You might have had to jump out of the way while walking to and from class in an effort to avoid getting run over by a sidewalk bicyclist, or maybe you live near the bike path and have noticed how many cyclists speed past you on their morning commute. Either way, Madison has a lot of bikes and there are too many to ignore.
Many students, especially those who live further from campus, opt to travel to class by bike. It is viable given the many bike lanes on main roads, as well as the bike racks available.
Madison is more bikeable than you may have first thought. In fact, two years ago, People for Bikes ranked Madison as the second best city nationwide for bicycling. We have remained in the top ten rankings throughout the years.
The score is determined by the levels of awareness, safety, network and ridership. So even if accessibility might feel like it is lacking, much is being done to extend the biking network and fill in gaps in order to Madison well connected by safe bicycle routes, according to Bike Madison.
People for Bikes is a nonprofit organization founded out of Boulder, Colorado. The foundation’s mission is to put more people on bicycles more often, in order to promote bicycling as an activity that is good for our bodies, our communities and our planet.
The Lake Monona Path is perfect for an early morning or afternoon ride. It stretches along John Nolen Drive between Olin Park and Monona Terrace. It even has a visual bike counter for how many bikers pass by each day. The counter was manufactured by Eco Counter, which is an international company that specializes in pedestrian and bike counting systems.
Currently, there is a daily average of 1,459 bikes for Capital City Trail, and 943 for the Southwest Commuter Trail. You probably were unaware that there are also 15 counters to keep track of pedestrians spanning up and down State St.
Additionally, Madison is one of many American cities that offers battery-assisted bikes for rent. BCycle is a public bicycle sharing company owned by Trek Bicycle and is based in Waterloo, Wisconsin. It is just $5 for a 30 minute ride, and they also offer day, monthly and annual passes.
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The great news is that UW-Madison students, UW employees and UW Extension employees as well as MATC students and staff are eligible to purchase a BCycle Annual Pass at a discount with a current wisc.edu or madisoncollege.edu email account. UW Health employees are also eligible for a discounted Annual Pass with a promo code.
There are plenty of stations available both on campus and surrounding the greater Madison area, and you can download the BCycle app to save some time and stress. It is a great opportunity to explore more than just campus, and also a convenient way to get some exercise!
Make the most out of the BCycles and beautiful bike trails while you can, as once it gets too cold, they hibernate for the winter.
