tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81620257403637765192024-03-26T17:10:24.419-07:00Shorewood Complete Streets CoalitionBikers and citizens dedicated to making Shorewood, Wisconsin an even better place than it already is to bike and walk, thus making Shorewood an even better place than it already is to live, play, work and grow a business.Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-57819984974557960262024-03-12T14:34:00.000-07:002024-03-14T07:47:12.680-07:00Can Changing Streets Change a Community?<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a lot of things that we could do in Shorewood, to
make our streets better. The stretch of
streets in Shorewood that is most in need of reform and revitalization is the
inverted “L” formed by Capitol Drive (from the River to Oakland) and Oakland
(from Capitol Drive to Edgewood Avenue).
The design there for several reason is not enough “village street,” and
too much “North Port Washington Road” or “West Blue Mound Road” (two notoriously
bad “<a href="https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/6/30/seven-stroads-that-have-been-converted-to-streets">stroads</a>”
in our area). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can do better.
Other villages and towns have acted so that their street designs not
only move cars, but also help foster a sense of safety, community, place, and
even beauty. And in the process, they’ve
increased property values.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One example of that is what Whitefish Bay did when it
redesigned its main street (Silver Spring Drive), to make that street far more
ped/bike friendly than it had been. The
result? Property values have increased, new
housing has been built, and businesses have thrived, as people seek to live in
a ped/bike friendly neighborhood/community.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little further from here, another example: </span>Poynton, a small town in northern England, which has about the same population as Shorewood. About 10 years ago, Poynton decided something was just wrong about what the heart of its town (and it's main intersection) had become. Rather than just accept that nothing could be done, they acted. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-vzDDMzq7d0" width="320" youtube-src-id="-vzDDMzq7d0"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>In the above box<a href="https://youtu.be/-vzDDMzq7d0" target="_blank"> is a short video</a>, showing how small Poynton reclaimed its heritage and history as a peaceful community, by changing one
intersection (its main intersection), and the design of the streets that
converged at that intersection. Note the text under the video: "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #131313; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A community in decline, divided by decades of anti-social traffic engineering, is reunited and revitalised by streetscape redesign."</span> </span> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the
change in Poyton was proposed, many in the community predicted that the change (which
involved in part eliminating an intersection traffic signal), would obviously
lead to chaos, gridlock, and streets that would be less safe for children, parents,
the elderly, and everybody else.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But (as the above video indicates) time proved the naysayers
wrong. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What visionary plans might we develop and adopt in
Shorewood, that would lead our village to reclaim its heritage and
history as a more peaceful, pleasant and prosperous community? What changes could we make around the heart
of our village (the intersection of Capitol & Oakland, and the area
immediately around it)? </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We
don’t have to do what Whitefish Bay or Poynton did, but we should be willing to
think boldly about what would make Shorewood and our streets contribute to our
future success.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What is it that we could
do with Capitol and Oakland that would transform the disliked-and-unsafe
portions of those streets (which our citizens frequently complain about), to
streets that are better and safer?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Streets that we are proud of, and even love?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">The author can be reached at sandiependleton@gmail.com, or at 414.418.4469.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
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Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-29720274170068153042023-12-10T12:45:00.000-08:002023-12-13T07:25:21.493-08:00Discouraging Reckless Driving in Shorewood<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kXH9zH6KQVrjkS2cFwviuft0MVbrONFZb1qMV-PetQ47TkCKSSB5BLlihvjwfL8gPCxswxDJxBRj2AEBrlLKZWha82s5LAHipWTj0ZrfEAZZjChvTDucrPH1YaFeoaiUpo05SqigvTqcbyj40UOjgg0b-pVWHPi_26azk4qg0ZCefyHhzgBRljhyn5eP/s1800/Reckless%20Driving%20Photo%20121023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kXH9zH6KQVrjkS2cFwviuft0MVbrONFZb1qMV-PetQ47TkCKSSB5BLlihvjwfL8gPCxswxDJxBRj2AEBrlLKZWha82s5LAHipWTj0ZrfEAZZjChvTDucrPH1YaFeoaiUpo05SqigvTqcbyj40UOjgg0b-pVWHPi_26azk4qg0ZCefyHhzgBRljhyn5eP/s320/Reckless%20Driving%20Photo%20121023.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Reckless driving is dangerous. It imperils the driver (and any occupants in the driver’s vehicle), not to mention all the rest of us who are using the streets (and sidewalks).</span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And probably just as important,
reckless driving is highly corrosive to the feeling of safety and order, that
makes people want to live in a community. “Why live in Shorewood <i>with all
these reckless drivers</i>, if I could live in Fox Point, Cedarberg or Port
Washington instead?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Can we in Shorewood do anything to
discourage reckless driving on our streets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There is no perfect solution to
this problem, but there are innovative ways to address this problem. One of them
is amending the Shorewood Village Code so that a reckless driver’s car or
motorcycle can be impounded (and disposed of, if fines are not paid). Another
is to start using new "Automated Enforcement Systems" in Shorewood (specifically "noise cameras," and redlight cameras).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Impounding Reckless Drivers’
Vehicles<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There is a concern in Wisconsin
(including in Shorewood and the Milwaukee area generally) about reckless
drivers, and in particular, deaths and injuries caused by reckless drivers. I’ve
also heard concern expressed by Shorewood residents regarding motorcyclists
riding recklessly in Shorewood, especially groups of riders. In response to
concerns regarding reckless drivers, the Wisconsin legislature passed a bill
earlier this year (which Governor Evers signed), that enables local
jurisdictions to enact ordinances providing that the jurisdiction may impound
and dispose of a reckless driver’s vehicle, in certain situations. The new law
went into effect on August 5, 2023. The new statute provides in full as
follows: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: black;">Wis. Stat. § </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #212121; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">349.115.
Authority to impound vehicles</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-ligatures: none;">(1) A political subdivision may, by
ordinance, authorize a law enforcement officer to impound any vehicle used in
the commission of a violation of s. <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/346/x/62">346.62</a>
[Wisconsin’s reckless driving statute] or a local ordinance in strict
conformity with s. 346.62 at the time of issuing a citation for the offense <b>if
</b>the person cited is the owner of the vehicle <b>and</b> the person has a
prior conviction for a violation of s. 346.62 or a local ordinance in strict
conformity with s. 346.62 for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not been
fully paid. The ordinance may provide for impoundment of the vehicle until the
person fully pays the prior forfeiture amount and reasonable costs of
impounding the vehicle, including towing or other transportation costs and
storage costs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-ligatures: none;">(2) A political subdivision shall return
to its owner a vehicle impounded under sub. (1) upon payment of the amount
required under the ordinance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-ligatures: none;">(3) A political subdivision that has
impounded a vehicle under sub. (1) may dispose of the vehicle by following the
same procedure as provided for disposing of an abandoned vehicle under s.
342.40 if the impounded vehicle remains unclaimed for more than 90 days after
the disposition of the citation for which the vehicle was impounded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ligatures: none;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-ligatures: none;">(Emphasis
added.) </span></span>Note that the term “vehicle” as used in Wis. Stat. § 346.62 applies not just to cars and trucks, but also to motorcycles as well (as cars, trucks and motorcycles are all “self-propelled vehicles”). </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">As indicated above in 349.115(1), before a vehicle can be impounded, there are several requirements that have to
be satisfied (<i>e.g.,</i> second reckless driving offense, vehicle belongs to
the driver, and the driver has an outstanding unpaid fine for reckless
driving).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-ligatures: none;">Of course, the statute is not a perfect
approach to the “reckless driver” issue, because many reckless drivers don’t
own the vehicle they are driving. But many do. (And my sense is that reckless
motorcycle riders in Shorewood, are not operating stolen or borrowed motorcycles, but
instead are operating motorcycles they own--which motorcycles they probably want to continue to
own.) </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-ligatures: none;">So the new Wisconsin statute is one tool
that the state government has created that local governments can use, <i>if (as
provided for in subsection 1 above) the local government passes an ordinance. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.cbs58.com/news/johnson-signs-ordinance-letting-milwaukee-police-impound-repeat-reckless-drivers-cars">Milwaukee
has passed such an ordinance</a>. <a href="https://www.wisn.com/article/milwaukee-leaders-push-lawmakers-to-impound-the-cars-of-first-time-reckless-driver/45755505">Milwaukee
