Tag: Weekly Update

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Election Results; John Nolen Feedback; Group Ride Updates

https://botsin.space/@cyclists_of_msn

Election Results

Thank you to everyone who voted last Tuesday. Local elections determine how invested cities are in safe infrastructure and supportive policies for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices. Your vote is very impactful in these races, as evidenced District 14’s alder race being decided by one vote!

Voters also gave Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway a second four-year term, elected a number of new alderpersons, and approved a referendum to stagger two-year alderperson terms. Take a look at the full results from Tuesday and look back to responses from our February candidate questionnaire.

Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission is meeting on Wednesday. The agenda includes a discussion of survey results for the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project scheduled to break ground in a few years. Polling from last month showed support for narrowing the roadway as much as possible, widening the path, and improving intersections.

In case you missed it, MadisonForAll has a very well-made video describing the North Shore Dr. part of this project, including frustrations over the city’s reluctance to make any substantial safety and accessibility improvements if they impact driver convenience. The most ambitious option offered by the city for this intersection would increase peak hour vehicle travel time by 35-80 seconds. In the video, city engineering describes this delay as “a pretty significant [negative] impact to the traveling public.” Madison recently committed to prioritizing safety for people walking and biking over driver convenience as part of Complete Green Streets, yet the possibility of a delay lasting less than half of a pop song on a driver’s commute is still described as “significant” in a way that fixing a deadly, heavily utilized pedestrian and bicyclist crossing with no grade-separated alternatives is not.

Recently a new alternative design was included by city engineering that is remarkably similar to the idea proposed by MadisonForAll. The city does not have public feedback for this option (Alt 4b) currently, but you can give it in their survey here. You can also use the comment box to voice opinions about improvements you would like to see presented as alternatives going forward.

Group Rides

It’s Spring! Monday evening you can join the Monday 40 social ride for its second ride of 2023. Tuesday evening is looking great for the Madison Women’s Cycling Club 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. Bombay Bicycle Club is hosting a Spring Member Meeting on Sunday, details 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Pedaling Progress: A Spring Roundup of Bike Advocacy Wins and Woes

A lone cyclist rides on the University Ave Bike Path in Madison.
A cyclist on the University Ave Bike Path | Photo by Christo Alexander

Another weekly update is here! It’s time to talk about our favorite delightful, radical, and sustainable transportation method. Here’s what you need to know about the Madison biking world this week.

Spring Election

Tuesday, April 4th is the Spring Election! The results can impact biking, walking, transit, and housing, so it’s really important to get out and make your voice heard. If you haven’t voted by mail yet, you still can still vote in-person on Tuesday. The city website has a page to help you find your nearest polling place.

Waucheeta Bike Trail

In March, Dane County donated $913,000 to construct a new trail between Lake Farm County Park and Waucheeta Tr., West of Lake Waubesa. The trail will connect the Lower Yahara River Trail to the Waubesa Beach neighborhood. The estimated completion is in late 2024 or 2025. While a full bike-friendly or low-stress loop of Waubesa is still a long way off, this is a great step in the right direction.

The approximate location of the trail for which the money has been donated, West of Lake Waubesa in Madison.
The approximate location of the trail for which the money has been donated, West of Lake Waubesa in Madison.

Madison’s Everyday Engineering Podcast

Have you ever wondered what Safe Streets is about? The Madison’s Everyday Engineering podcast has an episode with Traffic and City Engineers to explain how the project works. Take a listen to learn about the feedback from the community and how the city plans to implement the life-saving designs. You can also listen to their most recent episode about the John Nolen redesign project for information on the proposals and next steps. Listen for free here!

Freewheel Closing Sale

Freewheel bike shop in downtown Madison will be closing its doors on June 16th. The shop was truly dedicated to transportation equity and sustainability, and it’s really sad to see it go. Until then, you can still visit for some really good deals on tools, parts, accessories, and complete bikes. The first sale day was Saturday, April 1st, and is scheduled to continue again this Saturday and Sunday from 12-5pm. It’s always best to check their social media for updates.

That’s all for this update! Thank you for being a part of the many individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote sustainable transportation options in our city. Let’s continue to work together to build a more equitable future for all.

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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Community Meeting, MPO on TAP, Autumn Ridge Path

Photo: Cyclists of Madison Mastodon

It’s looking relatively warm this week, but keep the studs on and watch out for freeze/thaw ice patches. For more pictures of people enjoying biking in Madison, visit our Mastodon page.

Last Week

Tuesday: Madison had a very strong turnout for the Spring primary election, a reflection of the critical importance of this year’s WI supreme court race. That said, kudos to all of you making your voice heard in local aldermanic and mayoral elections as well. Strong local political leadership is a key part of successful of bike safety and accessibility projects in Madison.

Friday: In case you missed it, Madison Bikes provided comments on the city’s Reconnecting Communities federal grant application. The city hopes to build an overpass connecting N. and S. Perry St. on the South Side. Currently, the Beltline cuts these two streets in half. Hopefully, this project could increase bicyclist and pedestrian access across the Beltline.

This Week

Monday: Join us on Zoom from 6:00 – 7:30 PM to discuss the three final proposals for the Monona Lakefront Design Project. We plan to assess how each proposal contributes to an all ages and abilities bike network, especially in relation to safe connections from the Cap City across John Nolen to access the Capitol. We’d love to hear what you like about the proposals, what you don’t, and any other ideas you have about the John Nolen Drive project. If you aren’t familiar, feel free to explore the links and join us to learn more.

Wednesday: Madison MPO meets at 6:30 PM this week. TAP project scoring for applications from February is on the agenda. Scores will be used to prioritize distribution of $3.5 million in TAP funds. Link here to the draft project scores plus a link to join the meeting.

In case you missed it, the WI Bike Fed recently discussed Governor Evers’ pledge to leverage more federal and state funds to support TAP projects, along with other important bike policies, in his biennial budget. Governor Evers acknowledged the state has a $7 billion budget surplus, and with Wisconsin ranking 49/50 in per-capita pedestrian and bicyclist spending, spending some of that surplus is long overdue.

Thursday: The city is hosting a public information meeting on the Autumn Ridge Path project. Plans include an enhanced crossing of Milwaukee St. east of HW51 and a bike/ped overpass for HW30 just west of Thomson Dr. The HW30 overpass would be the only low-stress crossing east of HW51, would link nicely with the HW51 overpass, and would serve as an important connection between residential and commercial areas on either side of HW30. Info and meeting registration 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Spring Primary; Transportation Commission; John Nolen Redesign

A cyclist dressed for winter rides along the snowy Yahara River Bike path.
A cyclist riding along the Yahara River Bike Path

Welcome to this week’s update! We hope you have been enjoying the wide range of Winter cycling weather we’ve been having. If being on two wheels is bringing you half the joy it’s brought me this season, I’d say you’re doing great. Here’s what you need to know about bike advocacy in Madison this week.

Spring Primary

Get out and vote! Tuesday, February 21st is the Spring Primary to nominate non-partisan candidates to be voted for at the Spring Election. By casting your vote, you are helping to shape the future of your local government and make an impact on issues that matter to you, like the quality of biking in this wonderful city. Earlier this month, we asked the candidates about about their positions on transportation, housing, and sustainability. You can learn more and read the candidates’ responses to the questions here.

Transportation Commission meeting

Wednesday, the Transportation Commission will meet virtually at 5PM. The agenda includes a contract for analysis on pedestrian and bike infrastructure gaps near BRT stations and a TAP grant application for the Glacial Drumlin Connector and West Towne Path projects. The connector project aims to connect the Capital City Trail near I-90 to the Glacial Drumlin trailhead in Cottage Grove, which is a crucial missing link for cyclists heading East from Madison. Check out this link to watch the meeting or learn more.

John Nolen Redesign meeting

There will be a public information meeting on the John Nolen Drive Redesign project on Thursday at 6:30PM. The first phase of the project addresses the causeway from East Lakeside Street to North Shore Drive. The plans include some exciting improvements like expanding the multi-use path to separate bike and pedestrian traffic and a path underpass between North Shore Drive and Broom Street. The project is scheduled to run through 2026.

An aerial shot of John Nolen Drive and East Olin Ave, with Lake Monona and downtown Madison in the background
John Nolen Drive and Lake Monona | cityofmadison.com

Looking Ahead: Community Meeting

Finally, we want to hear your input on the Monona Waterfront Design challenge! Join us on Monday, Feb 27th for a community meeting where we will discuss the plans and what they mean for people on bikes. You can find more info on our Facebook event.

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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

MLK Day, Advocacy Wins, Bike Swap

Photo: Winter rider in the city (Cyclists of Madison Twitter)


Last Week

A member of our Madison Bikes Community Facebook group notched a win against the hairball intersection, and we are all grateful. She noticed the John Nolen Dr. crossing connecting the new E. Wilson path to the Cap City (along Willy) forced her to pause on an island in the new intersection, instead of smoothly crossing in one green light. She reached out to her alder and city staff explaining why crossing in one light cycle is much preferred to waiting for two lights, and the city realigned the timing to allow the quick crossing! Of course, the city is used to doing this kind of update in response to feedback. All of us users of bike infrastructure can be great resources for identifying and fixing problems. If you’re having a similar issue with light timing, snow, potholes, or other hazards impacting your bike route, you can use the city report a problem tool to let the city know. Reaching out to your alder and any elected officials representing you with your bike safety and access concerns is a great way to ensure your needs remain visible. Consistent local advocacy is essential to advancing our mission at Madison Bikes, and we commend anyone who gets involved. We plan on hosting a bike advocacy training event this year, details will be shared with you on this blog and on our social media.

This Week

Monday: It’s looking like cold rain on MLK Day. Don your rain gear and head to the Capitol Rotunda at noon for Wisconsin’s 42nd annual Tribute and Ceremony. At 5:45pm, you can also ride to the Overture Center for Madison and Dane County’s 38th annual MLK Day Observance.

Saturday: The annual Brazen Dropouts Bike Swap will be at the Alliant Energy Center from 9am-1pm. See link for 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Vote for TDM, Passenger Rail, Santa Rampage Returns

Photo: Wisconsin Bike Fed

This Week

Tuesday: City Council will vote on the Transportation Demand Management program that has been in the works on for a number of years. Its passage would be a big push for better biking, walking, and transit services for developments in the city. Your emails or testimony in support are strongly encouraged to help it pass!

Simply put, this program supports infrastructure for modes of transportation that reduce congestion (biking, walking, transit, etc.) when new developments are being approved, or when the use of an existing development changes.

Things the program could require include secure bicycle parking and showers/changing rooms, allowing those who don’t use a car parking space in a development to have the value of that space in other ways (reduced rent, extra storage, etc.), free or reduced transit passes, free BCycle memberships, and car sharing programs.

Plan Commission already requires TDM for some developments, but there are no guidelines or consistency to what is required. The plan up for approval on Tuesday would help implement TDM near networks of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit travel, rather than encouraging single occupancy vehicle use in these locations.

You can access all the documents that the Council will consider here. And you can view Robbie Webber’s more extensive comments to the Council here. Emails can be sent to the entire Council by using the following email: Allalders@cityofmadison.com

Wednesday: Madison’s Passenger Rail Station Study kickoff meeting is happening in person at 4:30 pm in room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, and virtually at 6:30pm. This study came from a recent influx of available rail funding from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, combined with recent US DOT guidance that passenger rail service to Madison should be “included on any mainline route alignment.” and is “critical to operational viability of the Core Express corridor between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.”

Saturday: Celebrate the seasons in your favorite festive costume with the Santa Cycle Rampage. Groups will ride in from all over town, and converge on Library Mall at 11am for a 5 mile slow roll, ending back at Library Mall by noon. Registrations will help fund the Bike Fed’s Safe Routes to Schools programming in Dane County. New and lightly used winter clothing for MMSD schools can be donated at the event. For more info, click 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Winter Riding Info, TC, and a Group Ride

This Week

Monday, November 28

6:00 PM – Madison Bikes Community Meeting

This week’s Madison Bikes Community Meeting is a special one. The focus will be on strategies to keep warm and safe while on your bike throughout the winter months. Bring any questions you have and members of the Madison Bikes community will help answer those. This meeting will be held via Zoom at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/95317759840

6:00 PM – Bike Fitchburg Monthly Meeting

Monday’s also the monthly Bike Fitchburg meeting. This meeting is held every fourth Monday of the month, except in December, and is currently meeting at the Atomic Koi cocktail lounge at 2685 Research Park Drive in Fitchburg. It is an in-person only event. More details can be found here.

Wednesday, November 30

12:00 PM – WEBINAR: The Future of Electric Busses

1000 Friends of Wisconsin is hosting a webinar about the future of electric busses in Wisconsin. Speaking will be Trevor Jung (Transit and Mobility Director, City of Racine) and Susan Mudd (Environmental Law & Policy Center). You can register for the free webinar by clicking here. More details can be found on Facebook, or The Isthmus.

5:00 PM – Transportation Commission

This week’s TC Agenda is easily a big one. First up on the agenda is the adoption of and direction to implement the Metro Network Redesign in the summer of 2023. Following that, TC will discuss and vote on approving and creating a Transit Demand Management Program in the MGO (Madison’s municipal laws). While the votes in this meeting won’t change anything right away, it will help give the rest of the Common Council guidance on how to vote on these issues when it comes before them .

Saturday, December 3

10:15 AM – Jingle Mingle Bike Ride

This Saturday, Sun Prairie Moves and Bicycle Benefits Sun Prairie is hosting the Jingle Mingle Bike Ride. This is a casual social ride, and festive holiday attire and decorated bikes are recommended. The group will meet up at Beans ‘n Cream Coffeehouse (345 Cannery Square) at 10:15 AM, and depart from there at 10:45 AM. Click here for the full itinerary and further details. The final stop will be reached at about 2:15 PM.

5:30 PM – Capital Off Road Pathfinders Annual Meeting

This event is to show appreciation to all CORP members and volunteers. They will recap the past year’s highlights and look forward to next year’s plans. Food and drink will be available. The event will take place at Revolution Cycles, 2330 Atwood Ave. Link here for more 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Costume Cross Race, Fall Group Rides, Bike Fitchburg

Seen in Madison last week, possibly the world record for track standing on a tandem Source: Cyclists of Madison Twitter

This Week

Social Rides: Get out your Fall layers and get outside! Monday evening you can check out Monday 40 social ride. Tuesday for the Madison Women’s Cycling Club, or the Slow Roll Ride. Wednesday evening features the Madison Queer Bike Ride, reach out to their instagram page for details. Saturday for Brazen Dropouts’ fast morning Row Ride.

Monday: Our monthly community meeting will not happen this week, as we have a board retreat. We will keep you posted with future community meeting plans. For anyone who still feels an urge to meet and talk about bike safety and accessibility, Bike Fitchburg is having their monthly meeting at Atomic Koi 6-7:30pm.

Wednesday: Transportation Commission, 5pm. This week’s agenda isn’t too noteworthy, especially compared to last week’s TC data showing fewer deaths and severe injuries since Vision Zero plans were put in place, plus exciting plans for transformational grant funding for future Vision Zero safety improvements.

Saturday: If you have been looking for a place to ride bikes competitively in a silly outfit, or to spectate while others do this, head to Angel Park Speedway on Saturday for some friendly Halloween-themed cyclocross racing. First time racers get free entry. The WI CX Series Crossfire race traditionally features costumes and a place for spectators to toss ball-pit balls at racers as they try to jump over hurdles while carrying their bikes. More info 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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Complete Streets, Social Rides

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!

Monday: Madison Bikes has its monthly board meeting from 6-8pm. We will keep you posted on relevant happenings, and we will be discussing the board application process. Please read about becoming a board member, and apply if you meet the criteria listed!

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.

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.

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Newsletter Weekly Update

Leopold Pump Track Dedication Party, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Funding, Bike The Barns

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.

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.