Bob Koch
Clyde Gallagher Avenue is one of the streets selected in a city of Madison pilot program to increase social distancing space for bicyclists, runners and walkers by reducing motor vehicle traffic.
As the state of Wisconsin’s “safer at home” order continues, people are looking to get away from the house for a bit to get some exercise. But this has led to some problems. Large groups of people, littering and vandalism caused the closure of 40 state parks in early April. So far, Dane County parks remain open but with limited maintenance operations and no restrooms.
So, getting outside close to home seems like a good plan. Take a walk and get to know the sights in your own neighborhood better. With much less traffic on the streets, it’s also a good time to take a bike ride. But proper social distancing can get a bit dicey even on neighborhood paths and streets if there are too many people out at the same time.
To address the dilemma, the city of Madison has closed some city streets to motorized through traffic for the time being. Residents, emergency service vehicles and delivery drivers can still access the streets.
The closures include Clyde Gallagher Avenue, which runs on the opposite side of the creek from the Starkweather Creek Path in the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood; East Mifflin Street from Blair to North Dickinson Street (aka the “bike boulevard” a block north of East Washington Avenue); South Shore and West Shore drives, along Monona Bay between the Greenbush and Bay Creek neighborhoods; Vilas Park Drive near the zoo; and one lane of Atwood Avenue between Oakridge Avenue and Walter Street (by Olbrich Park). Wider shoulders along some sections of the Capital City Trail along John Nolen Drive are also being constructed this week.
How long the streets remain closed to traffic will “depend on the social distancing recommendations from Public Health after the order ends,” says city of Madison Pedestrian and Bicycle Administrator Renee Callaway in an email. The Atwood Avenue lane may remain dedicated to bikes until winter, augmenting a narrow sidewalk that bicyclists often use.
Callaway says the street closures achieve multiple goals: providing more space for distancing for bicyclists, walkers and runners; allowing families, especially with small children, to recreate together; and providing a connection to bike paths.
“Atwood gets bikes off the sidewalk along Olbrich Park, which is a challenging space [in which] to keep 6 feet apart. West Shore/South Shore is a popular bike connection, but also is used for running and neighborhood walking,” says Callaway.
If members of the public or neighborhood groups have recommendations of streets that may be a good fit for the shared streets pilot, contact Callaway at recallaway@cityofmadison.com.
Those looking to get out on heavily-used routes (such as the Capital City Trail) are advised to avoid traditional commuting times, as many bike riders still need to use the paths to get to work or for other essential trips. For more out-of-the-way bike routes, the city and Madison Area Transportation Planning Board also offers the Low Stress Bicycle Route Finder web app, which can be a handy way to find a new route to where you need to go.
