Madison marks Bike Week; here are the remaining events

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The City of Madison is celebrating its 26th annual Bike Week to encourage people to commute or exercise on two wheels.

On Wednesday, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway presented a mayoral proclamation, officially declaring this week ‘Bike Week’ in the City of Madison. She said Wisconsin’s capital city is continually recognized as being one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation.

Rhodes-Conway also used the occasion to highlight the importance of bike safety, for both bicyclists and the drivers around them.

“Too often those serious injury crashes or fatal crashes involved bicyclists interacting with cars,” she continued. “That pain point and increasing safety for bicyclists is one of the primary purposes of Vision Zero, along with protecting pedestrians.”

Madison has 85 miles of bike paths and more than 157 miles of bike lanes. New construction is adding to that total, including along Atwood Ave. and Olbrich Park. The mayor also highlighted the new “pump track” at Aldo Leopald Park, which she says encourages a lot of children and teens to get out and play.

Madison Bikes Board Member Robbie Webber used the occasion to urge people of all ages to hop on a bicycle, no matter how fit they are. She pointed out that it’s not all about taking long rides either, pointing out that someone can hop on a bike to tote the kids or go pick up groceries.

“Madison is incredible for bicycling. People come here and they just can’t believe the number of people just tooling around. You don’t have to be young, or thin, or strong, or wearing spandex,” she added.

Schedule of events for the rest of the week:

More information on each event is available here.

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