Tag: 200

Last week’s snowfall made for a gorgeous scene along the Lakeshore Path.

THIS WEEK

Monday

Madison Bikes Community Meeting will be at 6 pm at Bendyworks (106 E Doty St #200)This is where the magic happens and Madison Bikes gets stuff done with the help of YOU. This month we will be talking about the timeline for Bike Week, a new website, weekly updates, and a possible update on he Wilson Street project.

Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting will be at the Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg. From 6:30 to 8:30pm.

Tuesday

Bombay’s Challenge Event Training Series (BCETS) Orientation will be at the Fitchburg Community Center, Stoner Prairie Dining Room, 5510 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg. Social hour begins any time after 6:30 pm (drinks and light snacks provided). The program begins at 7:00 pm and should end about 8:15 pm.

Individuals who have signed up (or are considering signing up) for BCETS are invited to attend the 2020 orientation meeting to learn more about this year’s training program and meet other cyclists who want to improve their fitness and hill climbing skills.

During the orientation meeting they will provide additional program information, review the ride schedule, and offer other details and training advice. The meeting format will allow for interaction and opportunities to ask questions. If you are still on the fence about participating in BCETS this year, please join them for the meeting to gain insight about the program.

The first ride is scheduled for March 7.  So make sure you are getting in shape!

For additional information, online registration, and FAQ or check out the Facebook event.

Wednesday

The Transportation Commission will meet from 5 pm to 7 pm in room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building. The agenda can be found here.

UBRC will hold a class about Annual Maintenance and Cleaning Your Chain from 6:00 to 7:30pm

University Bicycle Resource Center, 600 N. Park Street. Class will be taught by India Viola, local bicycle advocate, educator and former Madison Bikes board member. Keep your bike running smoothly throughout the year. You will learn and practice best techniques for cleaning and lubricating your chain and other routine maintenance. Bring your bike, if you’d like, or look on with another student. Free Planet Bike blinky light set to the first five (5) attendees.

All events are free and are held at the University Bicycle Resource Center in the Helen C. White Garage (Lot 6) at 600 N. Park Street, unless otherwise noted. There is no registration required. Classes are first come, first served (limit 20 people per event).

Thursday

The Disability Rights Commission will meet at 5 pm in room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building and is scheduled to have a BRT Routing Presentation.  The agenda can be found here.

A brown bag talk titled “Planning for a Future with Autonomous Vehicles” will be held at Robert F and Jean E Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies from 12:30 to  1:30pm. Brown Bag with Asli Gocmen, Associate Professor of Geography & Environmental Studies

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) promise to be a transformative force to shape the future of our society.  Their potential benefits for individuals and communities include increased traffic safety and efficiency; increased mobility for individuals who have limited mobility options; and increased accessibility for individuals with limited resources to access healthy food, jobs, education, and health care.  AVs are also expected to significantly impact the way our land is used and have great implications for the sustainability and livability of our communities. For instance, in a future with AVs, parking needs could dramatically change, requiring urban planners to allocate parking spaces much differently than they have over the past several decades.  So how are communities planning for this future? Our recent research examines that question through a survey of municipal planners across the United States. In this presentation, I present how AVs may impact our built and natural environment as well as findings from our survey. Our survey finds that for the most part, communities have not started planning for a future with AVs and that the conceptualization of AV impacts on the built and natural environment vary amongst planners. More information is available here. Facebook event

Saturday

Join Madison Bikes @ FB4K (2031 Zeier Rd) on Leap Day for a fun afternoon of helping to refurbish a few of the 823 bikes that FB4K collected for local area youth. No experience necessary – just a passion for getting your hands dirty and hanging out with fun people for a few hours.

Volunteer tasks include:

Cleaners – Each bike gets a good, thorough cleaning before moving on to the next stage. Just bring yourselves, we’ve got supplies!

Preppers – Take care of the easy stuff, mechanically speaking: Grease seat posts, change tires, swap saddles, new grips, new pedals, etc.

Mechanics – Knowledge and skills required. Change cables, adjust shifting, adjust brakes, true wheels, adjust bearings

Facebook Event

Quarry Ridge Winter Workday: Brush Clearing and Cutting Back Invasive Species. Meet in the Parking Lot at 1:30pm. No Experience Required. Please check the event flyer for complete details.

