Gracie Tuohy has you covered on travel during the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project. #JohnNolenDrive #RoadWork #MadisonWI

The Week Ahead April 6, 2026 - Startup and Tech News - Madison Startups Madison, WI startup events week of April 6, 2026

Here's a look at the week ahead in #MadisonWI: www.madisonstartups.com/the-week-ahe...

#startupevents

Image of the Wisconsin State Capitol seen from a grassy field.

No Cap

#nocap #blueskymonday #madisonskyline #madisonparks #wisconsinstatecapitol #mcpikepark #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

Image of a wall with a stringed instrument built onto it.

No Strings Attached

#nostringsattached #stunday #stringinstrument #wall #music #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

Another multimodal adventure: Madison to Chicago by bike and train Madison doesn't have passenger rail. Over the past year, there have been a lot of news that indicate that that may be changing, sooner than anticipated. But I'm not going to get my hopes up. And "sooner than anticipated" still means 2029 at the earliest. And so to get to Chicago without a car, you have to take a bus. Or bike to the nearest train station, which is in Harvard, IL.* In 2024 I did that trip for the first time, on my fixie: Bike to Harvard, take the Metra commuter train into downtown Chicago. And for the way back, Amtrak train to Milwaukee and bike back from there. I documented that trip in two videos. This year there was another opportunity. A grad school friend was going to be in Chicago. My significant other had a hotel room booked already and so I might as well join! The plan: Leave early on Saturday, catch a mid-day train and arrive in Chicago in the afternoon. Have some fun, eat a lot, sleep. Do the reverse the next day. This being March in Wisconsin, the weather is an important variable. March can have days warm enough for shorts and t-shirt. Or a blizzard. Or everything in between. On that spectrum, the weather forecast looked okay-ish: Cold but sunny on Saturday morning, with a predicted low of -7 C/20 F and a high of +7 C/45 F; and much warmer and mostly sunny on Sunday. Good enough for me. One adaptation in response to cold morning was to not aim for the 11:35 am train (which would have necessitated a departure around 5 am) but the 1:35 pm train instead. This was to reduce the amount of time I'd be riding while the sun wasn't up yet or very low. I departed Madison at 6:19 am, half an hour before sunrise. And yes, it was cold! A few degrees warmer than the forecast, but still well below freezing. I wore thick wool socks, neoprene shoe covers, and wool tights on my lower body. A wool baselayer, long sleeve wool jersey, and a softshell jacket on top. A buff to keep the wind out, plus a hat. I knew that my hands would be the weakest link and added a pair of chemical warmers to my gloves. Juust warm enough. Aside from the cold, it was a beautiful morning. A clear sky, birds singing, not much wind, the sun just about to rise over the Madison lakes. I managed my effort to balance staying warm enough while not riding too hard. After all, it was 135 kilometers (80 miles) to Harvard, which this early into the season is a considerable distance. Some of the ill effects of the cold were that my contents of my water bottles turned into slush (but not wholly freezing at least!). And the wax on my chain was so hard that it caused my drive train to be noisy and imprecise. The route I had created prioritized short distance and low traffic roads. Scenery, on the other hand, was not a priority. The parts of Wisconsin and Illinois I was riding through are flat and agricultural. In March that means endless shades of brown fields, with the occasional farm house or town in between. The riding was going well enough that for a while I thought I may be able to catch the earlier train. It would be tight, but maybe I could increase my effort and cut a few kilometers off the planned route. However, as the sun rose not only did the temperatures go up but so did the wind. And it was not in my favor. So I had to resign to the fact that I would arrive much too early for the 1:35 pm train but had no realistic chance of catching the 11:35 am. Ah well. I dialed my effort back down and arrived in Harvard at 12:08, after 5h 48 minutes. My moving time was only 13 minutes less than that—when it's this cold, you really need to minimize the time stopped! Harvard has a very nice coffee shop, The Mug, one block from the train station, and I slowly warmed myself up with a "golden oat latte." The Metra train is great for bringing on your bike: Most cars have a bike rack and no extra ticket is required for the bike. And if you do a Saturday/Sunday trip like I did, you can buy a weekend pass for $10. ## The way back ## Our hotel's breakfast room had a large window. With some trepidation I watched a flag across the street: Clearly it was quite windy, and the wind appeared to come from the west. My route back was going northwest overall. I was mentally prepared for this and resisted the temptation to take a closer look at the wind forecast. It's not like I could do anything about the wind. I biked to the train station, and after less than 19 hours in Chicago I was on the train again. I got back on the bike in Harvard at 12:16 pm. As I had anticipated, it was windy! The wind seemed to be from the south rather than the west, though. Better than expected. My route for the return trip was different. Head west to Beloit, northwest to Orfordville, and then straight north back into Madison. The first segment felt hard. Boring landscape, tired legs, strong crosswinds. I was resigned to the day being a long slog. But hey, the fact that it was much warmer and I had no pressure to catch a train counterbalanced this. And while the crosswind made me feel very slow, I noticed that my actual average speed was pretty decent. And whenever there was a segment of road heading north, the tailwind felt amazing. My mind increasingly focused on the fact that for the last 30 km of my ride the wind would be in my back _the whole way_! Spoiler: indeed it was. It is hard to convey how good a strong tailwind feels. You forget your tired legs and butt. It is suddenly quiet, except for the hum of your tires spinning at 22 miles an hour. The distance remaining on your bike computer ticks down rapidly. You no longer care about the featurelessness of the landscape because you just focus on your effortless speed. I arrived back home after 5h 20 min, in an elated state of mind. These types of ride make me fall in love with biking over and over again. They're ridiculous, hard, easy, fun, memorable. ### The stats **Madison to Harvard:** * Strava link * Distance: 134.06 km (83.3 mi) * Moving time: 5:35:00 * Elapsed time: 5:48:06 * Average speed: 24.0 km/h (14.9 mph) **Harvard to Madison:** * Strava link * Distance 130.31 km (81.0 mi) * Moving time 4:56:51 * Elapsed time: 5:20:28 * Average speed: 26.3 km/h (16.3 mph) * Technically, the nearest train station is Columbus, WI, from where you could take the Empire Builder long-distance train to Chicago. But that train runs once a day, is expensive, and (because it comes all the way from the West Coast) is often delayed by many hours. Milwaukee is another option, but you need a reservation and extra bike ticket for the Hiawatha service. *[ km (83.3 mi)]: kilometers *[Moving time: ]: kilometers *[ km (81.0 mi)]: kilometers *[Moving time ]: kilometers

