Madvelocity - Advocacy

Fitchburg Zoning- Bike Advocates

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:03:25 -0600

Next week, in five twelve-hour days, the citizens of Fitchburg and consultant Placemakers will create a draft of the updated zoning code, zoning map, and sketches of the model neighborhoods that will guide Fitchburg's development for the next 50 years.

The stars are aligned to permit and encourage bicycle-, pedestrian-, and transit-friendly urban form that will save energy, protect the climate, improve health, lower the cost of city services, spur economic development, and in general, make Fitchburg a much better place to live, work, and visit.

However, well-financed special interests and nervousness about change could dilute or even derail the implementation of Fitchburg's progressive vision for its future. That's where you can help.

Please check out FitchburgZoning.com to learn more about the Fitchburg Comprehensive Plan, the charrette, the groundwork leading up to it, and the steps that will follow. Then, if you can, attend one or more sessions and provide your input to the process.

If you can only attend one session, try to make it the opening public meeting Monday from 6:00 to 7:30. It and the pin-up and final presentation meetings at the same time on Wednesday and Friday are also design for large-scale community participation.

Locals Voice Concern over Bicycle Conduct

Mon, 11 May 2009 11:37:54 -0500

A local Forum/Blog has sparked concern that the Seminole and Whalen Roads are over crowed and are of concern. The forum supported by madison.com (Madison area Newspapers) sparked this controversy (Find it HERE) and continues the debate between bicyclist and motorists which was included in Sundays May 10 Newscast. In the original form post the author asks some questions to seemingly ALL bicyclists. Hmm I cannot say I have every done any of these except for the complex part. Yeah I feel good when and after riding my bike. 600 Outfit? Was someone riding in their wedding dress?


* do you ride 4 across, block the road then act like I'm a dick because I honk at you?
* do you never obey traffic laws(specifically stop signs)?
* do you never wave me by when you're in front of me on top a hill?
* do you get off by making me drive 5 mph until I also can see over the hill?
* do you speak so loudly to one another it wakes me up out of a dead sleep?
* do you think it's ok to not slow down and almost hit me when I'm walking my dog?
* you get some sort of god complex when you ride a bike? It must come with the 600.00 outfit.
* do my taxes pay for bike trails when you don't use them any way?

Safety Vid - Clettes vs. Sexy Back

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:19:58 -0500

With all the PSA talk these days I was introduced to a self produced PSA which I found quite appealing. While not local to the Madison area, these folks are from the Vancouver, BC based Momentum Magazine and have combined their passion for safe biking with their fun and fashionable PSA. The video features the BC Clettes, an all lady, bike inspired, street performance collective who are proud to show the fashion sense of cycling headware. If you feel you have or know of any material which would benefit the Madison area bicycling community, please feel free send this info along to bicycingaddict at yahoo.com. Enjoy.

Public Service Announcements Begin

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:35:55 -0500

After a few short weeks after the posting of the article Dont Hate Me Because Im a Bicyclist the proposed Public Service Announcements begun airing on WJJO and other stations owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting in the Madison area. This is the first of two with the second PSA soon to follow. We will provide the audio as soon as it's available. Kudos to the BFW and Mid-West Family Broadcasting for making this possible.

WJJO to Change Bad into Good

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:09:49 -0500

Mmm Lemonade

There have been a number of times in my life where I have screwed up royally. Making bad choices usually helps us learn our limitations and hopefully in the process does not result in any permanent damage to ourselves or others. For example, when I was four I tried to launch myself off a side, poll vault style, using a plastic baseball bat anchored firmly in my mouth. Ouch! A very vivid memory which taught me many things most specifically - TV antics and physics are two different things. Fortunately the bat was not damaged.

After the posting titled Dont Hate Me Because Im a Bicyclist there was an outcry from the local and national bicycling community regarding a radio skit where Madison area bicyclist were stereotyped, hunted and killed all for the sake of humor (audio file has since been removed). I will not try to downplay the significance of this audio clip and what it communicated. Yeah it sucked and it might have made most adolescent boys fall down with laughter; however this audio clip maybe responsible for bringing cyclists and motorists closer together.

