Hoan alternative: build up set to start on city's first raised bike lane
Construction will begin later this month on Milwaukee’s first raised bike lane, a section of pavement built up four inches above the traffic lane on Bay St., roughly from Beulah Brinton Park off E. Potter St. to the Wrought Washer plant at S. Lenox St.
The bike lane is part of a larger project to improve cycling between the Bay View neighborhood and Downtown Milwaukee, and the alternative picked by the Department of Transportation after it rejected proposals to install a bike path on the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge.
When tied to the Kinnickinnic River Trail, the route will include the bike lane, an off-street path on a former rail corridor and lanes marked for bikes on S. 1st St., Kinnickinnic and S. Water St.
Scheduled to be completed in 2012, the bicycle route will link the Oak Leaf Trail in Cupertino Park to the connection in Lakeshore State Park.
It has been studied since 1997.
Other large cities, including New York and Portland have experimented with various approaches to separate bikes from motor vehicles. Only Vancouver, B.C., and Bend and Eugene, Ore., have installed the raised bike lanes used more commonly in Europe, according to Dave Schlabowske, the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator in the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
Included in the overall Milwaukee bicycling master plan, this will be Milwaukee’s first project to go beyond paint on pavement.
“Right now, we’re doing this as a pilot,” Schlabowske said. “As far as I know, this is the first such facility in the state of Wisconsin.”
The bike lane will be slightly more than five feet wide, extend about 1,700 feet on Bay St., and cost $178,000. It will be installed as part of a larger portion of the Downtown to Bay View Bikeway that will cost $1.85 million, according to city figures.
Federal grants will be used to pay for roughly $1.5 million, with another $378,000 in city funds devoted to the project.
Phase II is set for construction in 2012.
That will connect the bicycle lane on Kinnickinnic Ave. to the KK River Trail at E. Maple St., and follow an off-road path on abandoned rail bed to E. Washington St. From that point, S. Water St. will be reconstructed, the railroad crossings improved and a bike lane added to connect to E. Pittsburgh St. and an on-street pathway to the lakefront.
“What we’re trying to do is match the on-road experience with the separated trail experience for the users,” Schlabowske said. “For many people, a bike lane is not as pleasant an experience as a separated bike trail.”
Ald. Tony Zielinski, who represents the area, called it an improvement in safety for bicyclists using the city streets.
"Bay View embraces new ideas and thinking out of the box, so it's very appropriate that it be done in this area," Zielinski said.
A pre-construction meeting with planners and the contractor, Stark Asphalt, will be held on June 21. Construction will follow.
58 Comments for "Hoan alternative: build up set to start on city's first raised bike lane"
Your argument also implies we should ban streetlights and sidewalks because they don't generate revenue from pedestrians.
I hope this experiment works and then expands to more amenable cycling areas in the city. Bay Street is one of the more uncomfortable rides in the city, but I'm happy this links up with a neglected part of Bay View (ie not on KK).
airquotes Jun 15, 2011 2:21 PM
First of all, I don't think anyone is "attacking" you. You're being defensive. As to your point that bike lanes do not pay for themselves, I would counter with the benefits I listed in my previous post. With more people biking, long term road and health care costs are reduced.
Also, I take issue with your comment regarding the "few hundred" bike riders that will use the new path per day. The idea is to make it more convenient for potential riders, and (again) *encourage* more people to get out of their cars. Isn't this logical? Alas... I suppose that you be the first to cry foul if the path is not used to the capacity deemed appropriate for your penny-wise inclination. However, jim, if you do in fact find yourself crying foul in the future, do me this favor. Just pause for a moment, and consider if you would be so quick to shut down every lonely country road for lack of use. Connectivity is the key.
CanalStreetExit Jun 15, 2011 2:29 PM
Well, maybe when gas hits $10/gallon, then they'll convert the Hoan into a bike bridge...
ThinkPeople Jun 15, 2011 3:09 PM
like the "Monkey Bridge" over by Trocadero, where Van Buren turns into Holton.
It would provide some very beautiful sunrises to view for early morning bikers!
CuriousMke Jun 15, 2011 3:36 PM
it would be good for taking a stroll as well as for biking!
Not only would sunrises be awesome but just think how romantic a walk would be with a full moon over Lake Michigan!
CuriousMke Jun 15, 2011 3:47 PM
bstuartmke Jun 15, 2011 4:36 PM
gmikula Jun 15, 2011 5:48 PM
@jimtherepublican
Your argument also implies we should ban streetlights and sidewalks because they don't generate revenue from pedestrians.
I hope this experiment works and then expands to more amenable cycling areas in the city. Bay Street is one of the more uncomfortable rides in the city, but I'm happy this links up with a neglected part of Bay View (ie not on KK).
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Street lights? Sidewalks? Both are public safety and we the property owners pay for. Some roads are paid for with money collected by the feds and state for roads. In Milwaukee we a wheel tax of $20.00 so the city can pretend to fill pot holes or something.
Bike riders want the same rights but clearly are too cheap to pay for it themselves. The Federal transit money should be used on real transportation options, roads for cars, buses and trucks. If you want this route, pay for it. Raise the money in a public drive or get the city to implement a wheel tax for bikes. I think if you're using roads, you should pay just like a car. Actually, after having a car hit in New York by a bike messenger, I think you should have insurance too. Rider hit my parked car and destroyed the drivers side mirror. $600 later, I didn't even get an apology. Use the roads, pay for that right, just like the rest of us.
jimtherepublican Jun 16, 2011 2:50 PM
themselves."
OMG...dude, we pay the same taxes you do. Stop with that worn out
canned response. JFC...
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