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.

The week ahead

Monday

Madison Bikes Community Meeting will meet 6pm tonight at Bendyworks (106 E Doty St #200). This month we will be focusing on our advocacy priorities for 2020.

From 6:15 to 8:00pm tonight Greenbush Neighborhood Meeting will discuss Vilas Park Master Plan input at Arboretum Cohousing (1137 Erin St) more information is available here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2450560298549704/

Also tonight is the Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting 6:30 –⁠ 8:30pm at Fitchburg Public Library (5530 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg)

Wednesday

University Bicycle Resource Center will host Bike Traffic Skills 101 from 12:00 –⁠ 1:00pm at University Bicycle Resource Center (600 N. Park Street) Class taught by UW Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Chuck Strawser. Learn the basics of vehicular cycling and keep yourself safe and comfortable while riding in traffic. Free Planet Bike blinky light set to the first five (5) attendees. Bring a brown bag lunch!

All events are free and are held at the University Bicycle Resource Center in the Helen C. White Garage (Lot 6) at 600 N. Park Street, unless otherwise noted. There is no registration required. Classes are first come, first served (limit 20 people per event).

Rockstream Drive Public Information Meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30pm The public is encouraged to attend the upcoming public information meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Jan. 29 at Chavez Elementary School, 3502 Maple Grove Drive, Madison.

The project includes the street extension of Rockstream Drive to Maple Grove Drive and Ambleside Drive to Rockstream Drive. The new portion of the street will include sanitary sewer, storm sewer and multiple culverts crossing the storm water drainage area. The west side of Rockstream Drive will include a 10′ multi-use path and east side a 5′ sidewalk. Ambleside Drive will have sidewalk extend and connect to Rockstream Drive. The Chavez Elementary School driveways will be connected to Rockstream Drive. Rockstream Drive varies 32 feet –⁠ 38 feet and Ambleside is 32 feet from face of curb to face of curb and it will be built through the City competitive bidding process.

Manchester Road will extend to Rockstream Drive and Fairhaven Road will extend to Manchester Road. These street extensions will be constructed separately by a private developer in the summer of 2020 and not through the City competitive bidding process.

Project Page: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/rockstream-drive

https://www.facebook.com/events/625570731538581/

Bombay Bicycle Club is hosting a special one-time screening of the film Bikes of Wrath on January 29th at AMC Madison 6 from 6:30 to 8:00pm

Unlike a traditional movie showing, my Demand Film screening requires that 75 more tickets be reserved ahead of time in order for the screening to occur. (Edit 1/28: Enough tickets have been sold already and the movie screening will definitely happen. Tickets are actually running low!) Tickets can be bought at https://tickets.demand.film/event/9483?ref=dbVexRqY

Five Australians attempt to cycle 2600 kms. from Oklahoma to California in honor of the westward migration undertaken by ‘The Grapes of Wrath’s’ Joad family. Through chance encounters with everyday Americans, the cyclists expand on the novel’s core themes of migration, inequality and the perceived land of opportunity. The group explores whether America has progressed since the book was written, discussing the wealth gap, immigration and the American Dream. The fascinating people they meet along the way reveal the enduring strength of human spirit despite the inequality and disenfranchisement which runs as deep today, as it did in Steinbeck’s seminal novel. The Bikes of Wrath is a unique, funny and insightful documentary filled with adventure, literature, music, and human connection.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1056930684705536/

Job Postings

The Cargo Bike Shop is hiring. They have openings in sales, operations, and service, full and part-time, year-round and seasonal. No bike shop experience necessary. Please send a resume to info@thecargobikeshop.com or swing by the shop Tues – Sat and ask for Amber.
Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/thecargobikeshop/posts/1520866921422136

Slow Roll is hiring a full time Head Mechanic / Service Manager. The main part they need is a full-time head mechanic that knows a lot about bicycles and how to fix them, certifications are nice to have. A desire to learn suspension is a must, which we will provide in-house and outside training. Sound like something you want to be a part of? Send a resume or work experience to info@slowrollcycles.com

Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/slowrollcycles/posts/525710654705428

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.

