[Reprinted from the July 8, 1995 Capital Times. -Ed.]
By Mike Ivey
Ask bicycle riders in Madison if the streets are safer these days and they'll probably say no way, Jose.
Most cyclists can recite a horror story about the driver who flipped them the bird or squeezed them into the gutter or just plain didn't notice a bike on the road.
And plenty of motorists will gripe Ivey about obnoxious bicyclists blocking traffic or not signaling a turn or flipping them the bird.
Yet while animosity between bikers and drivers might be at an all-time high, statistics suggest that bicycling in Madison is actually getting safer.
In fact, the number of bicycle crashes has declined steadily since 1983, the first year the Police Department began reporting all accidents involving injuries or property damage. There were 175 bike crashes resulting in injuries in 1993, the last year figures are available. That's down from a peak of nearly 350 injury accidents in 1984.
Of course, it's possible that fewer accidents are being reported since the city abandoned its bike monitor program three years ago. Or perhaps city police are too busy these days chasing small-time dope peddlers to answer bicycle traffic calls.
But Tom Walsh of the city Traffic Engineering Department stands by the numbers. He says the 1994 traffic report, due out in the next few weeks, will show a continued trend toward fewer bicycle injury accidents.
"We'd like to think things are getting better," Walsh says. This reduction in bike accidents comes despite a dramatic increase in automobile traffic. The number of cars registered in this city has jumped 24 percent in the past decade to 167,000.
And there's no question that cars pose the greatest threat to bicycle riders. Here are some facts to use the next time you get into an shouting match with a hot-headed motorist who wants you off the road:
So the statistics suggest that even though there are more cars and bikes on the road in Madison, there are fewer collisions and injuries.
Maybe drivers, despite their grumbling about bicycles, are actually paying more attention and looking out for bicycles. The bicycle riders can only hope so.
Perhaps the most traveled bicycle route in the state, Seminole Highway, is closed between McKee Road (County PD) and Lacy Road. The road is being completely rebuilt with paved shoulders for bicycles. It won't reopen until late October or early November.
The city of Fitchburg is warning that citations will be issued to bicyclists and motorists who enter the area during construction.
Since Seminole Highway lies along the popular route to Paoli, bikes will have to find an alternate route around the construction zone.
Perhaps the easiest route is to take the paved bicycle trail off Seminole Highway at Dunn's Marsh that leads into the Seminole Hills development. The bike trail is marked with a green sign.
When the trail ends, go left on Tree Line Drive, then south on Osmundsen Road to Lacy Road. Turn right (west) on Lacy back to Seminole. Another alternative is to take Mutchler Road off Lacy and head south to Whalen. Mutchler Road has less traffic than Seminole.
The city of Fitchburg is also planning a bike path connecting Seminole Highway with the Military Ridge trail.
"Once we get everything done, we'll have some excellent bicycle facilities," says Paul Woodard, city of Fltchburg public works director.
In the meantime, however, the road closure will make the Paoli route a bit more difficult.