Northwoods to Capitol Tour 2000

    We are in the process of mapping out the route for next year's tour. The route will travel up through central Wisconsin loosely paralleling Hwy 22. Tentative overnights will be in Baraboo, Wautoma, Rosholt, Tomahawk, Park Falls, Clam Lake and Ashland. Please contact us as soon as possible if you know about local "not to be missed" attractions or about any great biking route possibilities on either township, or county roads in the above cities. Our new brochure will be going to press in early November 1999.

    Call 608-244-6598 or email us at bicycle@execpc.com

    Checkout our NEW website at: www.bikenorthwoods.com Don't miss the fun! Bike the Northwoods to Capitol Tour 2000!?or should it be Capitol to Northwoods Tour?

Executive Director's Report

    On the Governor's Desk. As we go to press, the budget is still waiting for a signature from the Governor. BFW staff has been working hard over the last several months to remove language from the budget that will restrict bicycle funds. All members should call or email the Governor's office at 608/266-1212 or wisgov@mail.state.wi.us. Ask the Governor to remove item #24 from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau's Comparative Summary.

    A Retreat for the Director. Recently, I attended the Thunderhead Seminar for bicycle advocacy groups. Not only was it a great opportunity to share ideas and strategies, but was also incredibly inspiring and beautiful (in Jackson Hole, WY!). I came back to Wisconsin with renewed energy and determination to make Wisconsin a better place to bicycle. I also discovered a new strategy for success. By working with local advocates and building models of success, we can use these successes in other parts of the state.

    Examples include, bikes on buses in La Crosse, local support for the Fox River bike path in Green Bay, the Madison Bike Commute Program, and the Milwaukee Hank Aaron Trail grant. It is an exciting time for the bicycle movement in Wisconsin. Thanks!

    Of course the biggest thanks goes out to Kathy and Eric Schramm and the Wisconsin State Journal for organizing and sponsoring the first ever Northwoods to Capitol Tour.

    The tour contribution will go a long way toward building a bigger and stronger organization. Remember more is more.

    I also want to thank Mike Barrett, who will be leaving the board this winter. Mike has spend many hours editing the Wisconsin Bicyclist and other publications, giving his sound financial advice, and always providing a constant amount of brainstorming sessions. I hope we will still have many of these discussions over coffee!

Camping Rules Not Bike-Friendly
Bike Tourists Pay Big Bucks at State Parks

    Camping rules at the state's parks don't work for touring bicyclists. While some state parks have a longstanding policy of helping bicycling tourists stranded at night without a place to stay, there is no guarantee bicyclists won't be turned away from a full campground and left to fend for themselves.

    "Nowhere does it say we must accommodate the biker," said Kimberly Currie, customer service development manager with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Park staff must follow a written set of DNR guidelines for accommodating stranded touring bicyclists and hikers. In a nutshell, if the campground is full, it is always at the discretion of park staff whether or not the bicyclist can stay. To avoid problems, the DNR wants cyclists to plan out their trip and make reservations ahead of time. "If we see abuse of (the bike tourist guidelines), this policy will be changed," Currie said.

    Footloose, fancy-free
But two experienced, local bike touring enthusiasts, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Hoffman and Madison bike touring enthusiast Scott Ellington, both say that making reservations ahead of time is impractical and counter to the whole spirit of bike touring.

    Ellington wrote the Wisconsin Bicycle Tour Planning Guide (See page 8), in which he lists the many alternatives to state park camping, including county and town parks. "Reservations just don't work for touring bicyclists," he said. Bicyclists have a hard time planning where they'll be every night. From rain, to a lightning storm, to a flat tire, to road construction, or to exhaustion, bicyclists deal with a level of adversity not encountered by car campers.

    "You're not on a schedule," Hoffman said. On a trip to California, Hoffman found that state parks there encourage bike camping. Along Highways 1 and 101, she found state campgrounds charging from $3 to $5 per person for primitive campsites for bicyclists. "They had a ton of bikes," she said.

    Minimalists
Bicycle touring is green tourism. Cyclists are not burning fossil fuels, and they often do not intend to start a campfire because they are likely to eat at restaurants. "(DNR staff) don't understand that our needs are so minimal," Ellington said, pointing out that sleep is the top priority.

    "We're not talking about thousands of RV's looking for a place to plug in,"Hoffman said.

    An arm and a leg
Wisconsin's existing reservation system punishes bicyclists economically: for reservations more than a couple of months in advance, campers must reserve two nights at a time; however, bicyclists rarely stay two nights at any one site. (See above).

    "It's really not very cost-efficient. It's a lot of money for bicycle tourists, who are usually traveling on a shoestring budget," Hoffman said. Of course, state parks also have sites that cannot be reserved. These are assigned on a first-come basis. But, according to Currie, the touring cyclist should not take a chance on these being available.

    DNR team review
Somebody at the DNR is aware of the problems facing touring bicyclists who want to camp. Bonnie Gruber, trails specialist with Bureau of Parks and Recreation, is a touring cyclist herself.

    "The reservation fees make the costs add up," Gruber agreed. "We will be looking at this policy some more to see if there is anything we can do to improve it," she said.

    A DNR parks management team will conduct a formal review of camping guidelines this winter. But Gruber will not be on that team. Staff will research what other states are doing for camping bicyclists. But some DNR staff are hesitant to make special accommodations for bikers for fear motorists will try to bend the rules to get an impromptu camping spot.

