Ride the Drive . . . with Lance!

This weekend, the City of Madison and Trek Bicycles, among others, put on an event called Ride the Drive. A six mile loop through Madison was blocked off for cyclists to ride a loop with Lance, and to enjoy car-free streets for a day. For me, the event started earlier in the week when I volunteered to put up "Modified Route" signs along part of the route. Turns out carrying 30 of these signs with just a messenger bag is quite a challenge, in terms of both size and weight.

I rode the signs home about 3 miles on my messenger bag and decided I could use the Brompton bag frame and some bungee cords to transport the signs. Here's what that ended up looking like:

On the day of the event, I rode up to Capitol Square and picked up my volunteer T-shirt. I worked my way through the masses to stage right where Lance would speak briefly.

(I'm a little creeped out by Lance checking me out. John Burke and Mayor Dave on the stand.)

Mayor Dave discussing the city goal of making 20% of trips by bicycle:

John Burke's introduction:

Lance's thoughts:

I believe I was the only one wearing a tie at the event (see below). Trek Bicycle President John Burke spoke and introduced Lance Armstrong to the hungry crowd. Lance got the crowd pumped and we were on our way.

By the time I made it 1.5 blocks around the Capitol to the top of State Street, it looked something like this:

(Click for full-size effect)

Here's a shot at John Nolen Drive:

And one of East Washington Ave.:

I ran into some of my new classmates, Hanjin and Jia as I was heading home. They weren't there for the bikes, but I'll count it!

What I was a part of today was more than simply riding a bike on a car-free street or two. Zooming out on the event as a whole, I saw an incredible partnership comprised of concerned citizens, responsible and proactive civic leadership, corporations, and celebrity working together toward a common goal. With such a variety of interested parties working in concert toward a goal, such as 20 by 2020, reaching that goal is credible.

Riding . . . and Smiling . . . surrounded by infrastructure

Where I'm from (Utah), once in a great while a roadway boasts some bicycle-friendly infrastructure, such as a bike lane or a "Share the Road" sign. Some good friends [1] [2] are working hard to improve things in Orem & Provo, respectively. For quite some time, I had heard rumors of the wonders that Madison has to offer cyclists, so I spent some time this morning on an infrastructure scavenger hunt, and these are some examples of what I've found (and used in my own commute):

Paths through the woods:

Dedicated bike LANES on both sides of a one-way street:

• One with the flow of traffic:

• One against the flow with a separating curb:

Bike Boulevards (Mifflin & Wilson streets):

Clearly marked areas in front of car stop lines at select intersections:

This is the leg of a 50-year-old-ish woman

Multi-use paths that interconnect throughout the city:

Multi-use paths with lights powered by solar panels:

Bridges (this one is over University):

Bike elevators (Monona Terrace):

Bike parking, anyone? (Not that I need it with the Brompton):

Trek-owned Mansion Hill Inn B-Cycles

Huge "Diamond" lanes throughout the city that allow only buses, right-hand turns, and bikes:

Traffic lights for cyclists only:

And the proposed site of a bike-path-only accessible restaurant:

The city has clearly made a concerted effort over several years to make the whole of the city accessible by means other than a personal vehicle. Imagine being a business owner in a city like this and having your business patronized by more than one demographic. One could effectively market to and serve motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and those using mass transit as a result of a comprehensive transportation plan that allows for more than motor vehicle access alone.

When one does have to drive around Madison, congestion is modest and one can get around smoothly due to readily accessible and well-used transportation options. Traffic incidents are much lower than in Utah cities (based on my own observations of zero incidents so far), resulting in reduced costs for everyone. Simply a healthier and safer way to live.