Better Streets MKE Vol. 1
Welcome to the first edition of the Better Streets MKE newsletter!
Upcoming Events
County Committee on Transportation & Transit
On November 29 at 1:30 pm, Milwaukee County’s Committee on Transportation and Transit will meet. There is a resolution to support the 6-lane alternative for the I-94 project, introduced by Supervisor Peter Burgelis. You can write in support of this resolution and the six-lane design by submitting a comment. Additionally, there will be a presentation on MCTS’s fare collection system, which will continue to undergo a number of changes.
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
1:30 p.m.
Hybrid (streaming or in person)
Milwaukee County Courthouse (901 N 9th St, Milwaukee, WI 53233), Room 203-R
Santa Rampage!
Milwaukee’s Santa Rampage, hosted by the Bike Fed, is Saturday, December 3. There are 12- and 6-mile options. Wear a costume, join hundreds of other costumed Milwaukeeans, and have a great time! Learn more and register here.
Saturday, December 3, 2022
9:30 am
187 E. Becher Street OR Cafe Hollander at 2608 N. Downer Ave
Downtown Plan 2040 Community Open House
The City of Milwaukee's Department of City Development (DCD) will have an open house next month to review and discuss the draft plan that will shape the next 20 years of development, policies, and programs in the downtown neighborhood.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
3rd Street Market Hall
275 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee
Nearby Transit: The Hop, Bublr, Green Line, 14, 30, Gold Line, 57, 15, 18, 19, 80, 12, 34, 31
I-94 Public Information Meetings
WisDOT will be hosting two public information meetings (PIMs) next month on the proposed I-94 expansion. There is also an online comment form here. For more information on the six-lane alternative, see fixatsix.org. If you are interested in joining the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation in its efforts to advocate for a #FixAtSix alternative, you can email Cassie Steiner at cassie.steiner@sierraclub.org, who can connect you with organizing efforts.
The below sessions will include project information, but unlike some of the past project meetings, the public will be able to give their testimony in a traditional hearing format.
Monday, December 12, 2022
3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tommy Thompson Youth Center
State Fair Park, Gate 5
640 S. 84th Street, Milwaukee
MCTS Route: 33
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Marquette University High School
3401 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee
(enter from Michigan Street parking lot)
MCTS Routes: 35, 30, and Gold Line
The Wisconsin Chapter of the Sierra Club is also hosting a volunteer night to organize opposition to the expansion plan.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Virtual
RSVP link
Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
In October, the members of the City’s new Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee were appointed, including two of the authors of this newsletter. The meetings are open to the public and held on the third Friday of the month. You can sign up for updates on meetings and agendas via e-Notify.
Friday, December 16, 2022
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Hybrid
Virtual Meeting link
Eyes on Projects
National Avenue
While WisDOT’s proposed expansion of I-94 is getting headlines, advocates should also engage with another east-west WisDOT project, National Avenue. This project, which will impact the highway from 39th to 1st Streets, is extremely important for pedestrian, transit user, and biking safety. With the exception of two blocks in Walker’s Point, the entirety of this stretch of National is on Milwaukee’s Pedestrian High Injury Network. Despite originally presenting this project as a reconstruction (and receiving overwhelming support for safety improvements, including 74% supporting better biking), WisDOT has quietly transitioned this to be a repaving project. There are 2 primary implications of this change: one, the City will likely need to request a specific exemption for every move of the curb (for example, to meet ADA requirements, build bike lanes, or install trees); and second, the City will need to put in more of its money for safety improvements. It’s part of a concerning trend that no matter how loudly residents and local municipalities say they want safety improvements, WisDOT is choosing to put its budget dollars into highway expansions like I-94 rather than invest in connectivity, access, and safety for surface-level roads. Keep your eyes on this project, and do keep in mind — even if we are stuck with a repaving, the City can still choose to prioritize safety in this project.
North Avenue Tax Incremental District (TID)
The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee unanimously approved the creation of a new Tax Incremental District (TID) for North Avenue between Humboldt and Lake Drive. This district would support bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the area, including the pedestrianization of Ivanhoe Place from Prospect to Farwell. Plans also include a protected bike lane on North Avenue, and additional pedestrian improvements still under design. A 2019 study found the intersection of North and Farwell is one of the most dangerous in the city for pedestrians. You can read more about this project on Urban Milwaukee. The TID must still be approved by the full Common Council. You can write in support of the TID and pedestrianization plans, as well as encouraging the City not to give up at intersections when making pedestrian and bike improvements in the area, e.g. by including protected intersections.
Climate and Equity Plan
The Climate and Equity task force has released a draft of their plan— featuring “10 Big Ideas” for reducing greenhouse emissions and increase racial equity. The plan is worth reading in full, but two of the ideas pertain especially to safer streets: idea #5, “People Centered Transportation and Urban Design” and idea #6, “Electrify Transportation.” It is critical that these efforts are considered together and not in isolation. Merely electrifying a car-centric transportation will not make our streets safer— in fact, due to the increased weight of electric vehicles, their fast acceleration, and how quiet they are, they pose a greater threat to people walking and biking on the street than ICE vehicles. Electrifying transportation should be inclusive of encouraging electrified micro-mobility, such as bikes and scooters. The plan currently summarizes idea #6 as “Building a network of publicly-accessible EV charging stations, increasing EV adoption rates through public outreach, and transitioning municipal fleets to EVs, hybrids, and other low- emissions vehicles.” It should also include encouraging adoption of e-bikes and scooters by building secure public storage facilities, better on-street facilities, and encouraging adoption through public outreach. Similarly, a variety of options should be considered for municipal fleets. You can submit a comment via survey until November 30th. The plan must still be adopted by the Common Council.
