Category: Bike News

Where should the city invest in bike infrastructure in the coming budget period? That is the question that the Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC) is asking you. And we want to hear from you too, as well as provide guidance on how to maximize the impact of your suggestions. The meeting is already today, June 28 at 5:30pm, but you will have time to provide written input until July 8. Let’s start with the actual announcement from PBMVC:

The Madison Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments on potential pedestrian and bicycle projects the City should consider undertaking in the 2017-2019 Capital Budgets to increase opportunities for walking and bicycling in Madison.

The intent of the public hearing is to hear suggestions for new capital (construction) projects. Please note that concerns about routine maintenance and operational issues can be directed to the appropriate agency or the City’s Report-a-Problem webpage http://www.cityofmadison.com/reportaproblem.

The hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. NOTE: If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this meeting, please contact the Traffic Engineering Division at 608-266-4761. Please do so no later than 9:00 a.m. on the Thursday preceding the meeting so that proper arrangements can be made.

Written comments will also be accepted through Friday July 8, 2016, and should be addressed to the Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission, c/o City Traffic Engineering Division, PO Box 2986, Madison WI 53701-2986, or email to traffic@cityofmadison.com.

The results of the public hearing and written comments will be used to develop a list of projects to be considered for inclusion in the 2017-2019 construction work program.

Sounds slightly complicated, doesn’t it? What exactly is a “new capital (construction) project”? How much money are we talking about? What happens to your suggestions once they have been submitted to the PBMVC? Is sending your suggestions to PBMVC the most impactful way to improve biking?

Here’s our advice:

• Any input is valuable. The only way that gaps in Madison’s bike infrastructure network will be addressed is if the city hears from you. So consider taking the time attending the meeting or submitting your comments in writing.
• That said, there is no guarantee that your input will lead to action. One of our goals at Madison Bikes is to hold the city accountable for not merely asking for public input but actually transforming it into concrete action. One way to help with this to cc’ing your Alder in your email. You can look up your Alder and their contact information here.
• Don’t assume that someone else has already made the same suggestion. Yes, most likely someone will send in input about the horrible intersection at John Nolen/Blair/Wilson/Williamson. But the more people voice their concern, the more likely it is that something will be done to fix it.
• Consider including examples of what has worked well. If there is bike infrastructure that you think has worked well and should be considered elsewhere (e.g. bike-specific signals, turn restrictions, a buffered bike lane), mention it in your input.
• Try to be specific. Instead of only saying “The intersection at John Nolen is a big mess,” consider adding detail, for example “When crossing from the Capital City path towards Machinery Row Bikes, you can’t make it across the intersection in one signal phase” or, “Drivers turning across the park into the Law Park parking lot frequently don’t pay attention to people cycling on the path.”
• Don’t be afraid to think big. Yes, some projects may be “too expensive” or “not politically feasible” right now. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work on changing that.
• Don’t be afraid to think small. Sometimes it’s a little thing that can make your and everyone else’s biking experience so much better. A missing curb cut, a traffic signal that doesn’t detect bikes, a bike lane that ends just half a block before a popular destination, …
• If you have a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or family member who’s interested in biking but thinks it’s not safe enough, encourage them to provide input as well. It’s important to create facilities that people of all ages and all abilities feel comfortable on.

Here are some text snippets that you can use:

Dear PBMVC members, dear Alder [name]:

Thank you for asking the public for input on improving biking and walking in Madison.

I’d bike more if […]

A gap in the system that is a problem for me is [location].

A road that really needs better accommodations for cycling/walking is […]

I can’t get to [location] by bike because […]

There needs to be more bike parking in the following public areas [street, park, library, public building, etc.]

[Location] is an intersection/road that is hard to cross, and that keeps me from biking/walking.

Thank you for considering my suggestions.

[Name and full address]

Monroe Street will be reconstructed in 2017. On June 13 the first of a number of public meetings will take place, providing you an important opportunity to provide input early on in the process. The meeting will take place at the Wingra School Gymnasium (second floor), 718 Gilmore Street, from 7–⁠9 pm. Registration is recommended but optional.

Right now biking and walking on Monroe Street isn’t always a pleasant experience: Crosswalks are frequently ignored by people driving, sidewalks are narrow, and the lack of bike infrastructure makes people cycling either entirely avoid Monroe or ride on the sidewalk. Reconstructing Monroe Street provides an immensely important opportunity to rethink how space should be allocated on this important corridor. Providing input on what you want changed on Monroe at this early stage of decision making is crucial. The amount of right-of-way between buildings is limited, meaning that trade-offs will be necessary. So please attend this meeting and make sure that the new Monroe Street will become a better place.

Update 4/6: A previous version of this post had the location of one of the commuter stations wrong. Fixed below.

Madison Bike Week kicked off on Thursday with the New Belgium Clips & Beer Film Tour at Olin Park. The main chunk of Bike Week will be happening next week though. Madison Bikes folks will be at both the commuter station near Machinery Row/John Nolen between Broom Street and Monona Terrace as well as at the one at Crazylegs/Camp Randall Monday to Friday between 7 and 9 am. We’ll have awesome spoke cards, sign-up sheets for our newsletter, and you can talk with us about all things Madison Bikes.

Location of the two commuter stations:

We’re looking forward to meeting you in person, either at the commuter stations or at one of the many other Bike Week events!

The east side contingent of Madison Bikes is planning a casual group ride to the New Belgium Clips Beer & Film Tour (benefiting the Wisconsin Bike Fed) at Olin Park tomorrow, June 2. Departure is at the intersection of South Fair

Oaks Avenue and the Cap City Bike Trail at 6:45pm. More details after the fold or on Facebook.

