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Bicycles, pedestrians would have path along Lake Parkway extension

Posted by Tom Held on March 19, 2012

cycling

The refurbished Hoan Bridge won’t include a bike lane.

An extended Lake Parkway will.

Plans for the six-mile extension of the four-lane highway include a separated, multi-use path, 10 feet wide, to serve bicyclists and pedestrians. The pathway received little attention at a public hearing on the proposal last month but is part of the $207.2 million estimated cost of the new roadway.

This blueprint shows the 10-foot multi-use trail included in the Lake Parkway extension plans.

The bike and pedestrian lane is a priority, said Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik, chairman of the Lake Parkway Extension Advisory Committee.

“We’re required to consider trails, but I think the answer is broader,” Jursik said. “I believe it’s necessary as we develop this lakeshore corridor.

“The corridor should include good trails, so potentially you can ride your bike from Chicago to Milwaukee, which I have done. You follow Highway 32 now. It would be fantastic if we had a bike trail.”

Jursik said the same about the Hoan Bridge, but the Department of Transportation rejected proposals to include a bike lane in a reconstruction set to begin in 2013.

Having the pathway included in the preliminary designs for the parkway extension is encouraging, said Kevin Hardman, executive director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.

Jursik’s advisory committee will meet March 26, and is likely to vote in support of the proposal to extend the Lake Parkway from Edgerton Ave. to Highway 100. Construction will be at least 10 years off, after additional approvals and engineering.

 

24 Comments for "Bicycles, pedestrians would have path along Lake Parkway extension"

  1. Some of the comments talking about how a bike trail will bring economic development to the area are SO FUNNY. Max, you are still a dramma queen! Its a bike lane for a few, thats IT!

    I mean, other than the sale of the actual purchase of the bike, (and the bike chain, to lock it up so that it doesnt get stolen in our wonderful city), you make it sound like this will increase the GDP!

    I mean, seriously people, this isn't 1885, when people are first starting to invent and use the bike to get to the city from the farmland...OR a 3rd world country where bikes can really make an impact!

    And, in one breath, you want to build a new trolley and bazillion dollar trains...then ask for extra money to tell us that its BIKES that are going to be the shot in the arm for economic development in the City and County. So very funny! I'm LOL and ROFLMAO!

    tabitha1 Mar 19, 2012 5:56 PM

  2. Max. I’m a retired 63 year old soon to be ex Milwaukee resident who rides 10 to 20 miles a day (weather permitting). I use my bike to shop at the neighborhood stores and run small errands. I can get anywhere in Milwaukee County by using existing side streets and sidewalks. I (and all bicyclists) don’t need special multimillion dollar bike lanes. Let’s spend our limited available tax dollars to help promote commerce (I.E. the timely hauling of commercially produced goods) and not waste it on satisfying the egos of the air inflated bubble butt spandex crowd.

    sourkraut Mar 19, 2012 7:12 PM

  3. The pro biking socialists always want it to change us into Europe! Greece and Italy

    sourkraut Mar 19, 2012 7:29 PM

  4. tabitha1, As I understand it you are arguing that the way to assure Milwaukee's success is to turn it into a wasteland where no one will want to live or work. But increasingly cities are competing on lifestyle. Take a look at the recent industrial development in the Menomonee Valley, whose centerpiece is the Hank Aaron Trail.

    brthompson Mar 19, 2012 11:25 PM

  5. Sourkraut, A city ordinance in Milwaukee prohibits bicycling on sidewalks, except for children. It seems rarely enforced. Tom

    Tom Held Mar 20, 2012 8:25 AM

  6. Excellent plan, good for bikers, runners and walkers.

    Can't complain about the fat poor people if they don't have a place to get exercise.

    Jack Ryan Mar 26, 2012 6:12 PM

  7. tabitha, bike lanes not only make it safer for bicyclists and motorists, they improve the quality of life. I am fairly certain that you don't live in the city, and certainly not in the city centre or in the densely populated neighbourhoods on the east side, downtown, bay view, river west, third ward, etc-- because if you did (or if you spent any amount of time in these areas), you would know that bicycling for the residents there isn't merely a recreational activity-- it is a functional transportation choice that many actually choose to use year-round, myself included. For those of us who live in these corridors, it only makes sense to bike to nearby locations-- why drive around looking for a place to park and wasting time when you can save time and get exercise biking there? This isn't rocket science, tabitha, but you seem rather detached from reality here.. maybe you're out of shape and biking would be a healthy activity you should start doing to clear your clogged mind.

    Maximilian77 Mar 28, 2012 9:08 PM

  8. also, the streetcar tram (it's not a trolley) would cost far less than these roadway projects and be in an area of very dense population... something far more needed than a silly and overpriced extension of the lake parkway

    Maximilian77 Mar 28, 2012 9:11 PM

  9. tabitha doesn't seem to have any sense of what makes a city have a "good quality of life"... she's a waste of air

    Maximilian77 Mar 28, 2012 9:14 PM

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