Last Week

Our Events and Communication Committees had a very productive meeting last week, all under the auspices of Winter Bike Week. We have a great schedule of events lined up already for February 1-8. Check them out here (and keep checking back for possible additions).

Saturday was a good day to acquire bikes or get rid of them: Madison Bikes had a table at the Brazen Dropouts bike swap at the Alliant Center, while Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison was collecting used bikes for their annual giveaway. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table, and congratulations to FB4K for collecting over 1000 used bikes!

This Week

Let’s start our update with some internal Madison Bikes news: Tonight, we’re having our first board meeting of the year—and also the first board meeting with our newly elected members. Welcome, Elysha Jones, Jake Foley, Steph Shelton, Peter Taglia, and Jim Wilson! We’ll introduce our new members here on the blog shortly. Also a big thanks to our outgoing board members: Becky Jollay, Kevin Mulcahy, India Viola, and Hank Weiss.

And while we’re having our board meeting, you can join the weekly Monday MEATHead ride. As always, it’s a no-drop ride around Lake Monona. 7pm sharp, Ford’s Gym on Winnebago.

On Tuesday night, it’s time for another mayoral candidate forum. At last week’s Cap Times forum, transportation and biking hardly featured in the discussion. For Tuesday, Madison Bikes has joined a wide coalition of groups to co-host this forum at the Central Library. Tickets for the main room sold out quickly, but there will be overflow space that you don’t need a ticket for. So come and see what the candidates for mayor have to say about transportation and other issues. 6pm, Central Library on Mifflin.

On Wednesday, the Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee has their monthly meeting. On the agenda are the continuation of our work on Wilson Street and winter bike facility maintenance. We’ll also take some time to talk about our 2019 priorities and goals. Everybody is welcome to join us at Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200, 6pm.

Could Wilson Street look like this?

Consider biking out to Middleton on Thursday: There is a public meeting about the long-awaited path along Century Avenue. Century Avenue and its lack of bike facilities has long been identified as an issue, but now Middleton is moving forward in building a “shared-use path planned along the north side of Century Avenue connecting northeast Middleton with Branch Street and the Pheasant Branch Trail.” Eventually that path will connect to the new trail along Highway M, providing access to Governor Nelson State Park and Northwest Madison. 6pm Middleton City Hall.

Let me start with a quick reminder about our fundraising, membership, and volunteering drive: It’s the season when we start planning for the new year, and even an organization like ours that’s run 100% by volunteers needs some funding. So please consider making a donation or joining/renewing your membership. Thanks!

Exciting news for the Badger State Trail: The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Belleville is going to turn its historic train depot on the Badger State Trail into a business serving people biking the trail.

Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM CC-BY-ND

Speaking of Madison Bikes: We have our most important board meeting of the year on Monday: It’s election day for our board of directors. With eight seats open, we have an exciting roster of candidates on the ballot. Stay tuned for an announcement of the new board members!

Also on Monday, join the friendly weekly winter ride around Lake Monona, a.k.a. the MEAThead. Meet at Ford’s Gym for a strict 7pm departure.

And for a final Monday event, join Bike Fitchburg for their monthly meeting. 7:30 pm, Fitchburg public library.

On Tuesday, there will be a public input meeting about Wilson Street. “But didn’t they just have two Wilson Street corridor meetings?”, you may be asking. Yes, but this one is for the other end of Wilson Street, near Blount/Willy/John Nolen. It would be nice to have a more integrated process for planning the whole of Wilson Street, and maybe that’s a point to make at the meeting. 6:30 pm, Madison Municipal Building, Room 111.

On Wednesday, you can join the Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee meeting. We’ll definitely talk about Wilson Street, and so if you want to be part of our efforts to make Wilson a better street for people on bikes, join us! 6 pm at the Bendyworks office (106 E Doty St #200).

On Thursday, get up early to catch a free webinar on “Jumping in with Both Pedals: Lessons from Rapid Implementation of Cycling Networks.“ Alain Boulanger from Paris City Hall and Manuel Calvo from EstudioMC in Sevilla will discuss the social, design, and political aspects of forward-thinking mobility, and share insights on the efforts to elevate the state of bike networks in both cities. We could surely use some more rapid implementation of a cycling network in Madison, and there’s lots to learn from other cities.

