Bikers go over the Hoan and directly to jail
For two bikers, a critical mass ride over the Hoan Bridge last week ended in the booking room of the Milwaukee County Jail.
Based on the sheriff's reports, anywhere from 50 to 150 bikers participated in the ride over the two-mile bridge, which is off limits to pedestrians and nonmotorized traffic. The outing was billed as a ride to protest "Gov. Scott Walker's Anti-Bicycling Agenda," and blocked traffic in both southbound lanes of I-794 about 6 p.m. on May 5.
Responding to a host of 9-1-1 calls, deputies caught and ticketed four of the participants. They booked one of them in the jail for resisting, and another to confirm his identity.
That was Juan Serrano, 23, from Covina Calif., who reportedly told the deputy: "I was supporting my friends who were protesting Luke Skywalker or something."
The others who were ticketed include: Samarah Hagagi, 19, of Kansas City, Mo., Caitlin Hamer, 21, of Milwaukee, and Donald Sanborn, 22, of Wauwatosa.
Their tickets carry fines of $178.
Hagagi also picked up the citation for resisting because she wouldn't stop for the deputy, according to the sheriff's report.
The ride was organized through the Milwaukee Bicycle Community, an informal advocacy group that shares information about group rides on the website www.mkebke.com.
Steve Roche helps run the site, and joined the group on the Hoan.
Their purpose was to generate attention and a spark a discussion about the merits of installing a lane for bicycles and pedestrians on the Hoan, he said.
In the decades since it opened, a number of cycling advocates and public officials have argued that the Hoan should be opened to non-motorists as a connection between Downtown Milwaukee and the south side neighborhoods and suburbs. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation rejected the idea, and proposed an alternate route using surface streets.
132 Comments for "Bikers go over the Hoan and directly to jail"
"That would have been a good time for the Hoan bridge to collapse." You wish those people death because they are protesting...YIKES
post when necessary May 13, 2011 11:52 AM
T. Held May 13, 2011 4:27 PM
state of our Oak Leaf System and bike paths (which are in bad need of
repainting) are in bad shape in Milwaukee. The riverside entrance is
dangerous to get on/off the trail currently. Not all streets have bike
paths either and under WI law bikers are considered vehicles of the
road. Yes- there are dumb bikers who don't follow the rules, but there
are many car drivers who don't follow the rules either.
I agree- bikers don't belong on the Hoan as it's currently built BUT I do
think as a city/county we need to consider how bikers can use it to
connect better to the south side. 2nd street is much better but it still
takes the biker the long way around. If it's being rebuilt anyway- why
can't bikers be considered? (which is why they protested and went over
the bridge...as for myself I tu).
To all of those who think bike funding is wasted- I do pay taxes and am
a working professional in Milwaukee. I want my tax dollars not only
toward roads (potholes are annoying to bikers too) and highways I use
once in a while when I borrow a car, however bikers also have the right
to have some money go toward bike paths, trails, bike racks (which
was majority not taken from county funds but federal funds).
A good transportation system looks at all modes of transport. When gas
is over $5 a gallon, I like to think people will be more thankful that we
have other modes we can take to get to work and run errands and
instead of criticizing bikers who take a stance (however dumb it was)
look to the future of transportation
Bluemeun May 13, 2011 5:59 PM
toward bike funding...I would totally love to support bike funding from
bikers paying it at out local bike shops. What do you all think?
Bluemeun May 13, 2011 6:01 PM
What exactly would you like on top of the bridge? Two way bicycle lanes are typically 10 foot wide. Would you want a 2- way bicycle lane on one side of the bridge? Would you want a concrete safety barrier between the bicycle lanes and traffic traveling at 50-55 mph? The existing concrete parapet is 32 inches high and the aluminum rail is 11 inches high for a total height of 43 inches or 3'7" high. Bicycle railing on bridges must be a minimum of 4'6" high. The existing railing is too low and one could easily fall off. (Kids will be kids)
Would you want the bicycle lane to be on the outside of the bridge or along the median? It would be very hard to get the bicyclists across three lanes of traffic to the inside median. Therefore the bicycle lane should be on the outside of the bridge. But,
Pedestrian and bicycle access to the bridge may promote "jumpers". Milwaukee County Sheriff department does not need additional responsibilities to prevent jumpers.
Would you bicyclists want an enclosed "cage" to ride inside? Made of chain-link fence? That would prevent jumpers and make everything safer on the bridge for the bicyclists. But what about the people in their vehicles that would like to view Lake Michigan as they drive across the bridge? Are you going to block that view for them?
If the Hoan Bridge is getting a new concrete deck, what would you bicyclists like to see? Make your comments known to your representative. Don't form a protest by illegally biking over the bridge. Do it the legal way. That is the best way.
I throw up this challenge to all you bicyclists, Please let me know what you would like, and your representatives.
mikerichards523 May 14, 2011 11:49 AM
Check out the post by "Chronic Whiner" at 1:50 pm on May 12 which says that bikeways/walkways ARE permitted on Interstate highway bridges. I know, for example, that the George Washington Bridge (I-95 over the Hudson River between NYC & NJ) has a bike/pedestrian lane.
By the way, I like your "ittakes2wingstofly" name!
TransitRider May 15, 2011 2:03 PM
Serious money (perhaps $100 million) could be saved by installing a 4-lane instead of a 6-lane deck . And if a 6-lane deck is needed for structural reasons, the extra 2 lanes could be partitioned off and used for bikes/pedestrians.
TransitRider May 15, 2011 2:06 PM
Then again perhaps it could be limited to specific areas where something flying off (not necessarily a suicidal pedestrian, but perhaps a baseball cap or a a jacket that somehow takes off in the wind) would cause a significant problem below.
The George Washington Bridge (carrying I-95 between NYC & NJ) is higher than the Hoan (212 feet vs 120) and has an outside pedestrian lane (bikes may be walked across) with jut a waist- or chest-level fence even though there are occasional suicides (most notably Tyler Clementi, the gay violinist from Rutgers university, who jumped last September).
Considering that they are about to spend $250-$325 million on a new bridge deck, you'd think they could find a few dollars to build pedestrian/bicycle access at each end.
TransitRider May 15, 2011 7:41 PM
The Hoan doesn't connect to an island....it merely spans the mouth of the river(s) into the Lake.
Want to bike between the north and south side? Take 1st street into Water St. Take Broadway into Milwaukee St. Take Plankinton into 2nd. Take the 6th street bridge, or the 16th, 27th or 35th street viaducts.
It isn't like you are isolated. Are all cyclists this dumb? Get a map.
I personal think it would be cool for bikes on the Hoan. Watching them fly off and go splat (or splash) at the bottom would be entertaining. A little nudge from a bumper at 50 mph might "accidentally" surface from time to time as well.
And in regards to the "reporter's" stats on bus bike rack usage. Let's see.....the organization that wasted the money on them is who you are quoting as the source of their usage. I would guess that those numbers aren't as reliable as you are blindly accepting....or course the numbers somewhat work for your agenda (no bias on your part, right Held?) so why question them?
TruthHammer May 16, 2011 1:47 PM
True, but drivers can take any of those routes AND have the option of taking I-94. So it looks to me like the Hoan Bridge isn't needed at all. Only 21,500 vehicles use it each day (43,000 one-way trips).
Spending $350 million for a new bridge deck comes to over $16,000 for each of the 21,500 vehicles using the bridge all to save perhaps 5 minutes per trip. And that doesn't cover all the other expenses of maintaining the Hoan.
Is the Hoan really worth $350 million?
TransitRider May 16, 2011 5:22 PM
For those not familiar with the "Monkey Bridge" concept go over to Tracadero and checkout the "Monkey Bridge" underneath the Humboldt bridge (where Van Buren turns into Humboldt).
A "Monkey bridge" beneath the Hoan bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists would be way cool!
CuriousMke Jun 06, 2011 12:06 PM