During the days after the posting, WJJO Operation Manager Randy Hawke and station owner Tom Walker met with David Vogt of the Wisconsin Bike Federation to discus this matter. In this meeting WJJO was apologetic for not removing the offending pod cast after its August 2008 airing and was clear that the pod cast did not have any relationship to the Tuesday AM radio show. WJJO also stated that they had made changes to their staffing as a direct result of the offending skit. Additionally, WJJO provided several examples of how they were not anti-bicyclist and offered to produce and air two 60 second public service announcements to promoting awareness, understanding and respect for bicyclists and all users of the road.

In my communications with David Vogt from the Bike Fed, WJJO is making swift efforts in producing the public service announcements and stated that WJJO will commit to airing the PSA�s no fewer than 200 times at all times of the day. On a side note WJJO and its staff expressed interest in contributing to fund rising efforts which expand bicycling advocacy in the Madison area.

Many thanks go out to the local bicycling community for coming together and providing positive ideas for using the WJJO�s PSA. I also would like to apologize for the comments that were submitted to WJJO which reflect poorly on bicyclists as a whole.

Dont Hate Me Because Im a Bicyclist

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:35:40 -0500

You've probably never met me, and you may be the type who is careful not to judge one based on clothes, style, gender or race. I'm not an objectionable guy. I'm generally pretty friendly, and if you and I were to run into each other I'm sure we could make some pleasant small talk about music, movies or the Badgers. However, eventually my horrible secret would be revealed; That's right you'd figure out that I'm a bicyclist. And if you're like most people, that's when your eyes would narrow.

It took me a while to understand that this was the order of things. I had always assumed that everyone understood the benefits of choosing to ride a bicycle instead of car, bus or other motored auto. But my blissful ignorance was short lived after spending a summer commuting to work. First it was my friends and relatives commenting on bicyclists and their terrible traffic habits. Then I was subjected to road rage in two separate incidents while riding on a - well off the path - county road. Bring this subject up in the cycling community and you will get a cyclone of activity around others experience's and some with physical scars to show for it. Bring this subject up in one of the most bicycling friendly cities and you get something else. Something that I still do not understand.

In the last week Madison passed a law to make it illegal to open a door without checking for oncoming traffic. If you open your door and impede an oncoming bicyclist or other traffic you will be fined $ 100. Seems like common sense to me and actually I was surprised this was not previously the law. Cut to the Wisconsin State Journal's article on this new law and the fury of comments it generated, not specifically on the law itself, but a pouring out of hateful rants on cyclists in general. Many of these comments included threats of physical abuse and gross hatefulness. Check out the comments in the latest story about the Dooring ordinance.

On Tuesday March 24th 2009 a local radio show broadcast on WJJO featured a segment on bicyclists in the Madison area. While I was not a listener to Tuesday morning's WJJO show one listener described the event as "The morning hosts talked about how they loved to roll down their windows and yell things at the lame bikers like "nice spandex you fairy!"" Supposedly It went on for a few minutes. Randy Hawke (WJJO PD) randy.hawke@wjjo.com and I swapped 3 or 4 emails in which I asked for the transcripts for Tuesday mornings show. Lets just say Randy was less than helpful.

Now since I was not part of this morning WJJO program I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt as there are two sides to every story - that was until I was forwarded a link to an earlier program featured by WJJO. Unfortunately the link was soon removed from the site but fortunately someone uploaded a copy to this site. (Audio Removed - See current article) There are some serious comments in this audio segment which should anger most bicyclists

If anyone witnessed the WJJO radio show from Tuesday's AM program please tell us what your take was on the program.

Being a bicyclist is not a crime.

Three Feet Plea

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:52:37 -0500

Just the other day I was passed by a school bus which put me in a potential life threatening situation as I had no egress to my right due to the snow covered bike lane. Situations like this are very common. In some cases it is carelessness and it others it's a case of not knowing what space cyclists and other sharers of the road require for safe passage.

To one Joe Mizereck it was a close call which prompted him to design a Bike Jersey to help educate drivers what is a safe distance and what is the law. Road jerseys that ask motorists for more room are catching on. Joe Mizereck started the trend with his 3 Feet Please design and he reports increasing sales worldwide.