    And some state park staff in the field have reported that bicyclists are expecting too much from the current guidelines, Gruber said.

    So it is possible the bureau could end up restricting touring cyclists further rather than offering them new opportunities. For policy purposes, touring bicyclists are lumped in with touring hikers, canoeists and kayakers.

    "I'm not really sure what (the review) will amount to," Gruber said. Meanwhile, cyclists are stuck with an imperfect system. "Bicycle touring and camping go hand in hand," Hoffman said. "There's no reason our state should not be encouraging bicycle touring to the utmost."

    Your Voice Must Be Heard
Now is a good time to make your views heard * before the state parks develop an anti-bike policy. To reach DNR staff with your views on the matter, call, write or E-mail Director of the Bureau of State Parks and Recreation Sue Black.
Write to P.O. box 7921
Madison, Wis., 53707-7921
Phone (608) 266-2185
E-mail: blacks@dnr.state.wi.us
Tell her that the current reservation rules do not work and that bicycle touring should be enthusiastically supported by our state parks.

    Interstate Park: a cyclist's nightmare
One BFW member, we'll call him Jim, lived through a bicycle tourist "what if..." scenario a few years ago. It still rankles. Bicycling 90 miles from Eau Claire to St. Croix Falls in northern Wisconsin on a busy Labor Day weekend, Jim and his friend ended up just outside of Interstate State Park at sunset. Famished and dead tired, they had to bike on hazardous multi-lane Highway 8, which leads to the state park, when they decided they'd better stop for dinner before setting up camp.

    The restaurant they chose was about one mile away from the park, and when they finished their meal it was dark out. The attendant at the park entrance told them everything was full; they would have to go back out on Highway 8 and bike another six miles to see if there were any vacancies farther down the road.

     "There was no way in heck I was going back out there," says Jim. "It was way too dangerous. I would have jeopardized my life if I had gone out back on that road."

     He and his friend pedaled away a spell and talked over the situation. They ended up turning off their bike lights, turning around, and silently pedaling right past the attendant. Inside the park, they found an empty motor home campsite roped off apparently because heavy rains had soaked it earlier. But they found a dry spot to pitch their tent.

    Jim and his friend had the chutzpah to do what they did under adverse circumstances. But he wonders what would have happened had he and his friend been foreigners with less of an attitude and possibly with a language barrier. "I was embarrassed to be a citizen of Wisconsin," Jim says.

    Though what he did might have been against the rules, by the time he showed up at the park he didn't have many options. An unsympathetic entrance staff person added to the hassle. Some might say that he should have planned his trip well in advance and made campsite reservations. But the nature of bicycle touring is spontaneous and reservations are usually not practical.

    Moreover, the needs of the bicyclist camper are so minimal, it is unlikely the park could not somehow have accommodated Jim and his friend above-board. In fact, they probably could have very easily.

    Costing an arm and a leg: Why the campsite reservation system doesn't work for bicyclists

    Earlier this year, the state changed the procedure and the cost for reserving a state park campsite. Now, reservations are taken only via toll free number or over the Internet. And the fee to reserve a spot ahead of time increased from $4 to $9.50. In addition, there is an $8.50 cancellation fee per site. Also, reservations at a particular campsite must be made for two nights in a row.

    There is one exception to the two-night rule. If a campsite reservation is made from June 1 to Sept. 1 for an overnight within those dates, it can be made for one night. If a call center attendant seems unaware of the policy, ask to speak to the supervisor. (However, since two-night reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance, it is usually slim pickings for those who have to wait until June to try for one night -- unless there is a cancellation). For touring bicyclists who do not stay at the same park night after night, the fees can add up fast.

    Then consider that their mileage is tempered by weather and physical capabilities, making cancellation a real possibility not totally under their control. Consider a four-day, three-night bike touring trip by a Wisconsin resident (fees are slightly higher for non-residents) planned in winter for a spring vacation.

    Bicyclists drive to a state park near an off-road trail. They camp the first night at state park A. On day two, they ride the trail to another state park, where they camp the second night. The third day, they ride back to park A and camp the third night before heading home on day four.

    The fees would look like this: State park annual vehicle admission sticker, $18 (cheaper than four $5 daily passes); trail fee, $6 ($3 per day); campsite reservation fees, $28.50 ($9.50 x 3); overnight camping fee, $42 to $60 ($7 to $10 nightly fee x three nights x two nights required per reservation). In total, from $94 to $112 in fees. The reserved camping alone is from $70 to $88.

    One man's quest for the perfect bike camping site
Madison area bike touring guru Scott Ellington's focus is off state parks and their overcrowded campgrounds. He wrote the Wisconsin Bicycle Tour Planning Guide.

    You will find his useful information on biking campsites on the Web at http://www.danenet.org/bcp/campsite.html.

    Tellingly, he urges cyclists to explore local options first. "The most pleasant campsites are often those out-of-the-way places like town and county parks.

    One of the best ways to find them is to send a letter to the county clerk of each county you plan to visit. Asking the locals along the way sometimes leads you to interesting campsites." Other possibilities requiring explicit permission: school yards, local parks and farm fields. Private landowners are sometimes hard to track down, and they might not know what constitutes a comfortable campsite, he warns.

    His caveat on state parks: "The wardens take an extremely dim view of unauthorized camping in state parks."

