By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

Lights, bikes, and trails came up for discussion by the Main Street Advisory Board at their recent meeting. Board members discussed holiday lights, or, more accurately, those buildings without holiday lights, heard an update regarding bicycle racks for the downtown area, and voted their support for the Madison Greenspace Commission’s trails project.
More than 15 buildings in downtown Madison do not have lights on them. The consensus of the board: this makes the overall appearance of the downtown area a bit snaggle-toothed during the holiday season.
Chairman Jim Winkler suggested the board have Main Street Manager Ann Huff write a letter to the city asking the city to seek out grant funds to pay to have lights put on the buildings.
Winkler also suggested Huff write a letter to those businesses to inform them about the precise cost for that merchant’s particular building.
Board members decided to ask staff to draft the second letter.
Huff later said that they would like those merchants to participate in the light program to keep it going.
As for the bike racks, Huff said the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will order them in January. The racks will go on two side streets in Town Park.
Huff later said they have not yet determined the exact locations for the racks. 
Board members voted to submit a letter to the City of Madison in support of the Founders’ Trail Project. In that letter the board pledges to contribute 125 volunteer hours to assist with project promotion and implementation.
Huff added that the Christmas Parade and Caroling by Candlelight went well.
“Everybody was so nice and polite,” she said.

Printed in the December 27, 2012 edition