Better Streets MKE, Vol. 20
Remembering Jonathan Brostoff
Milwaukee lost a champion earlier this month. Jonathan Brostoff's passion and energy were unparalleled. He wore his heart on his sleeve; he had absolutely no chill. You could disagree with him, but you couldn't doubt his sincerity. He'd talk to anyone, whether or not they lived in his district, and more than any other politician I've met, he was willing to say in plain language when he disagreed. I'll never forget watching him tell a constituent "I won't apologize for making the street safer."
We are lucky to have known him. May his memory be for a blessing. - A.B.
Grants
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced awards for the federally-funded Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grants for projects across the state. Within Milwaukee, this includes:
- The 2nd Street Protected Bike Lane will improve Plankinton Avenue between Michigan Avenue and the Menomonee Street Bridge near St. Paul Avenue, 2nd Street between the Menomonee Street Bridge and Maple Street, and Maple Street between 2nd Street and 1st Street. This will connect the forthcoming KK River Trail Connections and Michigan Avenue projects.
- The Center Street Protected Bike Lane will make improvements on Locust Street between Hopkins Street and Teutonia Avenue, Teutonia Avenue between Locust Street and Center Street, and Center Street between Teutonia Avenue and Humboldt Boulevard. This will connect the Center Street Transformation and Hopkins Street Protected Bike Lane projects.
- The Sherman - Lisbon Protected Bike Lane Connector includes some smaller but critical improvements to add protected bike lanes on Sherman Boulevard between Lisbon Avenue and North Avenue, Lisbon Avenue between Sherman Avenue and 40th Street, and the nightmare intersection of Lloyd Street, Sherman Boulevard, and Lisbon Avenue. This will connect the North Sherman Boulevard and Walnut-Lisbon Protected Bike Lane.
- Computer Optimization of Traffic Signals allows for remote control of traffic signal timing across the city, including timing them for safe speeds and leading pedestrian intervals.
- Bikeshare Station & Fleet Upgrades
A map is worth ten thousand words, and these projects can be seen on both the City's Protected Bikeways Map as well as the unofficial Current and Future Bike Infrastructure Map (thank you, Cade).
Upcoming Events
Growing MKE Virtual Information Meetings
The City is hosting both a lunchtime and evening virtual webinar to present on the Growing MKE plan and answer questions from attendees. The city team has put in a lot of work to address feedback from earlier this year, meeting with neighborhood groups as well as offering these city-wide opportunities for engagement and feedback.
Thursday, November 2oth, 2024
12:00 to 1:00 pm
Zoom Registration Link
Thursday, November 21st, 2024
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Zoom Registration Link
Burnham Park Traffic Safety Improvements Public Meeting
With construction scheduled to begin next year, this is the final public information meeting to improve streets in the Burnham Park neighborhood. More information on the project is available here.
Thursday, November 21st, 2024
6:00 to 7:30 pm
Burnham Park Fieldhouse
1755 S. 32nd St
Transit: 54, 35, PURPLE
Kinnickinnic Traffic Calming Listening Session
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is preparing to plan improvements to calm traffic on S. Kinnickinnic Avenue between E. Holt Avenue and S. Fulton Street. They are holding a listening session to hear about your experiences in the project area and your suggestions for improvements.
Monday, November 25th, 2024
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Bay View Library
2566 S Kinnickinnic Ave
Transit: 15, GREEN, 53, 52
Critical Mass
A (fun!) monthly no-drop bike ride, with a fabulous website. Rolling out 6:00 pm sharp.
Friday, November 29th, 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
End location: MobCraft
Walnut and Lisbon Protected Bike Lane Public Meeting
The City is hosting its first public meeting for planned traffic safety improvements on Walnut Street-Lisbon Avenue between 20th St and 40th St. The project will include protected bike lanes between Washington Park, residential areas of Washington Park, Walnut Hill, and Midtown neighborhoods, and downtown Milwaukee. The project will also improve bus service for the 57 bus. More information on the project is available here.
Wednesday, December 4th, 2024
4:00 to 6:00 pm
Rooted and Rising – Washington Park
3910 W Lisbon Ave
Transit: 30, 57, 35, 21
Bublr station at Washington Park Library
Winter Bike Party
Come celebrate the cold days of winter cycling with the Milwaukee community! There will be informational tables about winter cycling, a gear swap table hosted by Bicycle Benefits, and live music. Donations of $5 to $15 are suggested - but we won't turn anybody away either so sign up for a free ticket if you want to come! Amorphic will donate $1 per pour toward both nonprofits in lieu of their usual bike benefit discount. All proceeds to Dream Bikes and the Wisconsin Bike Fed.
Wednesday, December 4th, 2024
5:30 to 10:00 pm
Amorphic Beer,
3700 N Fratney St
Transit: 15, 14, 68, RED
West Side Comprehensive Plan Update
The West Side Area Plan was last updated in 2009, and the City is holding community meetings to hear feedback and on how to guide land use and priorities for the next 10-20 years. A survey is available with more information available on the project website.
Thursday, December 5th, 2024
4:00 to 7:00 pm
Wellpoint Care Network
8901 W. Capitol Drive
Transit: RED, 92, 34
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, December 20th, 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.
Surveys
Milwaukee County Trail Projects Campaign
Milwaukee County Parks has heard a significant increase in support and demand for trails over the last few years, and are looking for feedback on where to expand. Their goals and vision are described on the project page with a feedback form near the bottom.
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. Also, check out the City's map of infrastructure projects!
North Water Street Project
The City of Milwaukee held a meeting earlier this week to gather input on redesign options for North Water Street between Pleasant and Kilbourn. Water Street is a major transit and pedestrian corridor, but the current state leaves much to be desired. The experience here typically involves very long crossing distances, relatively narrow sidewalks, lack of protected bike infrastructure, and lack of transit amenities like bus shelters and dedicated bus lanes. The City's recently updated Downtown Plan explicitly recommends Water Street as an area for transit improvement and vehicle lane reduction. It's a good reminder of the importance of advocacy around planning and policy and how it can lead to better starting points for projects.
The City unveiled three design options, with the stated goals of reducing vehicle speeds, increased walkability, better transit experience for both riders and operators, and better support for business in the area. All of the design options include dedicated bus lanes (but each with a different configuration), and two of them include protected bike lanes.
We prefer option #1 (see below), which includes dedicated bus lanes with transit shelters and in-lane boarding, protected bike lanes, narrowed driving lanes, and nearly double the current sidewalk width. This represents appropriate investment in all modes, and the transit configuration is consistent with existing bus lanes in the city (see: Wisconsin Avenue as part of the Connect 1 BRT).
Call to action: Regardless of your design preference, we encourage you to complete the comment form from public meeting #1 if you weren't able to attend in person. While the current funding source only covers the initial designs, the feedback gathered here should directly influence the eventual final design and construction.
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:
