Category: Bike News

South Pinckney bike lane

Wednesday’s Transportation Commission has one bike-related item on the agenda: A new cross-section for South Pickney Street between the two blocks of the Judge Doyle Square development. The design puts two five-foot wide bike lanes each in the center of the roadway, with bike boxes at Wilson and Doty Street. No additional materials are available yet, but I suspect putting the bike facilities in the middle is an attempt to reduce conflicts with cars dropping off and picking up guest at the hotel that will be at this location. The City is seeking feedback from the commission and the public. If you want to submit public comment, you can email TransportationCommission@cityofmadison.com or sign up to speak on Zoom here https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register

First monthly queer bike ride

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.

Another person biking killed

After Taylor Dunn’s death in June, another person was killed while they were biking. The crash took place last Monday in the afternoon on Pflaum Road and involved someone driving a box truck.

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!

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.

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.

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.

This Week

Wednesday July, 13^th

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 1/3^rd 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 16^th

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!

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.

That must be why the calendar is so empty: everyone is out enjoying summer.

The past week, in case you missed it

There were a few interesting news stories that the Madison Bikes community might find interesting. 

Saris is being sold by its owners. This is a big deal for the Madison cycling community because Chris Fortune, who owns the company with his wife, has been a big supporter of improving the bicycling environment. Chris has donated to many groups, pushed for many improvements in infrastructure and policy, and funded education programs for kids. He’s also been a driving force to build bike parks for kids. 

It’s also great to have manufacturing jobs that can be reached by bike. I hope all the jobs –  design, marketing, sales, and manufacturing – stay at the current location. We’d hate to lose such a great company. 

WORT ran a long piece about the crashes that have happened over the years on Williamson St – not just people hitting other people or vehicles, but crashes into buildings. Willy is an important corridor for bicycling, walking, and retail, but the amount and speed of traffic on the street, especially when parking disappears on one side of the street during peak hour, makes it both difficult to negotiate on foot and bike and also tough to cross.

There have been efforts to make Willy St more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly, usually by doing away with the rush hour parking restrictions that turn the road into three through lanes, but each time local advocates and neighbors have tried to improve the situation, the city has pushed back, saying they need the traffic capacity.

The week ahead

It’s going to be a fairly slow week in city meetings. There aren’t any meetings that we need to pay attention to, but if you want to see what’s going on in other matters, you can always find the full list of city meetings for the week on the city website.

There are a few things that came in from people in our network. 

Info needed on bike crash on Rimrock Rd

A post on the Madison Bikes Community page mentioned that there bike crash on Rimrock Road south of the Alliant Center entrance. The Town of Madison Police are seeking anyone who may have either witnessed what happened or has other information. The post and photo of the contact info are below. The officer handling this is Todd C Dart.

Today (7/2), around 8-8:15, a team member of ours was in a bike/car accident along Rimrock Road on the “stick” (by the coliseum, before you cross over the beltline). Thankfully, other than some broken bones, she’s going to be ok but she may still need to call on professionals at Leppard Law.

We think some folks may have seen it happen, and some cyclists may have stopped but left before giving a statement to a responding officer (he said he saw some take off as he pulled up).

It would be helpful to report anything you saw to help verify the events. This is the card the officer gave me.

Bridge out on the Badger Trail north of Monroe

Also in the news, a truck hit the Round Grove Rd bridge on the Badger State Trail north of Monroe, so that bridge is closed. It’s probably going to be awhile before it gets fixed, and the detour around the bridge is rather hilly. So be forewarned. 

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.

Path detour on University Ave Path finally over

A construction project by the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage is finally coming to a close. The closure of the University Ave path segment through Indian Hills Park led to an inconvenient detour, but now the new path has been paved:

Some construction is still ongoing, and so use caution in the area.

BCycle issues

Madison BCycle continues to be hugely popular, with more people than ever riding the shared e-assist bikes. The Cap Times reports that this popularity may have come with downsides: An increase in technical malfunctions to the bikes and docks.

BCycle recently confirmed that the electric assist on some bikes can fail when customers attempt to engage it on their ride. Though the feature makes cycling less labor-intensive for most users, the company claims electric assist malfunctions “(do) not compromise the safety of riding e-bikes.”

General manager Helen Bradley said the company plans to address the issue within two to three weeks.

If you encounter an issue with a bike or dock, you can call or text BCycle at (800) 473-4743 or email them at info@madisonbcycle.com.

Hit-and-run in Waunakee

A driver struck and injured someone riding a bike in Waunakee on Highway 113 on June 17 and then drove away. Waunakee police are looking for help locating the car, a red BMW. NBC15 reports:

The agency sent out an alert through the Wisconsin Department of Justice regarding the alleged hit-and-run that took place around 9:40 p.m. on June 17 on the 5700 block of State Highway 113.

The vehicle believed to be involved is a maroon or red BMW 5 Series sedan, model 2012 or newer, according to the police department.

The agency said the sedan was going northbound on State Highway 113 when it struck a bicyclist who was also going northbound, causing the BMW’s passenger-side mirror to break off.

Authorities say the suspect vehicle then swerved into the southbound lane of traffic and collided with a vehicle driving southbound, causing the driver’s side-view mirror of the BMW to break off. The suspect vehicle stopped for a moment and then continued driving northbound, Waunakee PD stated.

The bicyclist received a minor injury from the crash, police noted.

Anyone with information on this incident should call Waunakee PD at (608) 849-4523.

NBC 15

Public input meeting for Bay Creek bike improvements (June 28)

The city is proposing several improvements to the bike network in the Bay Creek area. There will be a public input meeting on Tuesday, June 28.

The improvements include a better connection from the bike boulevard on West/South Shore to the Wingra Creek Path, as well as improvements to the boulevard itself: Possibly diverters that would stop drivers from using the street as a through route, curb bump-outs, and turn restrictions.

The meeting will start at 6pm and is virtual. You can sign up here: June 28, 2022 Public Information Meeting Registration 

Madison Women’s Cycling Club

Madison has lots of group rides. One of them is the Madison Women’s Cycling Club’s ride, which take place every Tuesday at 6pm.

Madison Women’s Cycling Club rides are back for the season! We leave from Olbrich Park (the Biergarten parking lot) at 6pm most Tuesdays (the exception being our rotating monthly Taco Tuesday). Details at our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422391611714723. We’re also on Instagram @madisonwomenscyclingclub

We’re an all-ages, all-abilities, all-bodies-on-bikes group that welcomes women/femme/trans/non-binary. We’re also the longest-running active women+ group in the area! 

We’re always happy to feature regular or irregular group rides in our email updates! Just let us know about them.

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’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.

This Week

Aside from the dozens of Madison Bike Week events, this week there are a few city meetings we’ll mention up front.

On Monday at 5pm the Transportation Policy and Planning Board is meeting with a light agenda that includes consideration to adopt the Metro Network Redesign Plan. The outcome of this will be presented at the Common Council meeting on Tuesday. Watch online or in person.

On Tuesday at 8am, attend a Bike Week-themed press conference and, afterwards, a short ride led by the Mayor. It’s all happening in front of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, right off the square. Come on down and support Bike Week!

On Tuesday at 6:30pm the Common Council meets virtually (agenda). Lots of minor business items but the aforementioned Metro Network Redesign is on the agenda. Maybe a Bike Week proclamation too?!

On Wednesday at 5pm the Transportation Commission will meet virtually (agenda). On the agenda will be review and presentation of feedback on the West Towne Path Phase 3 and West Main St Bike Blvd Improvements projects that we’ve covered previously.

Bike Week is Underway!

Bike Week’s been going for a couple days and people have been out and about enjoying it already, with events like the Trek Pride Ride on Saturday and “Biscuits 4 Bikers” from GRiT on Sunday.

Bus Tracker

An annual tradition returns! Look out for the four city buses with our Bike Week ad on the side. You can track where they are in real-time using this map.

Event Info

There are a bunch of ways to get at all of the upcoming Bike Week event information! Here are a few options, depending on your preferences:

• Daily Event List
• Big Interactive Map
• PDF to download (suitable for printing or stashing on your phone)
• iOS and Android apps (search for “Madison Bike Week 2022” once installed)
• Sync to your Apple, Google, Microsoft calendars

And if that still isn’t enough for you, Harald has graciously written up a day-by-day summary of events still-to-come that you can read as well. Enjoy!

Monday, June 6

• The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
• Monday 40 will be hosting a fun, party-paced ride around Lake Monona. Meet at Orton Park, 6 PM sharp roll-out.

Tuesday, June 7: Numbers Don’t Go that High

• The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
• The Cargo Bike Shop once again is serving Waffles on the Bike Path. Cap City Trail at S Dickinson, 6:30 to 8:30 AM.
• Madison Bike Week sponsor Slow Roll Cycles is joining forces with The Meat People Butcher and Crema Cafe for an eastside morning pit stop with coffee, breakfast, and bike checks. Lake Edge Shopping Center, 7 to 9:30 AM.
• Bike Fitchburg is hosting their Commuter Station at the Velo UnderRound, 7 to 9AM.
• At 8 AM, you can ride with Madison Bikes and Mayor Satya. Meet at the Madison Municipal Building and show your support for biking.
• In the afternoon, at 3 PM come to Fire Station #9 on the west side for a bike station sponsored by Hill Farms Neighborhood residents and Madison Bikes.
• Same time, but on the east side: The FairShare Coalition is hosting a snack stop on the Cap City Trail at Dickinson.
• And yet another event starting at 3PM: Come to the Lussier Community Education Center for free bike repairs and education.
• GRiT stands for Girls Riding Together, an initiative to get more girls and women involved in mountain biking. Come to Sheehan Park in Sun Prairie at 5:30 PM for a free clinic for girls and women to try out mountain biking.
• The day closes with a Tuesday Night Ride by the Madison Women’s Cycling Club. Meet at the Olbrich Beer Garden at 6 PM for a beginner-friendly, all ages ride. Open to all WTFnB (women, trans, femme, non-Binary).

Wednesday, June 8: Another Overstuffed Day

• The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
• Donuts, donuts, everywhere: Madison Bike Week sponsor Schwinn Bikes will have a Donut Pit Stop at their HQ on the Southwest Path, 7 to 9 AM.
• Also serving donuts is Machinery Dough-uh-Row Cycles. At Machinery Row on the Cap City, 7:30 AM until the donuts are gone
• On the Starkweather Creek Park at Commercial, the Eken Park Neighborhood Association is serving breakfast to go from 7 to 10 AM.
• Black Saddle Bikes invites you to have Coffee Outside at the Tenney Park Pavilion, 7:30 to 9:30 AM. Bring your own coffee-making gadgets, or just a cup.
• Be a car-free superstar! On the Cap City at E Wilson/Ingersoll, RoundTrip, Metro Transit and Vision Zero are celebrating car-free travel with bike and bus giveaways! 3 to 6 PM.
• The Boys & Girls Club is kicking of their Move4BGC campaign from 4:30 to 6:30 PM with a happy hour at LJ’s Sports Tavern.
• It’s Pride Month. Join the inaugural Monthly Queer Bike Ride. Meet at the BCycle Station in Law Park for a ride down the Capital City Trail, a stop in Fitchburg for some food and fun. All Queer, LGBTQ+ people of any body type or ability are welcome!
• And over in Sun Prairie, Bikes, Brats & Brews is back! Wheels down at 6pm for a 5-25 mile ride; brats start at 7 PM.

Thursday, June 9: Mix-and-match your faves from the 8 options

• The City of Middleton is hosting a bike station with coffee and refreshments all week from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
• Short Stack Eatery is teaming up with Wheels for Winners and DreamBikes for free bike safety checks and coffee. At Short Stack Eatery from 7 to 9 AM.
• More ??: Griessmeyer Law and RaceDay Events will serve coffee and donuts on the Badger State Trail at Sub Zero Parkway. 7:30 to 10:30 AM.
• It’s Grand Opening Day for our friends at the Madison Bicycle Center! Take a tour of their awesome downtown space and enjoy some food and drinks. 4 to 7 PM.
• Monona Bank is hosting a pit stop with free goodie bags on the Cap City at Amoth Ct. 4 to 6 PM.
• Madison Bike Week sponsor Madison BCycle presents their 16 brand new Art Bikes at Garver Feed Mill. Talk to the artists, sponsors, and non-profits involved between 4:30 and 6:30 PM.
• Watch out for Madison Bike sponsor Slow Roll Cycle’s tent at the Muskelle Lounge (Monona Dr and Buckeye). Happy hour tokens and swag from 4:30 to 6 PM.
• And at 6 PM get out your tandem (or whatever you have) for Tandem Thursday, a social ride to the Hop Garden in Paoli.

Friday, June 10

• It’s your last chance to enjoy the City of Middleton’s bike station with coffee and refreshments from 6:30 to 8:30 AM, Old Middleton @ Stonefield Rd.
• Are you tired of ? yet? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Free Bike 4 Kidz Madison will serve coffee, donuts, and (for kidz only) Culver’s coupons on the Lake Loop/Cap City junction from 7 to 9:30 AM.
• FairShare CSA Coalition will have another snack stop on the Cap City at Paterson, 7:30 to 9:30 AM.
• And once again: Madison Bikes is throwing a party in Brittingham Park. Join us for a celebration of Bike Week, with DJ, drinks, bike repair, tabling, and more. At and around Brittingham Park Shelter from 4 to 7 PM.
• After the party is before the after-party: Madison Bike Week sponsor Madison Cycle Works is hosting an after-party bike ride, 9 PM at Brittingham Park.

Saturday, June 11: Camping, camping, and soccer.

• Get our your ⛺️ and camping gear out and join Solarpunk Travel for an easy 11-mile bike ride to McCarthy County Park. Camp at the group camp site and ride back the next day. Meet at Willy Street Park (1002 Williamson) at 11:30 AM.
• Your other camping option: Family Bike Camping with The Cargo Bike Shop. Bring the kids and ride 7 miles to the group camp site at Lake Farms County Park. Depart at the Cargo Bike Shop at noon.
• Are you into soccer and/or want to support the work of our friends at DreamBikes? $5 of every ticket sold for the Madison v Greenville game will go to DreamBikes. Kickoff at 7 PM at Breese Stevens. Ticket link here.

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.