Join the ‘East Side Bike Caravan’ to Olin Park!

Stop departures will be prompt. We’ll ride on the Cap City Trail the entire route from S. Fair Oaks Ave to Olin Park.

Anybody who misses a stop can join in anywhere along the way!

DEPART 6:45 S. Fair Oaks Ave & Cap City Trail

ARRIVAL 6:52p / DEPART 7:00p Cap City Trail behind Mickey’s Tavern (Thornton St.)

ARRIVAL 7:07p / DEPART 7:20p Cap City Trail at Machinery Row Bicycles (Blair St.)

7:30p ARRIVAL at Olin Park

The Cap Times has over the past years regularly hosted discussion panels on locally relevant hot topics, such as housing affordability or criminal justice reform. Now it is time to talk bikes, and one of Madison Bikes’ own, Robbie Webber, will be part of the panel of experts. “How can Madison make room for the bicycling boom?” will take place at the High Noon Saloon on June 28, starting at 6:30pm.

The discussion will be moderated by Cap Times editor Chris Murphy, and aside from Robbie (who will be representing herself), panelists include:

Madison Bikes officially launched this week. Below the fold you can read our whole press release, or you can download it as a pdf.

Madison Bikes launches: Focus on improving bicycling for all

MADISON- Madison is a “Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community,” according to the League of American Bicyclists. But Madison Bikes—a new group that “envisions a city where everyone can bicycle conveniently and comfortably to any place in the city and neighboring communities year round”—thinks there is still a lot of work to do.

“Madison is a great city for getting around by bike. It’s great for confident riders in particular, but many people who are interested in riding their bikes don’t feel comfortable on busy streets with nothing separating themselves from fast-moving cars except a stripe of paint. We can double the number of people who ride their bikes for transportation just by closing some key gaps in our bike network,” said one of the founders, Grant Foster.

“Madison has done a great job over the last several decades in building out an extensive network of paths and in installing some innovative bike treatments” said Foster.  “But most people can’t get from where they are to where they want to go only on paths. We have to make our streets feel as comfortable as those off-street paths to people on bikes. The measure for all new and rebuilt streets should be, ‘Would you let your child ride on that street?’”

Madison Bikes says that a major focus will be on working to close the gaps in Madison’s existing bicycle network, ensuring equitable access to high-quality bike infrastructure in all parts of the city. Intersections and busy roads that leave people on bikes feeling exposed can make trips to work, shopping, school, or social events difficult or intimidating for many people who would like to have an alternative to driving.

Madison Bikes Steering Committee members also pointed out that improved bicycling options benefit everyone, even those who don’t bike.

Former Alder Robbie Webber, who now works with a number of states on transportation sustainability issues, explained: “Every person who bikes is one less person vying for a parking spot. And we can’t build our way out of congestion. Bicycling also supports transit use because it gives people options for the ‘last mile’—the gap between bus stops and their home, job, or other destination. With BCycle downtown and racks to carry bikes on the bus, better bicycling options make using the bus easier. If we can get more people using bikes, transit, or walking, our roads will last longer. That’s good for everyone paying taxes.”

Harald Kliems, a researcher in pediatrics at the UW, pointed out another benefit of active transportation: “It is now widely accepted that high rates of active transportation are related to improved health, both for individuals and for the population as a whole. And to enable people to use active transportation, you need good infrastructure and an empowered community.”

“The Bike Fed believes that the best progress can be made at the local level,” said Wisconsin Bicycle Federation Executive Director and former Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. “As a statewide organization we can’t be at every meeting or know every player in each community. So these kinds of local advocacy organizations are really important. We want to help Madison Bikes grow and be successful in any way we can.”

More information about Madison Bikes can be found on their website, madisonbikes.org, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Want to work in bike advocacy? Our friends from the Wisconsin Bike Fed are hiring for some cool (paid) positions, including a membership director and a membership coordinator. More details here.

I just received word that there is an ongoing effort in Monona to improve cycling and walking. Tomorrow (May 18) at 5:30pm there will be a kick-off meeting at Monona City Hall.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Monona+City+Hall/@43.0633561,-89.3416618,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x880653b616867f17:0x848a557221558c4a!8m2!3d43.0633561!4d-89.3394731?hl=en

For more information, contact Brad Bruun (bbruun@ci.monona.wi.us, 222.2525×7402).

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

May is National Bike to Work Week, and May 16-20 is National Bike to Work Week (not to be confused with Madison Bike Week…). To celebrate that occasion, the Census Bureau released a nice visualization of the 20 cities with the highest proportion of people riding their bikes to work. With 5.3 percent, Madison makes seventh place overall and first in the Midwest!

This is certainly cause for celebration. It is also important to keep in mind, however, that the bike commute share in Madison has pretty much stagnated over the past couple of years. Much more work is required to get to the next level and create an environment that empowers anyone to ride to work and other places in a convenient and comfortable manner.

As several news outlets have reported, construction has begun on the new segment of the Lower Yahara River Trail. This trail will connect Madison to McFarland and, in a later stage, Stoughton. Once completed, the trail will provide a convenient, safe, and scenic link between those communities, likely attracting a lot of recreational as well as transportation cycling. Dane County Parks published two aerial videos of the location of the trail, one before construction started and one after. Definitely worth watching.

[edit: they’ve since been removed from YouTube — enjoy the trail!]

March video:

April video: