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Biking the Hoan would be better, riders conclude after trip downtown

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on Oct. 17, 2011

cycling, Hoan Bridge

Biking over the Hoan would be better, three dozen bicyclists concluded Monday after dodging traffic on a purposeful ride from Humboldt Park to the Discovery World Museum.

The result was no surprise.

State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) and his legislative neighbor Rep. Jon Richards set up the lunch-time trip to show the dangers and inconvenience of the Bay View-to-downtown bike route the Wisconsin Department of Transportation chose 10 years ago. Then, the DOT rejected a proposal to add a bike and pedestrian lane to the bridge that connects the south side neighborhood to the lakeshore near Veterans Park.

Richards called it a “bitter conclusion.”

Almost the entire route is on busy streets, and bicyclists have no protection from motor vehicles. Richards called the experience pedaling on S. Kinnickinnic Ave. and S. 2nd St. “unnerving.”

Add in nearly 20 intersections, and the confusing route is clearly inferior to the alternative: a bike and pedestrian pathway on the 2.5-mile Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge, Larson said.

“It would be so much easier to say go over the most beautiful bridge you see, and that’s going to connect you,” Larson said.

The ride was part of the current campaign to change the yet-to-be-completed path chosen in 2002.

Larson, Richards and cycling advocates have a window of opportunity to make their case, while the DOT again studies the feasibility of a bike lane as part of the planning for a reconstruction of the bridge scheduled to start in 2013.

A report on the cost and engineering challenges of adding a bike route, separated by a safety barrier, is set to be released later this year.

“This is a 40-year opportunity; a generational opportunity,” Larson said, as he gathered the group outside the Humboldt Park Pavilion.

The ride reinforced the impressions the bikers brought to the street.

“I prefer not to have all the stop signs and traffic,” said Debra Tuckwood, a member of the Bay View Bicycle Club. “I probably wouldn’t want to do it by myself.”

Tuckwood was one of the thousands who took the opportunity to ride the Hoan during the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts in June. That experience convinced her that the slope and wind would be easily overcome.

“I was surprised it was as easy as it was,” Tuckwood said.

Larson urged the riders, a mix of old and young, some on clunky mountain bikes and others on recumbents, to press business owners and state officials to see the benefits of opening the Hoan to bikers and walkers.

Their task is to convince opponents like Sheriff David Clarke and Gov. Scott Walker, who have called a bike lane on the Hoan too costly and too dangerous.

The group that traveled down S. 2nd St. doesn’t need further persuasion.

279 Comments for "Biking the Hoan would be better, riders conclude after trip downtown"

  1. I think this idea has some real potential. Drivers would do just fine with 2 lanes each way and a wide shoulder. It's not a freeway so slow the speed limit down. The third lane each way would be for bikers, separated by a cement barrier. You already know developers are going to redo the transit building and O'Donnell parking garage in the next 10 years. This would be great for business, personal recreation, and the summer festivals. I understand the money concerns, but I feel that there is an unjustified hatred for bikers in this community and I don't understand why.

    Believe in WI Oct 17, 2011 3:59 PM

  2. Just put your bike on the bus! Or is that to much trouble?

    Overtaxed1950 Oct 17, 2011 4:00 PM

  3. While I used to live right off the 794 exit to Oklahoma Ave and work downtown I can agree with the busyness of the current bike route however I don't live there or work downtown anymore so I can safely say I would not use the hoan bridge route proposed.... to the supporters of this I say take the bus, why else would Milwaukee county spend the money to add bike racks

    tmadro Oct 17, 2011 4:01 PM

  4. You people are not looking at the jobs this will create. Perhaps a few full time city maintenance persons. Summer up keep will be busy removing litter and the like. Think about winter snow removal. I see some special enclosed cab 40k unit to melt the snow because you can’t blow it in the car lane. Signage alone on this program could keep someone employed for a three & 1/2 week stint. Possibly some monitored electronic scrolling signage with and symbols would be best. Just low enough tech level a manager would not stoop to do this position. 4 full time jobs 1 manager level, 3 employees = 15 bikes per day. No metrics needed to see if this is a workable program, It is a county program not required!

    Careless Oct 17, 2011 4:02 PM

  5. But it is a freeway. Hence the name I-794.

    attc44 Oct 17, 2011 4:03 PM

  6. Pharaoh-Your solution is an over price bike trail? Milwaukee has a major budget problem. We have a failing infrastructure. 1/2 our bridges are closing, closed or soon to fail in and around Milwaukee. Our county has some of the worst roads, streets and sidewalks in the country. Our schools are testing at the bottom of the bottom, Detroit beat us last year. The city has 250 unfilled positions with the MPD and a huge number of fire fighters positions unfilled too. Add to that, we're losing 2 sheriff groups. High taxes and a very anti-business policy only hurts our reputation. And your solution is a bike lane on the Hoan?

    If this is such a great idea, tell you what. Write up the proposal showing how this will be great for the city and then issue the bonding required to pay for this. We return the money to you if it's this huge boom you claim it is. This is a major investment. $25 million or so if the numbers from this summer are correct. If you can show 50,000 riders each year, that might be worth the investment. So what's it going to be. Putting up your money or running away like a little pharaoh?

    jimtherepublican Oct 17, 2011 4:03 PM

  7. I-794 is technically part of the Interstate System, so it must have speeds of 45 or more for Federal funding. Also, with two lanes, it's dangerous, as the accident from a three weeks ago would support. Please list the number of businesses with their cash contributions to pay for this. Like the Intermodel station downtown, we're still waiting for someone to rent a space like Bob Bauman claimed would happen.

    We don't hate bike riders. As a child, it was a great tool for getting around but we're grown ups now. We work in jobs where showing and smelling clean are important. The Hoan route would require showing facilities during summer months and I don't think riders are dumb enough to ride it during the winter. It's hugely expensive with no benefit for the average taxpayer. Like a lot of that over priced development in that area.

    jimtherepublican Oct 17, 2011 4:10 PM

  8. People should have the right to bike safely from their home to work. End of story.

    MapleBacon Oct 17, 2011 4:11 PM

  9. We lose federal funding for this if we drop to a bike speed bridge. Also, are you planning on having a maintenance inspection before you ride on the bridge? Many bikes can't handle the speeds possible when you cross over the bridge. Cheap bike breaks may fail.

    Are you willing to pay for this? The costs I saw were in the $25 million range. There would be a dozen or so a day who would use this so how do you calculate this? $1000 per year registration? We can't tax you on fuel. Charge for an operator's permit? Again, how do we do this fairly? I don't think raising or taking money away from the WDOT is proper. You want this, you pay for it.

    jimtherepublican Oct 17, 2011 4:15 PM

  10. You are correct. But that could be changed. Is 2 miles at 55mph vs. 2 miles at 40mph really going to save you that much time? There are many things to discuss, and the people who support this project will work to keep costs down. Also, I think it would do a lot for weekend tourism if we had a bike route from the North Shore to the South Shore.

    Believe in WI Oct 17, 2011 4:16 PM

  11. Darn spell checks, it's not supposed to be showing, it was showering. Being clean is the norm. If you do the bike run, which I did several years ago, I found this isn't for the faint of heart. This is a challenge in good weather and need to be able to wash up before going to work. This isn't a viable option for work.

    jimtherepublican Oct 17, 2011 4:19 PM

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