A ride report from last weekend's multmodal #MadisonWI <-> Harvard, Il <-> Chicago adventure. It's been a long time since I put a written ride report up on my blog.

ride-or-pie.blogspot.com/2026/04/another-multimod...

#blogging #FediBikes

Image of a house that was previously a business with a ghost sign in the red brick reading “furniture”

Come to My Window

#cometomywindow #openings #blueskyartshow #redbrick #windows #ghostsign #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

Join the Wisconsin Historical Foundation's team as a Digital Marketing Manager (learn more or apply ➡️ tinyurl.com/ckdcf3mz) in #Madison (eligible for #hybrid work). $75K-$80K salary + benefits package—apply now for this important #job opening!

#NonprofitJobs #MadisonWI #MadisonJobs #DaneCounty #WI

A fresh #MadisonWI Labor Radio goes on the air at 5:30 PM Central Time on WORT 89.9 FM.

Listen at www.wortfm.org/listen-live/

#1u #UnionStrong #LaborRadioPod

Image: gavel and a sounding block on a marble surface; Wisc.Jobs

Dept of Administration Div of Hearings & Appeals is hiring an #AdministrativeLawJudge in #MadisonWI to conduct quasi-judicial / administrative hearings, pre-hearings & mediations. $95-$117K/yr +excellent benefits. Apply by 4/9. #WIjobs #GovJobs #LegalJobs https://ow.ly/CL2R50YCykH

With only a 20 minute drive from BOTH the East Side of Madison AND Middleton, this charming Lodi home with EVERYTHING is also a breeze for commutes! Learn more at AKTnow.com
#madisonwi #lodiwi #bedroomcomunity #smalltown #wisconsinrealestate

How to Choose the Right Office Desk for Your Workspace : Madison Liquidators Learn how to choose the right office desk for your workspace based on size, workflow, storage, and ergonomics for better productivity and comfort.

Finding the right office desk involves more than just the appearance of it. Available space, ergonomics, and more should be all be considered! 🤔

More details about the topic are provided in our latest blog! To read more, click or tap the link!

#OfficeFurniture #OfficeDesign #OfficeDesk #MadisonWI

Another sneak peak into Shifting Ground! Opening reception is on Friday, April 10!

#art #artforsale #madisonwi #fineart

Image of Camp Randall Stadium from the west looking east on a cloudy day.

When You Say Wisconsin

#whenyousaywisconsin #scape #cityscape #camprandall #collegefootball #cloudporn #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

Image: laptop on a wooden desk next to a notebook and pen with a blurred whiteboard in the background; Wisc.Jobs

Dept of Revenue Div of Technology Svs is hiring an #IT Application #BureauDirector in #MadisonWI to help achieve the agency goal of enabling DOR to operate efficiently & effectively. $65.10-$71.41/hr +benefits. Apply by 4/7. #WIjobs #GovJobs #ITjobs #PMjobs https://ow.ly/hnIm50YBLew

Image: Golden balance scale resting on a wooden base atop a black judge's gavel in a dimly lit setting; Wisc.Jobs