Wisconsin has a three foot law which reads: 346.075(1)
(1) The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device proceeding in the same direction shall exercise due care, leaving a safe distance, but in no case less than 3 feet clearance when passing the bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device.

You can view and order Joe Mizereck's 3 feet please jersey at www.3feetplease.com

BIY - New Leadership at the Bicycle Federation

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:29:55 -0600

Photo:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Over at 106 E. Doty Street, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin has been busy too this winter. And just recently they revealed that they�ve got a new leader, Kevin Hardman. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Kevin yesterday.

Kevin is the sixth executive director that the Bicycle Federation has had (not counting interim directors) since it started around about 1989 (exact birth date of the organization is occasionally hotly contested over beers in taverns). They have been a diverse group of people, with more differences than commonality. There have been people with non-profit experience and people with none. Urban/regional planners and marketing folks. Musicians and dancers. The only thing they have had in common is a love for bicycling.

Kevin�s background is not in bicycle advocacy nor in non-profit management, but rather in business and real estate. His resume includes redevelopment of Chicago�s Cabrini-Green housing project. He�s member of the Congress for the New Urbanism. His background may not be in bike advocacy, but he has a love for the bicycle and for how it can improve people�s lives. And that means that he fits right in with his predecessors at BFW.

You can access the full article at www.dane101.com

BIY Fat Cyclist

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:09:30 -0500

Recently, during discussion of the adoption of the Madison Platinum Bicycle Committee�s Report recommendations (full disclosure, I wrote this report), Alder Thuy Pham-Remmele (District 20) asked, amongst other skeptical comments regarding adoption of the report, "How is a 300-pound person going to ride a bike?" Story on the meeting here.

Thankfully, Thuy Pham-Remmele was the only member of the Council to vote �no� on the adopting the report, and the measure easily passed, clearing the way for many improvements to bicycling in Madison in the coming years.

To an avid bicyclist, Thuy�s comment about fat people bicycling may seem ridiculous. But this council member was vocalizing something that lots of people think...that many fat and "normal" sized people alike think. The perception is out there that heavy people can�t or don�t bicycle and it's actually refreshing to hear someone say it instead of pretend that it doesn't exist.

As someone who weighs more than 200 pounds and has gotten my share of discrimination for it (both overt and not-so-overt) and who rides a bike pretty much every single day, I have to say that fat people are not encouraged to ride bicycles. It is worth saying that many bicycles have a weight limit of around 200 pounds, and I'd be willing to bet that finding a non-custom bike out there with a weight limit over 250 would be difficult. I myself own bicycles with weight limits less than my weight.

There�s a blog out there called Fat Cyclist. I figured it would be right up my alley. I was wrong. The blogger, a male, weighed 184 pounds at the start of his blog and called himself �a train wreck.� The fact that a man who weighs 184 pounds is considered a �fat cyclist� is an indication of how far from reality the bicycling community is on this issue.

According to the CDC, in 2006 more than 25% of Wisconsin�s residents were obsese (BMI over 30). If you are 5�10� tall, to get a BMI over 30 you have to weigh more than 209 pounds. At 5�5�, a weight of 180 will get you there. Unless the Fat Cyclist is also a Short Cyclist, he probably isn�t obese. But lots of us are. Whether you think that fat people are victims of a disease or whether you think they are just lazy and eat too much, we exist. And there are more and more of us.

Encouraging people to bicycle means encouraging the average person, which more and more in our country is someone who is clinically obese. Bicycling, unlike running (which can destroy the knees of a heavy person), is actually a relatively safe way for the obese to be more active.

But I think that there are reasons to bicycle beyond losing weight. Obviously I feel this way because I�ve been bicycling nearly every day for the last 15 years, and I�ve done nothing but gain weight in that time. Bicycling is good for the mind, spirit, and community. To me the health benefits to my body are just a bonus.

Laughing off the Alder's comments doesn�t change the fact that fat people are not encouraged to bicycle in general. They are berated to exercise often, but all of the images in all of the magazines and the charity ride brochures are of thin people in spandex.

