Local officials have announced measures to improve the safety of a Marquette Neighborhood bike path in response to the sexual assault that occurred on the path Sept. 12.
The victim of the sexual assault was attacked from behind on the bike path early in the morning. The victim was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. The suspect is still at large, but the police are taking measures to narrow the search, Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said.
“We’ve taken a good deal of evidence to the state crime laboratory here in Madison, and it’s our hope that the experts there will be able to come up with DNA,” DeSpain said. “At this point, we’re still awaiting the results of that testing.”
MPD holds news conference to promote public awareness, seek information on bike path assault
Local leaders in the Marquette Neighborhood have suggested insufficient lighting along the bike path could have enabled the suspect to attack the victim more easily, Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, said.
Officials in Madison’s District 6, where the assault took place, have created a plan that would feature better lighting in order to improve bike path safety, Rummel said. Rummel also recently announced in an email to residents of the Marquette Neighborhood that Madison’s Traffic Engineering Department had proposed installation of two new light poles on the path.
“I just want to make sure that this path is safe for everyone,” Rummel said.
Madison’s Traffic Engineering Department specifically proposed to change out the lighting fixtures for three lights on the path, add two new lights and change the position of a third light, Rummel said.
The Traffic Engineering Department, Rummel said, will use innovative new technologies to improve path lighting while preventing additional light pollution.
“There’s a lot of people who care a lot about women’s safety, but also care about light pollution,” Rummel said. “So they want to have the right amount of light that creates safety without over-lighting the bike path. We’re adding better quality, newer lights to the area that is most in need of it.”
Rain or shine: Community rallies in support of sexual assault victim
In addition, the city plans to trim some of the vegetation on the path, as certain spots in the overgrowth can provide ideal places for attackers to hide. Overgrown trees will be clipped, certain trees that cast shadows will be removed and a wider swath of grass will be mowed along the path, according to Rummel’s email announcement.
While the Traffic Engineering Department has suggested dates for implementation, an exact date has not yet been specified.
“I personally think it’s important for women to be able to use the city any time of the night or day,” Rummel said. “And to the extent that the bike path is not well lit enough, I want to help make that better.”
