Bike rack use increases on Milwaukee County buses
Recent blog posts about bikers on the Hoan Bridge and a cut in state money for bike and pedestrian projects generated several comments questioning the use of bike racks on Milwaukee County Transit System buses.
To a number of readers, the racks installed in 2009 remain a boondoggle: seldom-used and a waste of the $405,000 it cost to install them on more than 460 buses.
One reader asserted that “virtually no one” uses the racks.
I promised to produce figures to address that point, and here they are.
According to the Milwaukee County Transit System, bus drivers recorded 47,995 instances where bus passengers used the racks in 2010.
That fell short of the 100,000 projected by the transit system, and the 200,000 estimated by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, during the debate that preceded the purchase of the racks.
Use has increased significantly so far in 2011.
Through the first four months of the year, MCTS drivers counted 12,695 bikes on buses.
That’s double the number – 6,184 - in the first four months of 2010. The monthly average so far in 2011 is 3,173, compared to 1,546 through April 2010.
In month-to-month comparisons, the usage this year has been roughly double the 2010 figures, a trend that could put the total for 2011 close to the 100,000 figure estimated by MCTS.
Last year, the usage peaked in August and September.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Mark Borkowski, a steadfast critic of the bike racks, remains skeptical.
“My cursory view of eyeballing buses throughout the days and every now and then I see a bike on a rack.” Borkowski said. “I guess I'm not driving in the right places. Maybe it's time for your paper to do a PolitiFact.”'
Jacqueline Janz, spokeswoman for MCTS, sent this statement:
"We have received a lot of positive feedback from customers who appreciate this program so it is not surprising to see the bike rack usage numbers doubling. This program extends MCTS's reach to additional customers at a time when gas prices are soaring, giving the community an economical alternative."
Janz also pointed out that the usage projection of 100,000 was based on annual bus ridership of 51 million. Ridership on MCTS routes dropped to about 37.5 million in 2010.
Janz also noted that the county used federal grants totaling $384,750 for the racks and MCTS contributed $20,250.
Here are the usage numbers from MCTS:
| 2010 | 2011 | |
| January | 869 | 2,180 |
| February | 889 | 1,804 |
| March | 1,746 | 3,419 |
| April | 2,680 | 5,292 |
| Total | 6,184 | 12,695 |
71 Comments for "Bike rack use increases on Milwaukee County buses"
bus 3 days a week and during the summer months I ride my bike. If it's
raining I put the bike on the bus's rack and go to work. That's what I did
today. I waited on North Avenue for 30 minutes for the bus and I only
saw 6 cars that had more than 1 person. And it was bumper to bumper
traffic. Talk about a waste of money! The waste of money is all of these
cars that get subsidized for their roads. The people complaining only
want to protect their mode of transportation because they are unwilling
to change anything different in their lives or allow anyone to change
theirs. It's called protecting my subsidy and too hell to anyone else!
tosa2233 May 18, 2011 3:02 PM
And someone made the comment about the TVs on the buses, I thought that was paid for with private funds by the now defunct company that sold advertising on them.
I, for one, favor the racks on the buses although I personally never have used them. I find it rather silly that people who see no use for them bash them as wasteful, when the political party of most of their persuasion sees two billion dollars of tax breaks for big oil as necessary and not a waste of money.
Frylock May 18, 2011 3:14 PM
richardwithers May 18, 2011 3:36 PM
richardwithers May 18, 2011 3:37 PM
inconvenience anyone by bringing your bike inside the bus."
The author of this statement obviously does not ride the bus. When people bring bikes on the bus it can take the spots of at least 3 people, not including the standing space that is taken up.
I am not sure if the people talking about empty buses or the bike racks never getting used are just talking about the buses they edging out to their suburbs or what, but as a person who rides the bus every day to and from work in the inner-city i find that summation suspect.
Now, it may be the times that i ride, or the routes (57,10,30,21) but i see people using the bike racks every day. Some days more some less, but every day i see at least one person put their bike on the rack of the bus i'm riding to work.
I understand how some folks would consider any use of public funds for programs like this to be a waste. From their point of view giving millions of dollars to a few hundred extremely wealthy people is a much more responsible use of our money. I mean, the money for this project could have, instead, been given to the Rich and they would have been able to create jobs with it! Remember the last time we gave them money how much better off we all were??
Jdashn May 18, 2011 3:53 PM
mbrll May 18, 2011 3:58 PM
tinbv May 18, 2011 4:05 PM
Are the racks used each and every time I ride the bus? No. But are the wheelchair securement areas used each and every time I ride the bus? Again, No. Federal laws and transit funding policies require wheelchair ramps on the buses and securement areas. If MCTS can accommodate wheelchair users on the fixed-route buses, I see no reason why bicyclists cannot also be accommodated, too. The time it takes to load/unload a bike is less than the time it takes to flip open the ramps and secure the chair.
Believe it or not, Miwaukee is one of the last transit systems to install these racks. Madison has had them for at least 10 years. The Albuquerque transit system had the bike racks when I visited there in November 2003. The Valley Transit system in the Fox Cities has had the bike racks for a good number of years now.
MCTS is vital to Milwaukee County. Instead of anymore cuts in service, route hours, combining routes, etc., there should be restorations of the service cuts over the past 10 years. Guess what? Ridership will increase if this is done!
JRWOakCreek May 18, 2011 4:23 PM
clue about me. I am a left wing liberal and a unabashed socialists
because I use the bus and like bike racks! It is so righteousnesses of
your kind. Those roads for that greatest economy that flows 24/7 were
built in the 1950's. You probably don't remember that what made this
economy great was trains built in the late 1800's. And what really made
this economy great was this country changing for the time! Your kind
only wants someone else to pay because it's only about you!
tosa2233 May 18, 2011 4:26 PM
shouldn't all types of transportation be supported by those taxes. The subsidy for cars is unsupportable in the long term.
tosa2233 May 18, 2011 4:35 PM
tinbv May 18, 2011 4:39 PM
"I used the bus bike rack for the first time the other day. I had a flat tire
while commuting home one evening. It saved me an immense amount of
time and trouble...and was easy to use. It's not a question of how much
we pay in taxes (I pay a lot)...it's a question of getting good value in
return. I've lived in enough other cities and states to know that we get
solid service for our dollars in Milwaukee."
I carry a spare tube and tire-levers with me 95% of the time for just such
an occasion. It's a bummer trying to get back to 100psi with my portable
pump though.....
MKE4ever May 18, 2011 4:40 PM
clarify what these are! Were they the result of my birth! Education? And
what constant lies and deceptions are you talking about? You really should
talk to your therapist at your next session about increasing your medication.
All of this because I use the bus and the bike racks attached.
tosa2233 May 18, 2011 4:43 PM
homework is waiting for you. And you need all of the study time you can
get. I realize that you have make sweeping comments and cutting
remarks so you do not have to respond back with facts.
I see know why jsonline wants to tie these comments to facebook
accounts because others would recognize dimwits like yourself. Really
need to get that medication increased you know. Please talk to someone
because you really need the help!
tosa2233 May 18, 2011 4:54 PM