    Finally, Ellington wrote, "Wisconsin has hundreds of commercial campgrounds, most of which are distinctly unpleasant. There are some exceptions, though."

Bike Plan Complete

    State Bicycle Transportation Plan. The Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan is now available to the public. Copies have been sent to all villages, cities, and counties in the state. Please contact me or WisDOT District Offices for copies of the plan.

    State Coordinators Meeting & APBP Seminar. WisDOT and the City of Madison played host to two national events from September 14 to 18. Thirty-five state bicycle and pedestrian coordinators came to Madison to share issues and ideas facing their states. Several walking and bicycling tours were conducted to give participants a taste of Madison's bikeways and walkways. The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) held its first professional development seminar in conjunction with this meeting. This seminar attracted 35 additional professionals, primarily from local agencies. Participants from as far away as Florida, Maine, Alaska, and California attended these events. Appreciation is extended to the BFW which helped with the mobile workshops, arranged for free bicycle use for participants, AND hosted a reception for the state coordinators*talk about Wisconsin bicyclist hospitality!

    Wisconsin Pedestrian Plan Begins. WisDOT has begun the development of a statewide pedestrian plan. Meetings have already been held with some pedestrian stakeholders, but broader meetings with the public will begin this fall. Preparation of the written draft plan will be done in winter and spring of 2000 with the assistance of an advisory committee. People are invited to participate in the development of this plan and are asked to contact me if they wish to be placed on a mailing list. Contact Tom Huber at 608-267-7757; WisDOT, Box 7913, Madison, WI 53711; or thomas.huber@dot.state.wi.us Tom is the WisDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.

District One Report

    In late 1998 and early 1999, 30 Transportation Enhancement projects were awarded to municipalities and government agencies in the DOT Transportation District 1 (Southwestern Wisconsin). The Enhancement Projects finance 80% of alternative transportation projects to local agencies, being therefore an inexpensive way for local governments to finance non-motorized transportation improvements.

    Twenty-seven of last year's thirty Enhancement projects were for bicyclists and pedestrians. Most of the projects awarded last year have just begun their design stages*usually a long process.

    In Dane County several cities and government agencies have bike/ped facilities scheduled for design and construction in the years 2000 & 2001.

    These include the Dane County Parks System's Capital City/E-Way Trail which has been paved but is not scheduled to open officially until Spring, '00. Waunakee is beginning to construct its bike path system with a short segment of trail and a bridge over Six Mile Creek, near STH 113. Construction is scheduled for summer 2000.

    The City of Madison will construct two long-awaited projects next year. One of them, the so-called Blackhawk Trail, which has been "on the books" for more than ten years, will parallel University Avenue in the Midvale Blvd. area, and will be a link in the much-needed bicycle corridor from downtown Madison to Middleton.

    Madison's other significant project is the Southwest Rail Corridor path to be built between Camp Randall and the far southwest side of the City. Near county highway PD, the Southwest Rail Corridor makes important connections with the Dane County Parks' Cap City trail and the DNR's Military Ridge Urban Trail.

    Also in Madison is a planned improvement for the beautiful Howard Temin Trail on the UW Campus lakeshore. Middleton has two projects in the works on its growing northwest side, to be built in conjunction with the Highway 12 expansion.

    Rock County projects include the River Walk Bike/Ped path in Beloit, the Spring Brook/Eastside Greenbelt Trail to be built in Janesville next summer, and two others the following year. Also, the City of Edgerton will construct two bike/ped trail projects next summer.

    In Jefferson County, bicycle-friendly shoulders will be added on a section of county E near Oak Hill. In addition, a county-wide signing of all bicycle routes on county highways will be in place in 2001. In the City of Jefferson, the much-delayed Milwaukee Street Bike/Ped Bridge is currently scheduled to be constructed in the Summer of 2001.

    In Lafayette County, the City of Darlington is planning an in-city leg of the Cheese Country Trail, to complete access to the city's campground and the Lafayette County Fairground.

La Crosse Area News

    Last spring the City of La Crosse and the Wisconsin DOT signed a "project agreement" to construct a multi-purpose trail along the La Crosse River. The $1,400,00 trail, funded with ISTEA "enhancement" dollars, will start at Riverside Park in downtown La Crosse and continue northeast along the La Crosse River to the Great River State Trail and the La Crosse River State Trail Junction (near State Highway 16 and I-90).

    The five-mile trail will be ten feet wide, asphalt-paved, and handicap accessible. It will cross over seven existing bridges, over one new bridge, and under two existing bridges. The path will follow some old railroad rights-of-way and tie into the existing trail system in the La Crosse River Marsh area. There will also be several waysides along the route. The project will be constructed in the spring of 2000.

    The La Crosse Area Planning Committee (LAPC) received three grants this summer from the WisDOT Highway Safety Project for bicycle and pedestrian safety programs. The first grant was used to purchase 150 bike helmets, which were given to area children at the La Crosse All-City Carnival. The remaining two grants will be used to develop two public service announcements, one for pedestrian safety and one for bicycle safety, which will be aired on local television and radio stations beginning this fall.

    Another project under way by the LAPC is the formation of a transportation management association (TMA). This organization focuses on regional issues from tourism to transportation, and will work on projects to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on area roads. The goal of the TMA is to offer innovative solutions to the transportation problems in the area, including the creation of employee incentives for alternative methods of commuting and the improvement of facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians.

    The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is currently accepting nominations for the board of directors. If you are passionate about bicycling and willing to work with a great group of folks send in a short bio (five sentences) to:
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
P.O. Box 1224
Madison, WI 53701
Deadline is November 15, 1999.

    Ballots will be sent to members in early December. Board members serve for two years. To learn more about the Bike Federation call our office at 608/251-4456.

Rolling Along Safely

    The Northwoods to Capitol tour saw the first ever "rolling" Effective Cycling class. Five students took the nine-hour Road I class over the course of the week-long tour. Sessions were taught evenings after riding or mornings before leaving. About half of this time was spent on classroom activities and discussion, while the other half was held on bikes practicing emergency maneuvers, road positioning, turns, scanning, group riding, and other on-road activities.

    Two instructors taught the class of five students, but all the tour participants were able to tap the knowledge of a total of eight certified Effective Cycling Instructors who were along during the ride. Since the class was held during a week of long distance riding, the students were all experienced riders, yet all felt they learned valuable skills.

    Because the instructors were able to ride with the students over an extended period of time, there were many opportunities to discuss road and traffic situations as they occurred and the students were able to ask questions as the ride progressed.

    In order to graduate from Road I, students must demonstrate that they can change a flat tire. Gail Traut got a first-hand chance when her tire blew during a rainstorm as a small group cycled along the Mississippi River. Due to the inclement weather Gail was spared her on-demand testing and her EC instructor and two students assisted her.

    As part of the BFW's mission to educate the public across Wisconsin, press conferences were held at local schools each morning. The Effective Cycling class was filmed in La Crosse as it practiced emergency maneuvers and the clip appeared on the evening news.

    As shown in the above photo, the class also covered the importance of proper rest and nutrition. Ice cream and coffee are great energy foods!

    Robbie Webber, Program Manager for BFW, taught the Effective Cycling class during the Tour and still managed to be one of the last people into camp every night. She tells us she likes to see the sights and only cares that there are still hot showers and dinner when she gets in.

The Bicycle Newspaper Column

    I just picked up a great tip about bicycling and you can too by reading your local newspaper.

    In a recent article, Robbie Webber, in Living Car Free, suggests parking your bicycle behind your car to make bicycling an easier choice. Wow! What a great idea! T

    his article, along with over 20 others, has been appearing in newspapers around the state for the past several months. Articles are being provided free of charge to newspapers as part of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's Bicycle Newspaper Column.

    The purpose of the column is to provide entry-level bicyclists (and you) with the information and inspiration that they need to choose to bicycle more often for more purposes.

    Articles are being written by bicyclists and focuses on three main areas; technical information, motivational stories, and bicycle commuting.

    The column, which began in March of this year and is funded through March of 2001, is made possible by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Transportation Demand Management Grant Program.

    Look for these articles in your local paper. If your paper is running the column, please let us know by clipping any articles that you find and sending them to BFW.

    If your local paper is not currently running the Bicycle Newspaper Column, please let us know. Also, ask the paper to start running the column and have them contact WE BIKEŽ at (920) 497-3196, e-mail: webike@aol.com, or BFW for more information. To find articles that you might have missed, check out BFW's web site, click on BFW Projects.

Milwaukee Bikes to Work

    The BFW is laying the plans for the biggest Bike to Work Week ever in Milwaukee next spring. Downtown businesses are working together to assess bike facilities downtown and develop promotional events and programs to encourage bicycling to work over the entire summer. The goals of the project are to enhance the health and well-being of employees, address the city's air pollution problems, and reduce pressure on downtown streets and parking. We hope that working together, we can make biking to work a viable option for more workers in Milwaukee, make Milwaukee more bikeable, and reduce the number of cars on the road. The project is made possible by a Transportation Demand Management grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

    Modeled after Madison's successful Bike to Work program, participants will have the opportunity to work with employers to improve workplace bike facilities. Employees will be encouraged to register and be recognized at the end of the summer for days and miles bicycled, number of new bike commuters recruited. So far, participating employers include the City of Milwaukee, the Miller Brewing Company, the downtown YMCA, and Johnson Controls.

    Watch for a web-site and a list-serve. Anyone interested in helping with planning and worksite coordination, or just with the occasional mailing, is encouraged to contact project manager. In addition, if you are a bike commuter in Milwaukee, we need your help! We are looking for experienced cyclists who are willing to be Bike Buddies and help guide novice bike commuters to the best routes. Please contact Project Manager, Andrea Broaddus, at 608-251-2804, or 414-427-1320, or btwmil@chorus.net.

Madison and Dane County News

    For some years now the Madison area has been suffering from the affliction known as "development." One of its symptoms is an alarming increase in the number of motorists. Our misguided elected officials, apparently unaware of New Urbanism (see WB vol 5, #1), have responded with plans for a number of road "improvement" projects.

    The biggest project on the horizon is the expansion of State Highway 12. But the one that has most angered the cycling community is Old Sauk Road. This road has long been an Urban Escape Route to the unglaciated area to the west. In the last issue of WB, we were happy to report that the Ped/Bike/Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC) had rejected staff's plans for a "highway to nowhere."

    The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), the Sierra Club, and other groups lobbied hard against this project. The outcome of the common council vote was mixed: the city will expand the eastern half of the road to four lanes, in order to accommodate the traffic generated by the expanding business park. The question of expanding the western half will be deferred until 2003 or so. Joe King has a comprehensive collection of the relevant documents at: http://www.kingresearch.com/jk/biking/oldsauk/. Commission (PBMVC) had rejected staff's plans for a "highway to nowhere."

    In other Madison and Dane County news: After years of prodding, the Madison Police Department has finally put its Speeding Hotline form online. The form can be found at http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/police/TESTresform.html Commission (PBMVC) had rejected staff's plans for a "highway to nowhere."

    Readers from outside Madison should look at the form and urge their police departments to develop similar forms. Motorists who get reported receive a letter from the police department. It may not curb urban sprawl and all the ills resultant from our autocentric society, but it's a start. Darin is a BTA Steering Committee Member.

Expanded Bikeways Coming to Janesville

    The City of Janesville will be expanding its bikeway system to offer Janesville resident's an alternative way to get around. The expanded corridors will offer residents in the far reaches of Janesville the same opportunities that downtown Janesville currently enjoys; safe, convenient access to schools, parks and other neighborhoods via bike paths.

    Three existing corridors will be expanded in this effort: the Springbrook Trail, the Downtown Ice Age Trail and the Rock Trail. While planning will take place for all three during the next four months, construction of the trails will occur during the 2000 and 2001 construction season.

    The bike paths are good news for recreational riders, neighborhood children, commuters, and shoppers.

    The consultant, Schreiber Anderson Associates, is expecting some neighborhood opposition, so it is important for bikers and walkers to show their support of the expanded trail system. For more information contact Ann Freiwald at 608-255-0800.

    Trails expansion meetings will be held 5:30 ? 7:30 p.m. on these dates:

Milwaukee's Hank Aaron Trail

    Imagine hopping on you bike and heading for a Brewer's game. You cruise down a paved bike trail directly to the stadium, lock up by the hotdog stand, and park for free with no traffic hassles. Right now, this is possible if you live in Wauwatosa, but once complete, the Hank Aaron state bicycle trail will be a dream come true, linking Miller Stadium and the lakefront. It will be the key east-west connection for cyclists, paralleling the I-94 corridor, along the Menominee River down in the valley.

    Currently, the trail runs approximately 1 1/2 miles from Miller stadium on graded but not paved path to 27th Street, at the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroad Yard. A bicycle and pedestrian bridge is planned to span the rail-yard, hopefully to begin construction in 2001. The main issues the trail faces are funding and right-of-way.

    The City of Milwaukee and Department of Natural Resources are working together, devoting a lot energy to revitalizing this neglected urban area, and the bike trail is considered a backbone of the revitalization effort. Through a grant from Bikes Belong, a bicycle industry group, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is taking an active role supporting the Trail. The grant will enable BFW to work with Milwaukee bicycle clubs, local neighborhood groups, and environmental groups to build public awareness and support for the trail. A

    dvocacy for the trail will also consist of networking among public agencies and the private sector to enhance funding opportunities and right-of-way acquisition efforts. BFW will take an active role in bringing interested parties together and seeking out opportunities for trail development. This may involve bringing local officials on tours of the trail, encouraging private donations for trail development, and participating in public meetings.

    For more information contact DNR's Hank Aaron Trail Manager, Melissa Cook, at 414-263-8559 or call Andrea Broaddus at 608-251-2804, or 414-427-1320, or btwmil@chorus.net.

Do Not Start Your Engines!

    The third Annual Human Powered Parade and Festival was held October 9, 1999. Last year's stunning display of human ingenuity demanded a sequel! The Spokes-n-folks coalition once again sponsored a human-powered parade and festival. Celebrating the genius of the bicycle, other human vehicles, and pedestrians, the parade started at Cameron Park, the birthplace of the event.

    It was at Cameron Park that ten La Crosse citizens were ticketed for mounting a civil bicycle awareness action three years ago. Out of their sentence sprang the legal parade and festival, most famous for its eight-person bicycle--often seen with La Crosse Mayor John Medinger at one set of handlebars.

    This year's event did not disappoint with music in the park, costumed bicyclists, unicycles, tricycles, and recumbents, four-wheelers, pedicab rides, floats, jugglers, and a long list of dignitaries. In addition, the event was held in conjunction with Historic La Crosse Days with a trip down historic Pearl Street, the heart of La Crosse's National Historic District.

    Parade participants also celebrated the grand opening of the Museum of Modern Technology, a museum featuring a large collection of historic American cycling inventions. The museum is located along the parade route and includes displays of important and fascinating firsts in mechanical bike history such as pneumatic tires, acetylene torch lamps, chain-and-sprocket propulsion, and direct-contact hand brakes.

Green Bay Notes

    Greetings from up nort, eh. We truly believe that this town is really starting to get it. City planners and government are really looking into alternative transportation and how to encourage its use.

    On September 27th, Dr. Tschopp from Switzerland gave a presentation to locals at the DOT offices on how they utilize bicycles and feet to move about their cities. Green Bay city planners have been changing the streetscapes to allow easier pedestrian flow. The concept is to slow the traffic, make the roadways more esthetically appealing, and easier to navigate. If it looks safer, the invitation to use bikes is greater. Many one way streets are going back to two-way. Three lane roads are going to two with bike lanes or medians.

    A rails-to-trail project that could have been in place by this October, has been held up in legislation. Legal issues regarding property ownership need to be resolved. This will be a 13-mile trail from downtown Green Bay to the community of Greenleaf. The urban portion, 7 miles, is proposed to be blacktop, with the remaining section crushed limestone. Width will be twelve feet. This will be a huge commuting corridor. Most north/south roadways are heavily traveled, creating the "too busy to bike on" mentality.

    The Parking Authority has approved spots inside the parking ramps for bicycle parking. These are weather protected, and are real close to the attendants stations. This will encourage cycling to work. However, new bike racks need to be purchased throughout the city. The bikes- on-buses program demonstrated last year will not be implemented at this time. It will be looked into again once the new bus facility is up and running. This will be a state of the art facility with bike parking and showers available to users. If people start using this facility, the racks will be put on the buses.

Bikes on buses keeps on rolling!

    As previously reported, all of MTU's buses have been equipped with bicycle racks. The racks have been available for use since June 1st of this year. Bicyclists wishing to use the racks need to obtain a permit. Over seventy-five people have signed on to bike & bus since the program started. Over 180 bicycle boardings occurred during the first two months of the program.

    Additionally, initial driver concerns of route delays, bicycle damage, and unmanageable turns with the rack extended have not been realized. In fact, some of the current permittees include MTU employees and their relatives.

    A survey of the existing permittees was sent out in September to gauge the effectiveness of the program and to garner customer feedback. The survey contains questions concerning how customers use the service and whether their transportation choice may have changed. MTU will soon determine if the racks will be removed during the winter months. The other utility that serves Wisconsin residents with bikes on buses (Duluth-Superior) only does so between April and November. However, a number of La Crosse bicyclists have asked for the service to run throughout the year.

Mega-Highway Headed Your Way

    Earlier this year, the BFW joined with the New Transportation Alliance and environmental groups to denounce the draft State Highway Plan for promising higher taxes, more trucks and more sprawl. Soon we shall see if the input given at the DOT's public hearings around the state by BFW members has been incorporated in the revised highway plan. Be prepared to respond!

    The plan calls for almost 3,000 new lane miles and increases highway spending between now and 2020 by more than $6.5 billion over 97-99 budget levels, to $20 billion. The Major Highway Program, $57 million in 1988, will increase to nearly 11 times higher by 2020, to $614 million. Most of the spending is for highway expansions.

    The draft SHP presumes to use almost all of the state's TEA-21 federal funds, $2.3 billion over the next 6 years, on state highways instead of on other needs. This means that the state Bicycle Plan is likely to get dusty on a shelf while these highways get built. Other concerns with the draft State Highway Plan include:

    BFW called on WisDOT to:

    Andrea Broaddus is with the New Transportation Alliance, a statewide group.

Planning and Engineering with Effective Cycling' in Mind

    Local planners and engineers and others will soon be getting a much needed opportunity to improve their personal and professional bicycling skills.

    Planners and engineers play a significant role at the local level in creating and maintaining safe and enjoyable bicycling facilities.

    However, most of these professionals have never received any bicycle-specific training. Unless they are bicyclists themselves, it is difficult for them to appreciate the needs of bicyclists from the bicyclist's point of view*a view which is essential to creating good bicycle facilities.

    In 1998, BFW and WE BIKEŽ conducted Effective Cycling* - Road I training for 65 Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) planners and engineers from around the state. These nine-hour courses were basically the same as those taught to everyday bicyclists through the Effective Cycling* program, except that this program included bicycle facilities design.

    The course received high praise from both participants and administration and is likely to become a regular offering in DOT's training cycle.

    Based on the success of these DOT training sessions, BFW applied for and received a grant from the WisDOT's Transportation Demand Management Program to make this training available to local planners and engineers.

    Courses will be conducted by Peter Flucke, BFW board member and 1998 Effective Cycling* Instructor (ECI) of the Year and other ECI's from around the state.

    This grant will allow BFW to vastly improve the cycling knowledge of those professionals responsible for designing bicycle facilities in your area.

    If you know of professionals in your area who would benefit from this training, please have them contact their local MPO/RPC or project coordinator Peter Flucke at (920) 497-3196 or webike@aol.com.

Riding around the Really, Really Big Lake

    My eyes were drawn to Lake Superior for its incredible size and solitude. With this in mind I loaded my trusty Trek touring bike into my car and headed north to Duluth for a starting point. Route finding is the easy part--just follow the signs that read "Circle Tour: Lake Superior." I began the ride in a cold, driving rain. During my first week of riding I wondered if I would ever see the lake! Pea-soup fog and cold rain produced such limited visibility that I began to ask the Canadians along the way, "Are you sure there's a Great Lake out there?"

    It was in Lake Superior Provincial Park that I was able to finally see the lake. It did exist! Winds whipped the blue water into white caps. The sand on the beaches was clean and white. Rock outcrops and small islands dotted the lake. The whole scene was something ocean-like on this body of freshwater. That evening I finally got the opportunity to set up camp at Pancake Bay Provincial Park, where I fell asleep listening to the waves strike the shore. On days like this, riding was a pure joy.

    A not so joyful time was riding over the International Bridge into Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as I was being pummeled by 30 m.p.h cross winds. I trudged into a hotel to get out of the wind and later walked to the "Soo-Locks". A must see for this trip is witnessing the huge freighters go through these locks, which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron through Saint Mary's Lake. There are four locks to ease transit of freighters, which carry more each season then the combined tonnage of the Panama, Kiel and Suez Canals.

