34 for the Two-Wheeled Future -- New Bike Trail Opens

Four lanes from Madison all the way to I-29 may be a long way off, but Madison can now boast four miles of a fifth lane out to Lake Madison. Madison's new bike trail is open and ready for two-wheelers. The Madville Times rode out early to beat the approaching cold front and try out the new trail.

I hopped onto the new trail at the southeast corner of Madison, where Highway 34 turns into the big red morning sun (red -- surely symbolic of those pinko income-taxing liberals one state over). I met just a couple of walkers. Otherwise, I had the trail all to myself.

The bike trail parallels Highway 34 from Prostrollo's out past the old Grandview area on Lake Madison. Actually, "parallels" isn't perfectly accurate; it appears the digger and paver operators were pointed in the general direction of the lake and given liberty to curve and swerve as they pleased. And that's a good thing for bike trails -- the Madville Times likes them curvy and swervy. A paving machine can only deviate so far from a straight line within the right-of-way, but every little weave and bob is a pleasant change from the South Dakota cyclist's usual fare of endless miles of straight-to-the-grid country roads.

It's also a great pleasure to charge along on two wheels without worrying about traffic. Most South Dakota motorists have treated this cyclist well -- even this morning, as I rode up 451st, drivers coming up from behind would ease all the way over into the other lane for me. Still, cyclists can't help feeling that little tension as they listen to a vehicle rushing up behind them. The new bike trail gives cyclists a few miles of no worries.

As you can see from this photo (featured this week on the City of Madison's website front page), the trail has a long stretch out in the open. Shady spots are few (I count two fair tree stands and a couple more lone trees where one might seek shelter) and far between, so be ready for wind and, come next summer, hot sun. Let's hope that the right-of-way regulations won't prevent us from planting some more trees along the route.

The payoff comes past the Grandview, where the trail turns south for a bit, then east into the trees. The leaves are turning already, so the next couple weeks should make for glorious autumn riding along that last wooded stretch. The paved trail ends abruptly at the gravel loop that leads to Johnson's Point. The fancy-pants cyclists with their spendy and skinny racing tires won't like it, but most of our recreational riders will enjoy the last quarter mile or so over the gravel that will take them to the boat ramp, fishing dock, and Johnson's Point itself, a splendid place to park the bike and sit and enjoy the view before heading back to town.

Turning back toward the big city, one can detour along Dakota Avenue and head toward the old Chautauqua grounds to see the historical marker and various lake cabins and homes. Then it's back to the bike trail for a long, steady climb up to the Highway 19 junction. (Note to our out-of-state visitors: "long steady climb" is a relative term; those of you used to biking in actual mountains or even the Black Hills won't even notice.)

Once over the hill, recreational cyclists may enjoy stopping at the second-most scenic spot on the bike trail, the new bridge over Silver Creek. It's not a high bridge, but it's near the trees -- more good autumn viewing -- and in spring when the snow melts, there will be the added pleasure of rushing water beneath our wheels.

The pavement is mostly smooth, but right now some dried mud remains on portions of the trail, so rollerbladers need to keep their eyes open. There also appear to be some heavy equipment markers and a few spots where the pavement wasn't quite packed down enough, so we may see some spots eroding more quickly with the snow and rain and requiring some upkeep. But overall, the trail offers a very nice riding surface.

Coming back into town, riders need to navigate the intersection of main 34 and the bypass, where the trail switches from the south to the north side of the road. One can stop to pat the big white buffalo, then roll on to Egan Avenue, where the trail turns toward the heart of town. At this turn, the trail slopes downward, giving riders a welcome boost as they whoosh into town by the Field of Dreams, the 4-H grounds, and finally to Flynn Field.

That last stretch does offer a particularly flattering view of our fair city: no ugly signs or dollar stores, just lots of trees, green space, and some nice modest houses. The route is also a perfectly logical route to direct visitors downtown, straight to the visitor center at the Chamber of Commerce and the hustle and bustle of downtown, right where we want our visitors. Unfortunately, the trail ends abruptly a few blocks shy of downtown. Maybe the city can come up with some money to extend that pavement all the way to the visitor center for a truly grand welcome to cyclists. Short of that, a simple sign where the trail meets Egan Avenue, saying "Visitor Information, This Way" might do the job. (We heard a few months ago such a sign was coming, but we're still waiting.)

The trail looks like a good investment and, we hope, the beginning of a bigger bicycle network. Naturally, we can only hope for an expansion of this health- and tourism-promoting infrastructure. Perhaps the next of round of grant money can go toward building a spur south along 19 around the wastewater treatment ponds (hey, they're actually rather picturesque, what with the gulls and geese) or through the trees along Silver Creek. Loops around all of Lake Madison and Lake Herman would be spectacular, but that would require the agreement of a lot of landowners, and as much as I enjoy bicycling, I'm not ready to eminent domain anyone for the pleasure of a bike trail. The most important development, though, would be designated bicycle space on the main roads through town, to encourage residents to use their bicycles not just for recreation but for daily transportation.