Better Streets MKE, Vol. 18
Growing MKE
The City has published their Growing MKE Draft Plan. The plan is well-researched, comprehensive, based on extensive outreach over the last year, and lays out in detail what the plan seeks to achieve, and how the proposed solutions will help get us there. At a high level, the goals are:
- Increasing housing choice & equity
- Supporting fiscal sustainability & economic development
- Fostering walkable neighborhoods & connectivity
- Making Milwaukee a more sustainable & resilient city
Through zoning changes, more types of housing would be allowed across the city, giving people more opportunities to find the right home in the area they want to live. The plan acknowledges that zoning code improvements are important, but not sufficient on their own to create widely available affordable housing. The changes are intended to be complementary to other City programs including the Anti-Displacement Plan, Homebuyer Assistance Program, Strong Home Loans Program, Program, Home Rehabilitation Loan Program, and more.
That said, this plan is an incredible opportunity to put Milwaukee in a better place to support City services and schools going forward. If you have the time, please email your alder in support of this plan. There is also a single question form to share your support on the project here at the bottom, but it closes tonight!
Call to action: Lake Drive
Last Thursday's Public Works Committee meeting became somewhat contentious unexpectedly. The final design for the North Lake Drive Replacement Project includes protected bike lanes, and removes parking from the west side of the street. A group of neighbors feel that they have not been given adequate notice or opportunity to provide feedback on this design. They also had unfounded complaints relating to safety, access for emergency vehicles and trash pickup.
Walking away from this project would delay Lake Drive reconstruction by at least 10 years, and leave $9 million of state and federal funding on the table for a project the city has already put a significant amount of work into. On a street where parking is only 50% utilized at the most, reconfiguring it to improve safety should be an easy win.
It's important that the Mayor and City Council hear from people in support of the reconstruction. We can't build a city-wide network of safe streets by giving neighbors veto power over safety. Reach out to the mayor and your alder and let them know: safety comes first. Don't derail the Lake Drive project.
Upcoming Events
Bike Week!
The most magical week of the year is upon us! From June 1st to June 9th, there are a lot of great events including rides, block parties, commuter stations, classes and more, check out the website to learn more. A few are highlighted below, but it's really worth it to scroll through the events calendar.
MilWALKee Walks Meeting & Walk
MilWALKee Walks is hosting their regular monthly meeting. This month, the meeting will include a walk/roll to learn about walk audits.
Monday, June 3rd, 2024
5:30 to 7:00pm
Washington Park Library
2121 N Sherman Blvd
Transit: 1/2 mile walk or less from the 57, 30, and 21 buses.
Bublr station at the library, at the corner of Lloyd and Sherman
Tuesday Night Ride w/ County Exec David Crowley
MKETNR (Milwaukee Tuesday Night Rides) is Milwaukee's longest running weekly slow roll. This is a great ride any week of the year, visiting different neighborhoods throughout the city, but bike week includes special guest County Exec David Crowley.
Tuesday, June 4th, 2024
6:00pm to 9:00pm
Dream Lab
738 S 3rd St
Transit: GRE, 15, 18, 19, 20, 80, 81
Bublr station at 5th and National
Mayor's Bike Ride
The Mayor's bike ride has been a personal highlight of bike week– last year, the mayor announced the city's commitment to identifying + funding 50 miles of protected bike lanes. This year, the route will take participants through some of the new infrastructure that's been built since last year's ride.
Thursday, June 6th, 2024
8:30am to 10:00am
Tiefenthaler Park
2501 W Galena St
Transit: PUR, 33, 57
Bublr station at Tiefenthaler Park
9th Annual Bike Fed Pride Ride
This slow roll ride starts in Harambee and ends at the Milwaukee Pride Parade on S. 2nd in Walker’s Point, at which point riders can meet up with their pals and watch the parade or join the Bike Fed “Cargo Queens” Parade unit.
- 11:00 AM – Bike Decorating @ Kuumba Juice & Coffee in Harambee on the Beerline Trail
- 12:15 PM – Sharp Rollout: Slow Roll to MKE Pride Parade with multiple drop points ~ 6 miles
- 1:15 PM – Cargo Queens Parade Unit: Assembles on Greenfield & S. 2nd St.
Fill out the involvement form here.
Sunday, June 9th, 2024
11:00am to 1:15pm
Kuumba Juice and Coffee
274 E Keefe Ave
Transit: 15
Event page
Oak Leaf Familia Family Fun Ride
Oak Leaf Familia is Milwaukee's Latinx and Immigrant Cycling Club.
Saturday, June 15th, 2024
Meet at 9:30am, roll out at 10:00am
37th and Pierce
Transit: 18, 35
Bublr station at UEC Menomonee Valley
Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
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, June 21st, 2024
8:30 to 10:00 am
Hybrid
Zeidler Municipal Building, 5th floor
Virtual Meeting link
Transit: 15, 18, 57, GRE
3 blocks or less from the 14, 19, 30, 33, and CN1.
Bublr station on Van Buren St. near Wells St.
Critical Mass
A (fun!) monthly no-drop bike ride, with a fabulous website. Rolling out 6:00 pm sharp.
Friday, June 28th, 2024
Rolling out 6:00 pm sharp
Red Arrow Park
920 N Water St
Transit: GREEN, 15, Hop, 57, 18, 33, 19, 30, CN1, 14
Bublr station at Red Arrow Park
Surveys
Vision Zero
Vision Zero is a policy to reach zero traffic deaths and life-changing injuries by 2037, through a mix of strategies including redesigned streets. Take this 10-minute survey to help shape the City of Milwaukee Vision Zero Action Plan.
Bublr Bikes
Bublr bikes has a survey out, seeking input from both those use the bike share regularly and those who haven't tried the city's fantastic non-profit bike share yet. The survey is available in English and Spanish.
Eyes on Projects
Psst - we don’t cover every project in every volume of this newsletter if there is no major new information. See previous newsletters for more updates about projects.
WIS-175
WisDOT presented a wide array of alternatives at the recent public meeting. There are quite a few options for each segment of the 4 segments of the project. It is a lot to take in, with a lot of impacts to consider. WisDOT has survey available, but it may take some time to work through.
Curious about a project? Check out Engage MKE
There are many road projects happening in Milwaukee. To learn more about them, check out the (new and improved) Engage MKE. This resource is a good place to start for understanding the major projects occurring in Milwaukee. Projects include:
