Ride the Drive returns with two events this summer

After a brief moment of crisis last summer, Ride the Drive participants will once again own the roads for a day as the event gears up for its sixth installment Sunday in Downtown. Organizers expect 20,000 people to attend the event, which allows bikers, skaters and pedestrians to ride along a six mile route of Isthmus streets free of motorists. 

Following some important compromises to the event last September, Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison’s Central Business Improvement District, said businesses are optimistic about Sunday’s outing and are hoping it runs smoothly for everyone involved.

“We’re just hoping that we’ll be able to have a great Downtown event that will be enjoyed by rollerbladers and bikers, and that those who won’t be participating will have an easier way to get to downtown and through downtown,” Carbine said.

Business owners and city officials scrutinized the event last summer after many businesses reported a negative impact on their bottom lines. After hearing complaints ranging from the event conflicting with heavy visitor weekends to difficulties reaching downtown, Mayor Paul Soglin cancelled the September 2011 event. The city eventually reinstated it after reaching a few compromises and developing a revised route, which opened up East Washington Avenue’s westbound lanes so incoming traffic could enter downtown easier.

Changes to last September’s event seemed to mollify critics, explained Laura Whitmore, spokeswoman for the City of Madison Parks Division.

“We didn’t have any complaints last September so that’s how we’re going to assume it’s going to work again this year,” Whitmore said.

Business owners were concerned with more than just the route and the inconvenience of reaching downtown, however. Carbine said Ride the Drive has occurred during times of peak activity for businesses, including UW-Madison football games and student move-in weekends. Companies depend on those busy periods to counteract sluggish sale times like weekdays and the winter.

But that problem has been solved as well. Carbine said the June 3 date is ideal because it is not on a heavy visitor weekend.

Another major alteration from 2011 was the switch from two downtown rides to one. The second outing will be held on the city’s North Side on August 12. The route circles around most of Warner Park and includes portions of Sherman Avenue, Troy Drive and Woodward Drive.

Sue Gleason, interim executive director of the Northside Economic Development Coalition, said the neighborhood is eager to show off its freshly paved roads and that Ride the Drive is a great way to highlight a community people might not be familiar with.

“We suffered through road construction pretty awfully so this is a nice way to celebrate it is done,” Gleason said. “ [Ride the Drive] also showcases the North Side to the rest of the city.”

So far there have not been many vocal complaints from business owners about the event, according to Gleason. In fact, the Northside Business Association (NBA) was its first sponsor.

And Gleason said since the event is on a Sunday, many businesses will be closed. Others are using Ride the Drive as an opportunity to display their products and services.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Sherman Avenue, for example, is cancelling church services that day and allowing businesses to set up tables on their property along the route.

Gleason added that the community’s main concern is how well people will be able to go in and out of their neighborhoods.

Modifications to Ride the Drive will continue to happen over the years – including adding new locations in other neighborhoods – but for now, officials such as Whitmore and Gleason are satisfied with where it is at. They are happy with what the event brings to Madison: a fun, festive atmosphere that encourages people to get out and see the city in a different way.

“We like biking in Madison; it’s part of our infrastructure and psyche,” Whitmore said. “[Ride the Drive is] a festival on wheels that allows you to see and hear the city in a whole new fashion. It’s a really wonderful event that highlights our city.”