposed for Eastmorland Neighborhood (source: City of Madison)
Later on Wednesday at 6:00 PM “all bodies” are welcome to participate in the party-paced Madison Queer Bike Ride leaving from Law Park.
The City of Madison just applied to have their Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community status renewed from the League of American Bicyclists. Platinum is the second highest level, and cities need to reapply every 5 years to maintain their status. As part of the process, the League is seeking your input to gain a better understanding of local bicyclists’ experiences in Madison. Please take a minute to complete this brief survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BFC_local_Fall23
Save the date(s)
A reminder that the Ride For Your Life Madison is coming up soon. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so at https://rideforyourlife.org. Madison Bikes is co-organizing the event, and it would be great if we could get some additional volunteers to help.
Sarah Langenkamp was tragically killed by a truck while bicycling home from her sons’ elementary school in Bethesda, Maryland, on August 25, 2022. In the wake of her death, her family organized Ride For Your Life in Washington D.C. This event joined forces with activists across the country to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety on our streets.
This fall, Ride For Your Life is coming to Madison, WI! On Sunday, October 1, 2023, cyclists will ride 5-6 miles and pedestrians will walk 1 mile through Madison to the steps of the State Capitol for a rally to raise awareness of the need for pedestrian and cyclist safety.