In order for the Platinum Bicycling Committee Report to be effective in increasing the numbers of people bicycling in Madison, the actions taken by the city will have to include more than just building more bike paths. Bicycling in Madison should be a welcome activity for anyone in the city, regardless of weight, height, gender, age, race, or income level (and as much as possible, also regardless of what is considered traditional able-bodied-ness).

The first step towards making that possible is recognizing that not everyone in all of those groups currently feels welcomed. We also ought to acknowledge that, for every bone-headed remark made at a city council meeting, there are plenty of people thinking the same thing who know better than to say it out loud. We ignore those comments at our peril.

Platinum Report at the Common Council on 4/08 - please show up!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:27:12 -0500

Please come and show your support at the council meeting tomorrow night
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
6:30 PM
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Room 201 (City-County Building)

The Platinum Report is Agenda Item 99 at the council meeting.

"Adopting the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee's report, "Making Madison the Best Place in the Country to Bicycle," and recommendations contained therein."

The resolution can be viewed here:

If you cannot make it in person, you can contact the council via-email at:
allalders@cityofmadison.com Why it is important to support adoption of the Platinum Biking Committee Report? Reason 1: It will make it more fun for everyone to bicycle in Madison

If fully implemented, I believe the recommendations found in the Platinum Biking Committee Report will benefit current bicyclists, and prospective new riders, as well as provide some less direct, but more widespread plusses to all Madison residents. The most direct benefit of implementing the recommendations in the report will go to prospective new bicyclists who are not comfortable with the current bicycling infrastructure. Improving the infrastructure has a well-documented positive effect on bicycling levels. Increased levels of bicycling have been shown to improve the safety of all bicyclists as motorists become more aware of the existence of bicycles on the roads.

Reason 2: Showing strong support for the report now will remind our elected officials and City Staff that supporting bicycling is important.

There have been a lot of plans adopted by the City of Madison that never got implemented. Why? Because other things got prioritized. How do we keep this from happening to the Platinum Report? By showing up and e-mailing the council in large numbers. The most recent demonstration of how effective showing up in numbers can be is the police listening sessions held last year. The bottom line: It is hard to ignore a large crowd.

Still need a reason to justify coming to the meeting?

Reason 3: Try imagining this...

It is 2020, and bicycling counts in Madison are around 25% of all trips. 75% of kids regularly bike or walk to school. The city is highly responsive to bicycling issues. Bike parking is conveniently located everywhere, and not snowed in during winter. A number of bike boulevards provide easy access to most of Madison. Businesses have started to realize that locating near bike boulevards can be profitable and the whole city has become much more human-scaled as a result. Also, it seems like dangerous encounters with other road users have declined.

Then, the City council considers a resolution to tear up all the bike boulevards, reduce the amount of bike parking in town, degrade the rights of bicyclists on the road, and force businesses to cater primarily to customers who utilize motorized transportation. Would you feel motivated to speak out at that meeting in 2020 to defend your rights as a bicyclist? If so, then you should speak out at the meeting tomorrow because exactly the same future is at stake!

Here are some talking points, if you need them. Use any or all:

The city has adopted The Natural Step to become a truly green city. Investing in, encouraging, and facilitating to the greatest extent possible green transportation is essential to the success of this endeavor.
Making bicycling a safe, easy, and "normal" choice is good for the family budgets of families struggling in this economy.
We have a commitment to make Madison a Fit City. Bicycling is a great way to get people active, but still too many people feel unsafe or intimidated. The recommendations in the report will address many of the obstacles to bicycling.
We need to plan for a post-oil, post-single occupancy vehicle world. This is one step in doing that
A great bicycling city is attractive to companies looking to locate or grow here. CEOs and entrepreneurs want a place where THEY want to live.
Bicycling is good for the social fabric of the community. Eyes on the street. People being able to talk to each other, etc.
The investments required in the draft report are a tiny cost compared to the costs of facilitating and encouraging driving, which we all seem to happily pay.
Tell a story about how an improvement or a recommendation in the report has/would improve your life or those of others. Especially important to show that this can improve the business, environment, health, or other aspects of your neighborhood or the city.

Anything else you might want to add!