Dept of Administration Div of Hearings & Appeals is hiring an #AdministrativeLawJudge in the #MadisonWI Public Assistance & Social Services (PASS) Unit to conduct administrative hearings & pre-hearings. $95-$117K/yr +bnfts. Apply by 4/9. #WIjobs #GovJobs #LegalJobs https://ow.ly/AhUE50YBJkg

D1
#EnhancedRisk in #Midwest esp #Chicago #Joilet #AuroraIL #Peroia #Naperville #Rockford #SpringfieldIL #Champaign #Davenport #CedarRapids #IowaCity #Dubuque #MadisonWI #Janesville #Waukesha
10 SIG #Tornado/ 30 SIG #Wind/ 15% #Hail risk
#Wxx #Wxtwitter #SPC #SevereWx #BskyWx #Bsky #ILwx #IAwx #WIwx

D1 13z
#EnhancedRisk in #Midwest esp #Chicago #Joilet #AuroraIL #Naperville #Rockford #SpringfieldIL #Champaign #Davenport #CedarRapids #IowaCity #Dubuque #MadisonWI #Janesville #Waukesha
10 SIG #Tornado/ 30 SIG #Wind/ 15% #Hail risk
#Wxx #Wxtwitter #SPC #SevereWx #BskyWx #Bsky #ILwx #IAwx #WIwx

Here's a look at the weekend ahead in #MadisonWI: www.eatdrinkmadison.com/blog/?p=10498

#JaneaneGarofalo #MadisonBallet #AudraMcDonald

Crossing my fingers that it stays cloudy and cool for the rest of the afternoon! Any sustained hint of sun means a higher chance of severe weather tonight.

#MadisonWI #Weather

Don’t let that smile fool you, that is serious 24 hour surveillance.

📷 - Panosonic DC-ZS99
📍- Madison, WI

#Photography #WiPhotographer #WIPhotography #Wisconsin #WisconsinPhotography #MadisonWI #MadisonWisconsin #MadisonWisconsinPhotographer

Image of a gated walkway with green metal staircases on each side.

Green Bar

#greenbar #urbangaze #stairs #meangreen #selectivecolor #colorpop #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

Bison statues decorated for Easter 2026

#easter #madisonwi #spring

D1
#EnhancedRisk in #Midwest esp #Chicago #Joilet #AuroraIL #Naperville #Rockford #Peoria #SpringfieldIL #Champaign #Davenport #CedarRapids #IowaCity #Dubuque #MadisonWI #Janesville #Waukesha
10 SIG #Tornado/ 30 SIG #Wind/ 15% #Hail risk
#Wxx #Wxtwitter #SPC #SevereWx #BskyWx #Bsky #ILwx #IAwx #WIwx

D2
#EnhancedRisk in #Midwest esp #Joilet #AuroraIL #Naperville #Rockford #Peoria #SpringfieldIL #DecaturIL #Champaign #Davenport #CedarRapids #IowaCity #Dubuque #MadisonWI #Janesville #Waukesha
10% SIG #Tornado/ 30% #Wind/ 15% #Hail risk
#Wxx #Wxtwitter #SPC #SevereWx #BskyWx #Bsky #ILwx #IAwx #WIwx

Here’s a sneak peak into Shifting Ground, our April show featuring works by Madison artist Peg Orcutt.

The opening reception for this show is at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10. At 6 p.m. that night, Orcutt will deliver an artist talk.

#art #fineart #artgallery #madisonwi #artforsale

🏟️ Kohl Center, Madison, WI
📸 Circa 2009
🔴⚪️ Home of Wisconsin Badgers basketball & hockey 🦡

🗓️ Opened: 1998
🪑 Capacity: 16,838 🏀, 15,511 🏒

#BuckyBadger #KohlCenter #WisconsinBadgers #MadisonWI #CollegeSports

Image: electric utility tower with power lines; Wisc.Jobs

Public Service Commission is hiring the Office of Rates & Finance #Manager #PolicyChief in #MadisonWI to use their analytic & financial skillset to help regulate utility policies across WI. $92-$111L/yr +benefits. Apply by 4/5. #WIjobs #GovJobs #FinanceJobs https://ow.ly/vZ4I50YBkYT

There's an ice cream shop offering free ice cream today for their grand opening and I'm not sure if I should believe it or not...

#MadisonWI

Image of a river flowing through a city.

River Rat

#riverrat #waterWednesday #yaharariver #waterways #bridgesofdanecounty #wisconsin #photographersunited #Madisonphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madison #madisonwi #IsthmusLife #PicOfTheDay #bryonlhobbsphotography

D2
#SlightRisk in #Midwest esp #Chicago #Rockford #Indianapolis #FortWayne #SouthBend #GrandRapids #Lansing #AnnArbor #Milwaukee #MadisonWI #Davenport #CedarRapids #Dubuque
5% SIG #Tornado/ #Hail/ 15% #Wind risk
#Wxx #Wxtwitter #spc #severewx #bskywx #bsky #Ilwx #Inwx #Miwx #Ohwx #MOwx #IAwx #WIwx