also recently asked the legislature to modify Wis. Stat. § <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">349.115</span> </a>, to make it even
tougher, by making it applicable to first offense reckless drivers. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">I’ve not conducted a pole, but my guess is that giving the
Shorewood Police the ability to impound reckless drivers’ vehicles would be
popular amongst a lot of Shorewood residents. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">And the great thing about an impound statute <i>is it has
immediate consequences. </i>Unlike just receiving a traffic ticket (one that
might be ignored), with this ordinance our young reckless driver would be left
by the side of the road, without a car, having to figure out whether he’s going
to have to walk home. And the next day, the reckless driver has to figure out
what he is going to do to get his car out of the impound lot. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Some Shorewood residents would probably also be happy if
signs were posted at the entrances to Shorewood that said something like"RECKLESS DRIVERS' VEHICLES SUBJECT TO IMPOUND AND DISPOSAL." Such signs wold look something like this: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbARRtnmvAOSARG5kZtSvngdtCmkgHukJkQwXjyqdZfDYPOMlGvxKLr9IqWqIs5s-3ZC8m0K-H6xGwpN8JbkcQTjlCwfwmrGcgg6XcCyNuOvcyAZ9l7F79FmcT75WilUCHgmK0EdOojCEcDbKTX-C8z-sE4NGfkPKx3qetrPlNKONGu5HwG1c5txwdPJOA/s412/No%20Reckless%20Driving%20Picture%20121023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbARRtnmvAOSARG5kZtSvngdtCmkgHukJkQwXjyqdZfDYPOMlGvxKLr9IqWqIs5s-3ZC8m0K-H6xGwpN8JbkcQTjlCwfwmrGcgg6XcCyNuOvcyAZ9l7F79FmcT75WilUCHgmK0EdOojCEcDbKTX-C8z-sE4NGfkPKx3qetrPlNKONGu5HwG1c5txwdPJOA/w151-h200/No%20Reckless%20Driving%20Picture%20121023.png" width="151" /></a></div>I’m not saying I would be in favor of such signs (they
aren’t exactly “Welcome to Shorewood”), but I could see some folks in Shorewood
who would favor having such on Lake, Capitol and/or Oakland.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: black;">Fiscal Impact of Adopting an “Impound Vehicle” Ordinance</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">As to
the fiscal impact of adopting such an ordinance, it would seem like the fiscal
impact would <i>not </i>be substantial. The cost of just changing a Village
ordinance is relatively low (usually less than $1000), and new signs (if we
decide to display signs), are a hundred or so dollars each. When enforcing the
new ordinance, the Village would incur towing costs, and might incur
unreimbursed impound lot fees (if too many vehicle owners do not promptly act
to get their vehicles out of impound). But there would also be some revenue
flowing to the Village, if and when abandoned vehicles are disposed of. The
cost issue bears further analysis, but the initial and recurring costs of such
an ordinance would not seem to be significant (compared to the costs associated
with just one significant reckless driver accident, or one high speed chase
that goes awry). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>“Cities Aren’t Loud, Cars Are
Loud”<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The above quote comes from one of
Michael Savage’s better videos in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTV-wwszGw8&ab_channel=NotJustBikes">his
“Not Just Bikes” YouTube series.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
video was eye-opening for me, and how I think about “aurally-polluting” motor
vehicles within cities (especially motorcycles and sports cars). Most reckless
drivers are also creating excessive noise as they proceed recklessly down a
street. Fortunately, there are new innovative means available to the Village by
which such behavior can be identified, punished, and deterred. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Other communities have come up
with innovative ways to discourage drivers who use streets in an excessively
noisy way. See this recent New York Times article: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/nyregion/nyc-noise-cameras.html">If
You’re Too Noisy in New York, New Cameras Might Catch You:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New York City, not exactly known for its
peace and quiet, is expanding its use of “noise cameras,” which ticket the
drivers of loud cars and motorcycles.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Or <a href="https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/opinion/opinion-noise-cameras-the-next-big-thing-in-its.html">see
this recent article from TTI</a> (Transportation Technology International),
about the growth in the use of noise cameras in several countries, including in
the U.S. For example, as mentioned in the TTI article, the small city of
Elkhart, Indiana has had a highly positive experience with cracking down on
those who produce excess noise, both specifically to reduce noise, but also to
prevent crime. “Elkhart’s experience demonstrates the strong link between
noise, guns, drugs, gangs, and crime.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In short, penalize those who create excess noise, and make it more
likely that criminals will choose to stay away from your community. See <a href="https://noisefree.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elkhart-Boom-Car-Paper.pdf">Elkhart,
Indiana Noise Ordinance Yields Drugs and Weapons Arrests and Pays for Itself</a>.
