With winter winding down, many bike trails around the city are beaten up and blocked by messy puddles. However, park officials say the trails will be back in shape by bike season.
""Anybody getting out there early in the season has to realize that the roads aren't going to be in tip-top shape yet and the paths aren't going to be in tip-top shape yet,"" said Madison Bicycle Coordinator Arthur Ross.
Jim Morgan, Madison Parks Superintendent, said clearing bike path trails of debris and readying them for nature enthusiasts is a ""top priority"" of the city. Morgan also said three different departments—parks, streets and city engineering—control the maintenance of the bike paths.
""The majority of our regular bike-trail users appreciate the amount of work that goes into it,"" Morgan said. ""They're good about calling in if they think something got missed ... they call and let us know and we take care of it for them.""
According to Ross, when the time comes, crews go out to sweep the sand and other scattered debris on the paths. He noted the puddles would be taken care of by the warm weather and sun.
Still, those who want to get out and start biking right away may have to face some muddy trails and puddles, but with the oncoming warm weather, they may not have to deal with them for long. The only real solution at this point is to wait it out, according to Ald. Austin King, District 8. He said that because of Madison's well-known bike paths, extra resources are put toward maintenance.
""The city will be busy this spring trying to make the necessary repairs so bicyclists can enjoy a safe and not too bumpy ride this spring,"" King said.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's spokesperson George Twigg said although the lakeshore path and other dirt paths are likely to be riddled with puddles and troublesome mud to ride over, places for people to ride still exist throughout the city.
""Most paths should be in pretty good shape at this point,"" Twigg said.
""By the time we start [cleaning paths] at 7 o'clock, some of the stuff that froze overnight is unfrozen already so we don't have a crew on 24 hours a day checking bike trails for freeze and refreeze,"" Morgan said.
