Great Lakes - Route through Madison

This summer I want to ride from here to my parents house near West Towne. I have a good route up to McFarland but I don't like the route from McFarland to West Towne.

What do you recommend?

A trail is great but the only one I know is the one on the old RR tracks from the stadium to Verona and that one doesn't help much.

Here is what I have from McFarland to West Towne.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/wi/-madison/799549624782

Thanks.

There are some rural roads south of McFarland that are excellent low-traffic roads that will get you over to the Capital City Trail and from there I would hook up with the South West Commuter Bike Path from here there are a couple of alternatives none of which can avoid all the high-traffic areas. Because you're traveling north will your start in McFarland be a place that you'll be visiting? If not, then cutting over to the southern route would be the first thing to consider. If it is a place that you stopping at, then both northern and southern routes would be options. Below is a link to the map of the Capital City Trail.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/Org/land/parks/specific/capcity/pdfs/capcitymapbw05.pdf

Iab you are speaking my language. I live 2miles from west towne and come from downtown every day. Looking at your route:
I would actually do the following (although the map makes it look like you can't)
At Nob Hill Rd, pick up the Capital City Trail/John Nolen. That would be a right.

Option 1)At Olin Park, take a left onto the Wingra Creek bikepath (both of these routes look like the railroad tracks). Wingra Creek will take you to the Arboretum. You can a) go left into the Arboretum, then take Seminole to Yuma to Midvale to Odana (a good option and the one I frequently take) or

Option 2) After the turn on Wingra Creek, stay on Wingra Drive (bikes can go the opposite direction behind the zoo) to Edgewood Drive (bikes only), to Woodrow to Monroe to Odana (a long hill) all the way to West Towne (Odana and Gammon). I would advise against Mineral Point. While the upper part has a nice wide shoulder, the lower part does not and is quite busy. If you want bike paths instead, most of those "railroads" are bike paths, ie the Southwest Trail and we can instruct further.

Option 3) An easy alternative to getting on Wingra Creek path is to stay on the Capital City Trail until you get to the "Greenbush Link/Southwest Bike Path," which is at the intersection where there is a stoplight for the cars on the road BEFORE Monona Terrace. This is the start of the southwest bike path. EDIT: After you've turned left onto this, in front of the boathouse turn right onto the Greenbush Link, crossing a road. Then continue west to Odana (about 4-5 miles). You'll go next to Camp Randall and Willy Bikes, etc. The lower part of this path is new (last 3 years) so you would not have known of its existence.

A note about Odana - west of the Whitney Way intersection the shoulder goes away. I do go up it frequently (two lanes of traffic) but it can be hairy at rush hour. As an alternative, there is a ridiculously located bike path behind the businesses on Odana if you go left on Whitney (I ride on the sidewalk briefly) to the service road. From there you can meet up with the path (oh so scenic next to the Beltline). It comes out on Grand Canyon - go right to hook up with Odana again.

This will help tremendously.
http://www.cityofmadison.com/trafficEngineering/documents/BikeMap/BikeRtMapMaster2006.pdf

I believe there's a new overpass over the beltline in McFarland at Marsh Road. I'll post a map of my theories later, but Wiswell's got it.

iab, the route in your link - without over-analyzing it, it really appears to suck.

The link at the end of Wiswell's post is the essential Madison bike route map. Green lines are bike-friendly streets, and dotted lines (with circles) are MUPs. Here is the full legend:
http://www.cityofmadison.com/trafficEngineering/documents/bikeMap/key01v2a.pdf

Wiswell offers serveral good suggestions, and I can't compete with her level of detail. But might it not make sense for you to stay south of the beltline (Rte. 12/18 highway) as long as possible? Looking at Wiswell's Madison bike route map link, you could ride all the way west on the Capital City Trail, and then take Williamsburg Way to other green-line local streets until you cross the beltline at Struck St/Grand Canyon Dr.

As for that bike path between Odana and the beltline, I never even knew it was there. Looks scenic.

Sekaijin got right to the point. Your proposed route is bad. Avoid the Badger Rd area - it's industrial, and not bike nor people friendly.

Are you heading to Parkwood Hills neighborhood if I may ask? (The streets named after National Parks)

You could pick up Cap City at Nob Hill and go left instead of right, and then follow it to the Verona Rd underpass (10-12 miles or so?), and it would be nice and scenic on the path but I find that a little confusing once you get to the underpass. It generally involves a lot of turns, hard to follow bike paths and stop signs once you get on Williamsburg. However, you could also stay on Cap City just as far as on Seminole, turn right and take the rest of the route from there.

