Madison Wisconsin Real Estate News

Madison introduced its first bicycle transportation plan in 1975 and has been making bike-friendly improvements ever since. That's why it was music to our ears when Bicycling magazine recently ranked Madison the 7th top biking city in America. The magazine graded 50 cities with populations of 100,000 or more based on criteria such as whether or not they feature bike-friendly amenities, segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks and bike boulevards. Selected cities also had to support “a vibrant and diverse bike culture" as well as possess "smart, savvy bike shops.”

Although Minneapolis, which features 120 miles of on- and off-street bicycle facilities and indoor bike parking, among other amenities, topped the list, few cities in the United States have the elevated bike consciousness of Madison. For example, Madison has more bikes than cars and boasts more than 110 miles of bike routes and 25 separate paths. When it snows, the city plows the bike paths. And just outside of Madison lie hundreds of miles of empty back roads that criss-cross farmland and are wonderfully devoid of traffic.

The global headquarters of Trek Bicycles is located 20 miles outside of town in Waterloo (tours are available) and Trek maintains a hip retail store in town. Kettle Moraine State Forest (known as "The Moab of the Midwest") is a 45-minute drive southeast of Madison.

For Madison bicycle route maps or the complete article about the top 50 most bike-friendly cities in the U.S., please visit Bicycling magazine online. For information about relocating to Madison or Madison homes for sale on or near Madison's beautiful bike path, please contact Jolenta Averill, broker|owner of Lake & City Homes Realty or call 608.628.9701.