On Thursday night, join Revolution Cycles for the “ride that only comes one time a year.“ Meet at the shop at 6pm, and then roll out at 6:30 for “a slow roll/no drop, counter clockwise to the Holiday Lights at Olin Park. Fat Bikes are encouraged but not necessary.”

View post on imgur.com

Cap City Trail Repaving

On the Madison Bikes Facebook group, the question comes up again and again: How is the repaving of the Cap City Trail coming along? According to the official timeline, the project should be done around August 20. At the moment, it looks like the old pavement had been removed, but nothing is paved yet.

Crazylegs Plaza

The reconstruction of Crazylegs Plaza is coming along nicely. The bike path is open (but not the connection to Oakland Ave). A bunch of bike racks are on site, ready to be installed.

Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISDx0dSCTSA

This week

Monday

Tonight at 6 pm the Madison Bike Events Committee will be meeting at Bariques on Park Street. They will be discussing plans for the annual party, and could use some help. If you are interested in helping with the plans and on the day of the party, please join us tonight.

Tuesday

Don’t forget to vote! More info is available here.

Ride the 13 mile Lake Monona Loop with Bombay Bicycle Club. Meet in the Obrich parking lot on Walter Street at 5:45 pm. Post ride, enjoy refreshments and food at the Olbrich Biergarten (7-9 pm). More info on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1757058454408780/

Wednesday

Advocacy Committee will be meeting at Bendyworks (106 E Doty St #200) at 6:00 pm. The committee is always welcoming new people, if you’d like to help us out with our work on advocacy issues, feel free to stop by.

Saturday

Tour de Latina Familia – More info will be available later this week. Check out the event on Facebook to find out more. https://www.facebook.com/events/286254602149821/

Mountain Bike Demo at Pleasant View Golf Course. The best way to find the bike that’s right for you is to spend time riding a few different models. Join Trek at Quarry Ridge to test ride a variety of all-new Trek mountain bike models!
All you need to bring is a helmet, an ID, and your own pedals if you prefer something other than standard flats. Expert technicians will be onsite to help with fit and to answer questions.

Family Bike Camping The ride from The Cargo Bike Shop to Brigham County Park is approximately 30 miles. We will spend the majority of our ride on the Military Ridge State Trail (trail passes required, can be purchased at The Cargo Bike Shop). The path is paved asphalt to start, transitioning to crushed limestone in Verona. Terrain is slightly uphill all the way to the park (approx 750ft elevation gain), but very manageable. You can ride with the group, or use our queue sheet and ride at your own pace and/or your own schedule.

Send us your events!

Remember, if you have an event that you’d like us to include on the Community Calendar, send it to us.

For those that may not be fond of cold-weather riding, this week will give you a little taste of spring. Surely winter is not over, but the temperatures should be high enough to tempt the fair-weather riders. Enjoy some of the opportunities below or work on improving the city.

Monday, February 26

Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting; 6:30–⁠8:30 pm. Come to the meeting and let the folks working to make Fitchburg an awesome place to bike you’re your ideas and concerns. Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd.

The MEAThead Ride leaves from Ford’s Gym, 2114 Winnebago St 7:00 pm. The ride follows the lake loop with the option to add on a trip through the Arboretum. This weekly ride is ends the last week of March, so if you haven’t gotten to meet up for this ride yet and have been thinking about joining the group, the time is now.

Wednesday, February 28

Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee; 6:00–⁠7:30 pm at Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200. Stop by to see what this committee is planning or talk about any ideas you might have on what we can do on the advocacy front.

Middleton Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit Committee; 6:30–⁠7:30 pm, Middleton City Hall, Council Chambers, 7426 Hubbard Ave. The agenda can be found here.

Thursday, March 1

Madison Bikes Development Committee; 6:00–⁠7:30 pm, Colectivo Coffee – On the Square, 25 S Pinckney St.

Ontario Park Bike Path Meeting; 6:00–⁠7:00 pm, Whitehorse Middle School, 218 Schenk St. Come learn about a proposed bike path through Ontario Park. This is a short path that makes a critical connection for the Whitehorse School kids and the Eastmoreland neighborhood. More information on the planned bike/pedestrian connection to the Capital City path can be found on the project website.

Update on Winnebago projects

This past week saw the public meeting to discuss the reconstruction on Winnebago Ave. We’ll have to get an update later this week from Grant or another person who attended, but just today came news that the project has been delayed, along with changes to the diagonal crossing of the Isthmus Path at Riverside.

Below is information sent out by Alder Marsha Rummel. Mark your calendars for March 27, when the main Winnebago project will be before the Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission to discuss a revised design.

1. Winnebago diagonal crossing canceled, planning to resume after construction season ends.

Last week I posted a tentative date for the Winnebago diagonal bike crossing project at Riverside for February 26. It is not happening. I have been informed the project has been delayed. Recommendations from the community and Ped Bike to add bike connections to Winnebago at Merry St made Engineering realize that they did not have sufficient funds allocated in 2018 for the project. City Engineer Rob Phillips promised me that staff would engage with the public in the early fall to look at a larger project for next/future year.

2. Winnebago reconstruction delayed for parking study.

If you attended the second Winnebago reconstruction PIM meeting last week or last December and signed up for the email list, you would have received this email from project manager Jim Wolfe on Friday: The City has decided to delay the upcoming meetings and mailings for 2018 reconstruction of Winnebago St. between Second and Bashford. The updated schedule for the project is noted below. With this additional time, City Traffic Engineering will conduct a parking study of the area, and this data will help with deciding on a proposed design for Winnebago St. The project website will also be updated with this revised schedule.

Pedestrian, Bicycle and Motor Vehicle Commission: March 27
Mail estimated assessments: April 6
Board of Public Works public hearing: April 18
Common Council public hearing: May 1
Bid project: early May
Start construction: early June

The parking study will provide important data to show how residents, employees and visitors park on the four block area from 2nd St to Bashford. The study will be done twice – soon and after March 15 when alternate side parking ends. There are benefits to Option 2 but I have heard concerns about the loss of parking so this study will provide important information to help decisionmakers.

Meetings and events this week

The week is a little short on city meetings, but there are still lots of things to do.

Monday: After a full day of strategic planning on Sunday, the board decided to cancel our board meeting on Monday at the Library. These meetings are always open to the public, but we won’t be at the library this month, so we don’t want you to come out in the horrible weather predicted, just to find us MIA.

But the MEAThead ride is still on, as it is every Monday through March. They will be leaving from Ford’s Gym, 2114 Winnebago, at 7:00 pm for a no-drop, Lake Monona loop with optional loop through Arboretum.

Tuesday is the Spring Primary Election, so bike on over to your polling place and make your voice heard! There are primaries in Districts 6, 11, and 15 on the County Board, so if you live in one of those areas (near east, neat west, and far west), then you will see a county board race on your ballot. There is also a state-wide primary for Supreme Court Justice, so everyone can vote in that one. Spring voter turnout is very, very low, so your vote will be especially important. Not sure where to vote, who’s on the ballot, or who the candidates are? Head on over to the League of Women Voters of Dane County website to read candidate statements and answers or to find out where to vote. Polls are open 7:00 am –⁠ 8:00 pm, and you can register at the polls. Find out more about how to vote and what you need to register or what voter IDs are acceptable at the ink above or on the City of Madison Clerk’s site.

Because Tuesday is Election Day, the Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission meets on Wednesday this month –⁠ 5:00 pm in Room 201 of the City-County Building. You can see what’s on the agenda here. It looks like a pretty short agenda, but they will be discussing the winter maintenance policy for bike facilities. Did you know you can watch the PBMVC meetings on cable or on your computer, just in case you want to know what they are doing, but don’t want to go downtown? Head over to the Madison City Channel and watch it live or check out the recording later.

Also on Wednesday is the Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee meeting at 6:00 pm in the offices of Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200. As with all our committee meetings, you are welcome to attend to either watch or participate.

And that’s about it for the week ahead. We’ll have more information on Winnebago later, or go to our Facebook groups to join the discussion.