The only reason why I know about the Odana Rd path it is because I spotted it one day while at St. Vincent's and later decided to figure out where it started and ended. It is a little hard to find from the east, and a little hard to get out of from the west.

iab if the timing is good us westsiders could just lead you on a ride to your destination.

Here's how I'd do it, but I'm not really adding anything what Wiswell said, except perhaps the existence of the phantom Marsh Road overpass.

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/wi/madison/363810999466

Here's how I'd do it, but I'm not really adding anything what Wiswell said, except perhaps the existence of the phantom Marsh Road overpass.

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/wi/madison/363810999466

Thanks everyone!!!

I think this is the route, the hard part for me was getting across the beltline and through the south side. When I lived in Madison, my travels took me to parts north, east and west, rarely south except going out Seminole.

recursive, please don't delete your route for a while, I'd like to copy it into my maps.

As for the Marsh overpass, I checked the Googles maps on the internet machine. I'd guess the the satelite picture is a year old and the overpass is well under way. I also can confirm the next time I drive to Madison.

Wiswell wisely cautions the use of Odana west of the Whitney Way and suggests “a ridiculously located bike path behind the businesses on Odana . . . that comes out on Grand Canyon . . . hooks up with Odana again.” This bike route is on the city map and can easily be incorporated into Recursive’s route. You won’t lose any time and it will be so much safer.

As for the Marsh overpass, I checked the Googles maps on the internet machine. I'd guess the the satelite picture is a year old and the overpass is well under way. I also can confirm the next time I drive to Madison.

Is this the overpass you are talking about Microsoft Live Search Maps Birds eye View (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r573607js3kb&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=20557021&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1)?

I like the Microsoft Live Search Maps site because of the birds eye views and later images.

Is this the overpass you are talking about Microsoft Live Search Maps Birds eye View (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r573607js3kb&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=20557021&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1)?

I like the Microsoft Live Search Maps site because of the birds eye views and later images.

That's the one. I'm pretty sure I've ridden there sometime in the past two years. That Microsoft technology is pretty sweet.

Thanks for the info Madtown. I think I've run across that path on accident before, but never can find it when I'm looking for it. I don't get out that way very often. I don't think twice about riding on Odana, but then again, if you check my track record interacting with cars, you probably shouldn't follow my example.

Wiswell wisely cautions the use of Odana west of the Whitney Way and suggests “a ridiculously located bike path behind the businesses on Odana . . . that comes out on Grand Canyon . . . hooks up with Odana again.” This bike route is on the city map and can easily be incorporated into Recursive’s route. You won’t lose any time and it will be so much safer.

Here here on that one. Odana west of Whitney is a nightmare unless you intend on turning your ride into a hammer fest. You also have the option of heading south on whitney by 2 blocks to schroeder. They redid it last year and it is primo pavement.

iab if the timing is good us westsiders could just lead you on a ride to your destination.

Nice idea! I'd be all over that. Give you a courtesy escort. :thumb:

Shoot I commute most of that route every day. I'd love to escort.

That's how we kick it on BF Great Lakes. We roll deep.

That's the one. I'm pretty sure I've ridden there sometime in the past two years. That Microsoft technology is pretty sweet.

Thanks for the info Madtown. I think I've run across that path on accident before, but never can find it when I'm looking for it. I don't get out that way very often. I don't think twice about riding on Odana, but then again, if you check my track record interacting with cars, you probably shouldn't follow my example.


Now that I know what overpass is being discussed I can tell you that it is definitely complete. I used it last summer. Nice smooth pavement. iab, looking at your original route again I had to laugh because if there was any way to pick one of the worst possible routes on the south, you did it! That's why we are here to help.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/South-Three-Lakes-Monona-Kegonsa-Waubesa

i would follow that^ route around the south and west edges of kegonsa and waubesa. then get on the e-way trail and take it all the way to the southwest path (you technically need a state trail pass). then turn left on hammersley which parallels the beltline to the south. you can take hammersley all of the way to elver park, where there is a bike path on the north side of the road starting at the sidewalk that you can take under the beltline and to the path mentioned earlier (by wiswell?)

or stay out on country roads until you are south of your destination and head north.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/South-Three-Lakes-Monona-Kegonsa-Waubesa

i would follow that^ route around the south and west edges of kegonsa and waubesa. then get on the e-way trail and take it all the way to the southwest path (you technically need a state trail pass). then turn left on hammersley which parallels the beltline to the south. you can take hammersley all of the way to elver park, where there is a bike path on the north side of the road starting at the sidewalk that you can take under the beltline and to the path mentioned earlier (by wiswell?)

or stay out on country roads until you are south of your destination and head north.

Something tells me there has to be a faster route :lol: