Tuesday marked one year since Dave Cieslewicz lost a nail-biting race for the mayoral office against Mayor Paul Soglin, but the former mayor has looked back on city affairs throughout the past 12 months with considerable contentedness.

Many priorities from Cieslewicz’s eight years as mayor between 2003 and 2011 continued during Soglin’s first year, including revitalization projects near the East Washington Avenue area and the reconstruction of the Madison Central Library.

“Things are pretty much the same,” Cieslewicz said. “Paul has pretty much continued the policies that I’ve put in place, with the notable exception of Edgewater, but we’re moving ahead on all the things that were important to me. I’m pleased that the direction I went in my eight years as mayor is being continued.”

The highly contentious renovation of Edgewater Hotel, a project Cieslewicz greatly supported, was halted late last year.

Cieslewicz also expressed satisfaction that steps to make Madison a more bicycle-friendly city have been taken in the past year, including the successful implementation of the B-Cycle bicycle sharing program.

Cieslewicz struck a three-year contract with Trek Bicycles to implement the B-Cycle program in Madison, with the stipulation that the city would subsidize the program with $300,000 over three years. When Soglin took office, he was able to renegotiate the contract so that the bicycle program cost the city nothing.

“Dave committed to spending more on city bicycling, and Paul has continued that commitment,”  said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, who served on City Council under Cieslewicz and during Soglin’s previous terms.

Cieslewicz spent nearly $50 million over five years to improve the city’s bicycling program, and during his time out of office, Cieslewicz has continued to promote the transportation he said he is so passionate about. He spent several days in New York and Toronto speaking on strategies to create bicycle-friendly cities, and plans to visit San Francisco and Vancouver in the coming weeks.

Cieslewicz promoted bicycling in Madison through other means, including the “Ride the Drive” event held several times each year, according to Verveer. The event, which has continued to take place under Soglin, closes city streets to motor vehicles and opens them to bicycles for the day.

“Paul has continued the emphasis on improving bicycling in Madison that Dave started, including efforts to continue B-Cycle and the Ride the Drive event,” Verveer said.

Still, Cieslewicz is less enthused about Soglin’s take toward the controversial Mifflin Street Block Party. Although he conceded the 2011 event, which resulted in two student stabbings, he added last year’s inclusion of entertainment and food vendors was a positive aspect that should be reconsidered.

“I think we made a mistake last year by allowing open intoxicants on the street, and I think what the city should’ve done was go back to not allowing that,” Cieslewicz said. “I felt we were on the right path – having a sponsor, entertainment and food there gave students something to do besides drink. We were headed in the right direction, and we made one mistake with the open intoxicants, but what the city should’ve done is get back on the track that we were on for the last eight years.”

Soglin has taken a notable stance against the Mifflin Street Block Party and recently made the decision not to provide food vendors at the 2011 event. He also strongly supported the nuisance party ordinance, a city ordinance that essentially strengthened penalties against the hosts of house parties.

Cieslewicz added there are several projects he hopes to see return to discussions between Madison officials, particularly the idea of regional transit authority that would provide high-speed transportation to the Madison area.

Verveer said regional transportation talks were eradicated by Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature. Soglin also made cuts to transportation and infrastructure in his 2012 Executive Capital Budget as a result of cuts from the state.

“It’s very difficult for me to come to the people of Madison and have to present a capital budget as sparse as this one,” Soglin said in a press conference in September.

He also expressed hope for the creation of a Madison public market.

“The public market has been a really important trend in cities, and I think we’re being left behind because that project has been put on hold,” Cieslewicz said.

Soglin had also expressed support for a public market but opposed its proposed location in the downtown area. Although discussions to implement a market have begun again, they are not a high priority within City Council, Verveer added.

Calls to Soglin were not returned as of press time.