According to the above two articles, Elkhart has collected more than $1.6
million in noise fines (enough to more than cover the cost of hiring an extra fulltime
“noise-focused” police officer, and acquire two special undercover Ford Mustang
police cars). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Using “Automated Enforcement
Systems” to Effectively Fight Reckless Driving<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">First, a bit of terminology (and
some acronyms). Collectively, “speed cameras,” “redlight cameras,” “parking
enforcement cameras,” and “noise cameras” are camera-and-software systems used
in what are called <a href="https://www.iihs.org/media/431e551b-3f64-4591-8e30-ad35a069f41f/cF4n4g/News/2021/050621%20auto%20enforcement/AE-checklist-May-2021.pdf">“automated
enforcement systems”</a> (“AESs”). And more specifically, “speed cameras” are components
of what are known as “automated speed enforcement systems” (“ASESs”), and “redlight
cameras” are components of what are known as “traffic control photographic
systems” (“TCPSs”). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Shorewood is already using some
forms of AESs, and has been for over a decade. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For example, the Village uses an
automated camera and software system to detect parking violations, and generate
citations (which the officer then places on vehicle windshields). More
recently, the Public Safety Committee in December 2023 recommended that the Village
Board act to allow Shorewood police officers starting January 1, 2024 to start
using its already existing “automated license plate recognition” (ALPR) system.
The ALPR system uses cameras in squad cars and software, whereby the cameras
automatically scan and record license plate numbers; the system than instantly
checks a national crime database, and gives computer alerts to officers, if a
scanned license plate is flagged in the national database. For example, an
alert might notify the officer that a vehicle license plate in front of his
squad car has been reported as stolen, reported as connected with a wanted
felon, or connected with an Amber Alert (or similar alert). (For further
details about the proposal to implement ALPR technology in Shorewood, see pages
134-137 of the <a href="https://www.villageofshorewood.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12042023-2171">Village
Board Agenda Materials from 12/4/23</a>). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Does Shorewood Currently Use
Noise Cameras, and What Exactly Are They?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Shorewood currently does not use
a noise camera system. For further details about such systems, see the above
New York Times article, or <a href="https://www.not-a-loud.us/services">the
website of Not-A-Loud</a>. Not-A-Loud specializes in providing noise cameras to
cities, and its website provides a good deal of information about the
detrimental effects of excessive noise, and how its products can help
discourage excessively loud driving. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Legality of AES Systems Generally,
and Noise Cameras in Particular<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As you may have heard, the use of
at least one AES system is currently prohibited in Wisconsin. Specifically, under
<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/349/i/02">Wis.
Stat. § 349.02(3)</a>, “law enforcement officers may not use any radar device
combined with photographic identification of a vehicle to determine compliance
with motor vehicle <b>speed limits</b>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Emphasis added.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of § 349.02(3), no Wisconsin cities
are currently using speed cameras (unlike cities in many other states, which
don’t have similar statutes). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In contrast, there is no
Wisconsin statute that prohibits a law enforcement officer from using noise
cameras (<i>i.e., </i>a camera and software system that automatically records
sounds and photographic images, to enforce noise law requirements). I see no
argument that can be legitimately made, that Wis. Stat. § 349.02(3) prohibits
the use of noise cameras. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Is Driving in an Excessively
Noisy Way already Illegal in Shorewood?</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In Wisconsin, Police officers are
able to ticket operators if they are operating a motor vehicle that is
producing “excessive noise.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>See</i> <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/347/iii/39?view=section#:~:text=(1)%20No%20person%20shall%20operate,also%20applies%20to%20motor%20bicycles.">Wis.
Stat. § 347.39(1)</a> (relating to motor vehicles and motorcycles); see also <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/trans/305/iii/39">Wis.
Reg. Trans 305.39</a> (relating to motorcycle mufflers). What constitutes
“excessive noise” under § 347.39(1) is not defined by a specifically measurable
standard. Nevertheless, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has rejected the
argument that the term “excessive noise” in § 347.39 is so vague, that it
deprives a defendant of the right to due process under the law. <a href="https://casetext.com/case/county-of-jefferson-v-renz-1"><i>Cnty. of
Jefferson v. Renz</i></a>, 222 Wis. 2d 424, 437 (Ct. App. 1998) (holding that the
officer’s belief that the driver was violating § 347.39 gave the officer
probable cause to pull over the driver, and holding that once pulled over, the
officer’s observations did not give him probable cause to require the driver to
take a breathalyzer test), <i>rev'd on other grounds</i>, <a href="https://casetext.com/case/county-of-jefferson-v-renz-1">231 Wis. 2d 293</a>
(1999) (while not addressing the portion of the court of appeal’s decision
finding the noise statute constitutional, finding that the officer did have
probable cause to administer breathalyzer test). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Shorewood Village Code (“VC”)
also has prohibitions against excessive noise. VC § 383-1 provides:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-align: justify;">It shall be unlawful for any person to
make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any noise which is
unreasonably loud or any noise which either unreasonably annoys, disturbs,
injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others,
within the limits of the Village.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Additionally, Shorewood has a
“nighttime” noise ordinance (contained in VC § 383-2), which among other things
prohibits the “operation between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of any
equipment, machinery or <b>vehicles</b>, the use of which is attended by <b>unreasonably
loud noise</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Emphasis added.) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The penalty for violating a noise
ordinance in Shorewood can be steep. First offense is a forfeiture fine of “not
less than $10 <i>nor more than $2,000</i>, together with the costs of
prosecution, and in default of payment of such forfeiture and costs of
prosecution shall be imprisoned in the county jail or house of corrections of
Milwaukee County until such forfeiture and costs are paid, but not exceeding 90
days.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the first offense, fines go
up to $50 to $3,000 per offense. The range of fines in the ordinance enables a
judge to distinguish between the temporarily (and perhaps “inadvertently”) noisy
driver (for example, a driver who has a muffler go bad on him one day, who
receives a citation, but who gets the muffler fixed the next day), compared
to the intentionally noisy driver (for example, the driver how intentionally modifies the muffler system on his car or motorcycle, so his vehicle "really roars" at it idles at an intersection, or goes down a street).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Note that the standards in Chapter
383 of the Village Code for what is an “unreasonably loud noise,” is not
defined by reference to an objective, mechanically-measurable method. But the
words used in the Village Code are likely sufficiently similar to the words
used in Wis. Stat. § 347.49, that the Chapter 383 would also likely survive a
due process challenge. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The folks at Not-A-Loud have also
given thought to <a href="https://www.not-a-loud.us/services">how local noise
ordinances can be drafted</a>, so that localities have measurable standards in
their noise ordinances:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We have a library
of vehicle noise ordinances from a US context. If you are interested in
proposing a vehicle noise ordinance in your own community, reach out and we
would be happy to discuss.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is highly likely that noise
ordinance statutes that apply objective standards make it more difficult for
the noisy operator to defeat a citation, and such standards also make it less
likely that such ordinances are enforced in a discriminatory manner. If
Shorewood was to amend its ordinances so that there is a more objective
standard therein, it would need to be careful to ensure that its noise standard
is <i>not more restrictive </i>than the state vehicle noise standard
(otherwise, enforcement of the village ordinance might be hampered by a
defendant arguing that the village ordinance is preempted by the state noise
