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Committee outlines Middleton Bike Week plans: split rides, commuter stations, safety steps
Summary
Committee members agreed to plan a family-friendly 3-mile ride and a longer 6-mile route, hold commuter stations on select weekdays, pursue local sponsors and include safety elements (police traffic direction, bike-safety talks) as part of Bike Week outreach tied to the Active Transportation Plan.
Committee members spent a substantial portion of the meeting refining plans for Middleton’s Bike Week. Staff described last year’s turnout (about 80 participants on the community ride) and proposed hosting mapped outreach during the event to collect input for the Active Transportation Plan.
Members recommended splitting the community ride into a roughly 3-mile family-friendly route and a longer ~6-mile ride to reduce crowding and safety issues at busy intersections. "Last year's turnout was fantastic, but it was really difficult to manage that many people," a committee member said, noting safety problems at the Parmenter University intersection.
The committee discussed commuter stations (suggested Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and potential sponsors including Wheel & Sprocket and local businesses that offered discounts for participants. Members suggested kid-friendly activities such as a "decorate-your-bike" station and outreach to schools; the arts committee and sustainability committee were flagged as possible partners.
On safety, staff and members agreed to coordinate with the police for traffic direction and considered inviting trained presenters for a bike-safety session; Jim Blodgett (a community volunteer experienced in bike rodeos) was proposed as a possible trainer. Staff will finalize routes, confirm commuter-station sponsors and coordinate police support before Bike Week.