    A few days later, I got a taste of "Yuper" hospitality while riding into Negaunee, Michigan. Despite the noise from Sunday traffic, I heard "Wanna beer?" through the din. I swung my steed, received the promised beer, and about 10 minutes later, I was staying the night. Later I began to better understand the ties that bond people to the U.P. Almost all the folks I spoke to said that even though the winters were long and brutal, they would never leave. I heard stories of hunting, fishing and about the lake. I left early the next morning, with a smile, while my hosts slept.

    In my panniers I had an address of an old friend of a friend in Hancock, Michigan. I e-mailed John and Jeannie prior to leaving to see if they would like a guest for a night or two. They told me stories about Hancock and it's rich copper mining history, including the time they felt an earthquake from an old mine shaft collapse beneath their home. John gave me advice on where to go on my next day's ride to Copper Harbor, at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

    That morning the sky was blue and the air warm. I took the route he described through the towns of Lake Linden, to Gay, (yes, there is a "Gay Bar."), Lac la Belle to Copper Harbor. Evidence of the old copper mines is still present in these towns. I returned through the quaint towns of Eagle Harbor, Eagle River and Calumet. If you can only ride one portion of Lake Superior, let it be the Keweenaw Peninsula. I then made plans with two Wisconsin biking friends of mine to meet in Ashland, Wisconsin. Having company for a few days would be a welcome change. Calvin and Mike drove up, and we decided to ride to the tiny town of Port Wing the next day.

    We set out in very summery conditions, so I had to keep reminding them, that this wasn't my typical day of weather while riding around the lake. We made stops along the way in Bayfield, and took a nice long break at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore visitor center. We took lunch in Cornucopia. No one could tell us how it got its name, although they knew that it was the most northern town in Wisconsin. In Port Wing we found the only combination hotel, restaurant, bar, and campground, which provided for all of our needs in one place.

    We woke up and rode 33 miles of Wisconsin lakeside absent of any towns or roadhouses. My "cheesehead" buddies insisted that was a Wisconsin record. We crossed the bridge over the Saint Louis River into Duluth and found my car. Would I ride around this lake again? Ya, ya,you betcha!

Planning Your 2000 Bicycling Get-Away!
League of American Bicyclist-Rallies

    Covered Bridge Rally, Bloomsburg University Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, June 2-5, 2000. Join the League in covered bridge country! Columbia County, located just north of Harrisburg in Central Pennsylvania, is home to 22 * count *em, 22 * covered bridges, including the nation's only twin span. Come to the Covered Bridge Rally in Bloomsburg and find out for yourself. And who knows? You might find yourself sharing a bridge with an Amish horse & buggy.

    Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Rally, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota June 30-July 3, 2000.
The Twin Cities Bicycling Club invites you to St. Paul for a fabulous Fourth of July Holiday Weekend! Experience an outstanding combination of city and country riding, bicycling along roads or paved trails, or leaving the beaten path entirely. See twenty-five lakes on a 35-mile ride and bike for miles along the Mississippi's river bluffs and valleys. Visit historic sites such as Fort Snelling and St. Anthony Falls, and marvel at such modern delights as the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Walker Art Center and, of course, the Mall of America.

    And lest we forget what is most near and dear to the cyclist's heart * each year on the July Fourth weekend, St. Paul plays host to the Taste of Minnesota * a food lover's dream come true!

    Cascades to the Coast Rally, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, August 18-21, 2000. The Mount Baker Bicycle Club and the Skagit Bicycle Club invite you to their Pacific Northwest paradise. The charming town of Bellingham, known as the Gateway to the San Juan Islands, awaits your discovery. Ride roads, paved trails, and mountain bike trails under the watchful eye of snow-capped Mount Baker. Pedal on fabulous country roads through farm and forest, along seashores, and (if you have a floating bike) out to a few islands. Swim in sparkling lakes that are easy rides from town. A weekend isn't long enough to lose yourself in this breathtaking scenery, so make it a real vacation and stay for the Cascade Bicycle Club's Ride Around Washington, immediately following the Rally.

    Brochures will be available in January 2000. For more information, contact the League of American Bicyclists at 202-822-1333 or bikeleague@bikeleague.org or www.bikeleague.org.

    Maureen is Events Director for the League of American Bicyclists.

Letter on the Hoan Bridge

    Over 700 Milwaukee area bikers, walkers and visitors have signed a petition to implement plans for a bike-walk path on Milwaukee's bridge over the harbor. The best view in Milwaukee happens to be this highway that is vastly underused from original plans and now will be part of the Oak Leaf bike path, which is being expanded throughout the city.

    A Citizens Advisory Committee for these plans has recommended the Hoan Bridge Bike-Walk Path to connect Bay View to Downtown Milwaukee. Alternatives to the Hoan Bridge have problems that are embedded in the old street-based infrastructure: rush hour-busy narrow streets; three bridge overpasses to constrict traffic push the bicyclist too close to iron pillars; and a railroad right of way that is, in the opinion of women on the Committee, unsafe because so much of the right of way is secluded from the eyes of the city. The tracks would require significant investment: one bridge would need substantial investment for widening, and the other bridge would force engineers to choose to favor boats or bikes.

    The Committee examined all issues of safety and concluded that the Hoan should be adapted to allow for bikers and walkers. A concrete barrier on the Hoan will encourage safe biking and walking. The Hoan bridge bike path will be open to walkers. Its two-mile stretch is a perfect heart-healthy distance for commuters who wish to park and walk. Walkers will add to the Hoan a sense that the bridge is now for everybody, not just cars and trucks. The slope of the bridge is actually very slight.

    The incline up was gentle. When Committee members rode bikes on the bridge (both ways) we found our bikes did not race nor did we need to use brakes to maintain a safe speed.

    Weather: Using utility company wind statistics we believe the bridge will be weather accessible to the average biker for 9 out of 10 trips, except for snow or ice days - when there is little bike traffic in any case. Popular consensus is that alternative modes of transportation would benefit the community as a whole. Even bikers who do not use the Hoan will benefit - from the visibility that a high profile (pun intended) bridge offers cycling as a recreation and as a commuter tool. Visibility becomes the coin of political will strengthening those who wish to foster good biking.

    The Hoan and the Henry Aaron trail from the west will bring bikers from the suburbs to the lakefront. San Francisco has discovered that a bike path on the Golden Gate bridge has been enormously popular - they counted, in one weekend, 5000 riders and walkers, with buses at both ends filled with tourists to walk the path. The Hoan Bridge is comparable, with a skyline view over a vast stretch of water, our expectation is that people will bring their bikes to Milwaukee, or rent from local bike shops, just to take in this stunning view.

    Closer to home, Wisconsin's Elroy Sparta trail, a countryside phenomenon continues to attract a stream of tourists in spite of its location. All along that trail, the economy has exploded with the influx of enthusiastic bicyclists.

    We extend the readers of Wisconsin Bicyclist a personal invitation to come to Bay View for a biking tour which will help them understand the Hoan Bike Path from the perspective of the bridge's neighbors. We are excited by the plan and hope that our vision is contagious.

    If you wish to support our petition, kindly contact either of us.

     Sincerely,
Richard Knepper
2892 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Milwaukee 53207
414-744-2280-daytime or 414-744-5315

     William Sell
2827 S. Lenox, Milwaukee 53207
414-272-3787-daytime or 414-744-3970

Step on the Brake and Jump on a Bike

    When kids start growing up and going places, parents are often saddled with the responsibility to try to get them there. The "soccer mom" syndrome has diversified to include dads, older siblings, friends, and even neighbors; namely, anybody who can drive a car. Residential neighborhoods, once centered around schools, work places, and shopping areas, are now placed unthinkingly far away from them without a means of getting there, except for driving. This causes huge ripples within families and among friends.

    In a family where both parents work, teenagers have to depend on themselves to get from Point A to Point B. Unfortunately, a lack of safe sidewalks, bike routes, and bus systems hinder the ability of teens to go out and get involved in their world. What this creates is a generation of unfit, obese teens who spend several hours a day watching television and eating, unable to go anywhere outside of their immediate neighborhood . . . and as the old saying goes, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." The tragic happenings in Littleton and other towns and cities shows that this problem does not discriminate: it's true in small towns and big cities.

    Often teenagers who are isolated and unable to amuse themselves turn to violent and dangerous acts as a way to have fun. Discord is often bred between parents and their children, the teen wanting to go somewhere, whether for a movie with friends, or an after school activity, and their parents who are unable to accommodate their transportation needs.

    I have a friend who I have known for a quite a few years now. He's wanted to get involved at school in different activities; musical, sports, etc. However, both of his parents work. He's openly willing to ride his bike to and from school, or even walk. The problem is, he'd only be able to do it for a day; the bike would be stolen because there's no place to park it . . . assuming he arrived at his school.

    The route is crisscrossed with thundering highways, full of storming cars, very likely to hit anyone in their way, just because of the fact that the bicyclist or pedestrian would have to share the same few feet of road to get to their destinations.

    This creates quite a few arguments within his house, between him and his parents, who are unable to give him a ride because of their work. They want him to succeed and enjoy school, but are unable to help him get around. Unfortunately, the lack of a means of alternate transportation put a stop to any other way of getting to where he has to go.

    If bike routes, sidewalks, bus systems, and other modes of transportation were easily available to the common teenager, this country would suddenly begin to see youth for what it really is--a great resource to the nation. When youth are involved in their communities, they feel more attached to it and are less likely to commit illegal acts and disrupt what they've worked to build. When kids do something positive, they are more likely to appreciate their own efforts and understand those of others, and respect them for it.

    Teenagers now are more unhealthy and overweight than they've ever been. There are more cases of asthma nowadays. All of this is caused by lack of exercise and too much pollution in the air, because of the overabundance of cars. If we were to spend more time bicycling from place to place instead of driving a car, we'd save tons of exhaust from entering our air. At the same time, we'd make ourselves healthier and reduce the cases of asthma--and the great thing is, it doesn't take a big effort, since most car trips are under two miles, a distance easily covered by bike, foot, or bus.

    It's often the case where technology rushes ahead without stopping to take a look at what is lost in the process. We're almost to the point where it will be too late, so take a step back the next time you're about to drive somewhere and think; is it really worth the cost?

    Bharat Venkat, 14, is a member of Earth Force's Youth Advisory Board and Corporate Board of Directors. Earth Force is a national, non-profit, environmental organization dedicated to helping youth make lasting changes in their environment.

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