DOT ready to listen on Hoan Bridge bike, pedestrian options
Engineers planning the reconstruction of the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge will listen to ideas for the addition of a bike and pedestrian lane during a town hall meeting in Bay View on Tuesday night.
Nearly a decade after rejecting a bike-lane proposal, the planners will take another look at how access for nonmotorized traffic could be accommodated during the reconstruction set to begin in 2013. The DOT will make its decision - yes or no on the nonmotorized addition to the Hoan - by late fall, according to Brian Roper, design supervisor for the I-794/Hoan Bridge project.
The decision on the bike lane would be folded into the engineering work for the larger rehabilitation. Engineering for that project is set to be done in spring 2012.
Roper said the creation of a bike and pedestrian path, either on the current bridge or an addition, would fit into the current estimate of $275 million to $350 million for the upcoming reconstruction.
The options being studied include closing one or more traffic lanes to accommodate nonmotorized vehicles, widening the bridge in some fashion to add the bike/pedestrian path or suspending a secondary bridge under the current structure.
A proposal to close a traffic lane was rejected in 2002, in part to maintain traffic flow during the reconstruction of the Marquette Interchange. That project is finished and the Hoan rehabilitation planning provides another opportunity to consider the options, Roper said.
Local legislators organized the meeting, which will be held in the Beulah Brinton Community Center, 2555 S. Bay St. The session will start at 5 p.m. and finish at 7.
Cycling advocates have been rallying to turn out a big crowd for the meeting. In this piece, Dave Schlabowske calls it "a watershed moment for bicycling in Wisconsin."
69 Comments for "DOT ready to listen on Hoan Bridge bike, pedestrian options"
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Even the bikers agree you shouldn't be on the Hoan. The Hoan is a designated interstate.
MU82 - "most of the bridges that we are talking about with Bike paths on them are very similar to the Hoan Bridge."
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Golden Gate Bridge is a long flat bridge, Brooklyn is a long flat bridge. The Hoan is a high arch.... not similar.
SMCMAC32 Aug 23, 2011 8:00 AM
People have been stopping cars and jumping off of bridges, standing in front of trains, or leaping off of parking structures for years, and will do it no matter what. You don't need a bridge to commit suicide.
And here are some facts: Between 2010 & 2011, $5 million dollars have been spent JUST TO STUDY AND DESIGN the "NET SYSTEM" to prevent people from jumping over the GG bridge. Funding to construct it is ESTIMATED to be $45 million. The one on the George Washington Memorial Bridge (Also referred to as the AURORA Bridge ) in Seattle cost over $5 million. Granted, out bridge is smaller ( and less esthetically pleasing ) so it should cost less...but still.
So, for everyone of you that says lets have a bike trail, start donating (out of your own pocket) for this cause. The cost of a barrier is going to cost more than the design and implementation of any trail or walkway. This sounds like one more reason NOT to open it to pedestrians, just because of the sheer costs!
tabitha1 Aug 23, 2011 8:31 AM
In practice it's another question. And another. And another.
I commute over the Hoan Bridge daily. It is a critical transportation link in this state's largest city. It relieves the High Rise Bridge of additional congestion and is itself, at times, filled to capacity.
We're so accustomed to traveling on roadways that operate at well over design capacity that a stretch of highway that is
less used appears to be over designed. It is not.
The more generous, though not excessive, capacity on the Hoan during most times reduces accidents saving millions over
the years on medical bills, repairs and emergency personnel time. Additionally fewer accidents mean shorter commutes and
more convenience for travelers. Something that seems often over-looked (when it takes a month to "repair an off-ramp").
It's difficult to imagine bicycle / pedestrian lanes - with sufficient protection - that doesn't destroy one of the best features of the Hoan Bridge for other travelers - the views.
Perhaps some genius will design a pedestrian and bicycle roadway in the center of the spans, or a suspension contraption above or below the existing roadway or a separate lane off the west side of the bridge that would connect to the Lincoln Street viaduct in some clever way. Frankly, I don't think there are any of these "geniuses" out there. If there are, I would certainly hope they have more important things to do than designing bicycle bridges.
continued...
ZooVuu Aug 23, 2011 8:37 AM
These bicycle-bridge-building geniuses could better spend their time ending the pointless wars, providing us with Canadian
style health coverage and a sane tax system that doesn't provide an open funnel for the 400 of the wealthiest Americans to
accumulate more wealth than the bottom 150 million, thereby reducing aggregate demand to the point of recession!
ZooVuu Aug 23, 2011 8:48 AM
Frankly it's difficult to imagine a safe and reasonably economical bike / pedestrian lane on the Hoan Bridge. That is until we've used up all the world's petroleum and we can turn the whole bridge into bike and pedestrian lanes...
ZooVuu Aug 23, 2011 8:58 AM
wonderful south side path along the Lake to Lincoln Memorial paths and
parks and create an Amazing path and be one of the major attractions of
the city. Who wouldn't want to go for a bike ride along Lincoln Memorial
parkway if riding up the Hoan Bridge was at the end (or middle) of the
ride. Imagine if All the Oak Leaf trail users to the south and north
thought of this Hoan as the highlight and either the end or middle of their
adventure, the usage counts would be very high, and this thought does
not even consider the bike commuters that could avoid those fairly
treacherous (for bikers) roadways in the 3rd ward district. This path and
the Hoan bridge section would be a highlight of the town, right alongside
(or OVER to be more literal) Summerfest, the MAM, and Discovery.
To those that don't see this as an incredible benefit, I would ask that you
go for a walk or ride along the Oak Leaf trail from Bay View south to Grant
Park on a nice day. Tell me you don't want to repeat that trip, or have it
be even more accessible. It is a beauty that should be more highly
promoted for its value. Lincoln Memorial, with the museums and Alterra,
the breakwater, and improvements along Bradford beach, all well used,
but could be even More so and be the envy of any Great Lakes city with
this connection.
mikeyd Aug 23, 2011 10:13 AM
To ZooVuu- Wow!! Just wow!! At least try to be a little informed about the discussion before giving that long of posts.
MU82 Aug 23, 2011 11:35 AM
Although it's off-topic, let me bring the Streetcar into this discussion. The recently approved Streetcar route passes within a block or two of the major remaining unbuilt east-of-River Park East blocks (Broadway to Jefferson along Ogden--ignoring the site of the planned MSOE parking garage west of Broadway), and the proposed streetcar extension (not yet funded or approved) goes right past most of the unbuilt west-of-River Park East blocks along Juneau.
The Streetcar is supposed to trigger development (like what similar short streetcar lines have already done in Portland and Seattle). The "moonscape"-like Park East area will be a good test to see if Milwaukee's Streetcar will trigger development, too.
TransitRider Aug 23, 2011 6:38 PM