ordinance). It might be best (rather than amending the Village Code to provide an objective standard), if the Shorewood Police Department merely had a policy defining an objective standard, by which it determines whether a particular driver is violating the noise provisions in the Wisconsin Statutes or the Village Code. <i>See </i><a href="https://casetext.com/case/county-of-jefferson-v-renz-1"><i>Cnty. of Jefferson v. Renz</i></a>, 222 Wis. 2d at 436-37 (finding state noise statute not unconstitutional vague and unenforceable, where--even though there was no objective standard in the statute--a police officer had and applied an objective standard before he chose to pull over what he determined to be an excessively loud vehicle, that objective standard being that the vehicle's muffler was emiting far more noise than a muffler would, if the muffler was in the same condition as originally installed on a new vehicle). </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Also, while an officer would not
be able to use evidence from a noise camera to give an operator a <i>speeding</i>
<i>ticket</i>, the officer could use the noise camera evidence to give an <i>excess
noise</i> <i>ticket</i> to an operator producing excessive noise, who is also
in the act of speeding (or driving recklessly). Not all reckless drivers are
violating a noise ordinance when engaging in reckless driving, but a lot of
them surely are.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Of course, if cities or villages
in Wisconsin were to install such noise cameras, that might result in
legislators acting to ban such cameras. For example, perhaps the Wisconsin motorcycle clubs or sportscar clubs would band together and urge legislators to ban the use of noise cameras (even though most
motorcycle riders and sportscar owners do not ride or drive in a manner that violates state or local noise ordinances). Or maybe there are legislators who believe that anybody (especially young
men) ought to have the right to produce excessive noise as they operate cars,
trucks or motorcycles, anywhere they like, whenever they like, including in
dense urban environments, or on residential streets. But as the saying goes:
“My freedom to swing my arm ends where the other fellow’s nose begins.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same might be said of “the other fellow’s
ears,” or the other “fellow’s” sense that he or she is living in a relatively-peaceful
community where excessively loud and/or reckless-and-unsafe driving is deterred
(and if not deterred, punished). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Publicizing that Shorewood
Enforces Noise Restriction Laws<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">The effectiveness of using noise cameras in Shorewood would
be enhanced if drivers and motorcycle riders know Shorewood enforces noise
restrictions. Some Shorewood residents would probably be happy if signs were
posted at some key entrances to Shorewood that said something like "EXCESSIVE VEHICLE NOISE PROHIBITED Village Code Chap. 383." Other communities use signs like this: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDluUvtH-nZ4VN3qA-JLlNt88bKSxeM0rMTqD2MP4kbjT2eDw3zK8pGn2CQJinWu6v1A5CF36bithsoLgGBdqinN1cLGw5X5ZmIfZ-Cpq17x_UUg-0YOl4pk0CF_-NzxTpM5c2HLqp-yYkDEBnKGU5TPiAMzM9WV7ruELkZVzkjGnUokIdlj9VBVREZoCG/s1280/Noise%20Ordinance%20Strictly%20Enforced%20121023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDluUvtH-nZ4VN3qA-JLlNt88bKSxeM0rMTqD2MP4kbjT2eDw3zK8pGn2CQJinWu6v1A5CF36bithsoLgGBdqinN1cLGw5X5ZmIfZ-Cpq17x_UUg-0YOl4pk0CF_-NzxTpM5c2HLqp-yYkDEBnKGU5TPiAMzM9WV7ruELkZVzkjGnUokIdlj9VBVREZoCG/w200-h113/Noise%20Ordinance%20Strictly%20Enforced%20121023.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I'm not saying I would be in favor of such signs (again, they aren't exactly "Welcome to Shorewood"), but I could see some folks in Shorewood who would favor posting such signs at key entrances or intrances, or near schools.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>What Would it Cost to Install
an Automatic Noise Enforcement System in Shorewood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If Shorewood were to start using
an automated enforcement system to enforce noise regulations, what would the
fiscal impact be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Cities in other states that
choose to have AESs are often able to do such with a <i>substantially positive
budgetary impact</i>. This is because <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/02/20/red-light-camera-tampa-florida-revenue-road-safety/">cities
are able to enter into “percentage of ticket revenue” agreements with companies
that manufacture, install and maintain such cameras</a>. According to the <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/1m-chicago-speed-camera-tickets-fail-to-stop-record-traffic-deaths/">Illinois
Policy Institute</a> (a conservative think-tank), in 2021 Chicago collected <i>$89
million</i> worth of revenue due to its use of speed cameras. (And, while it
does not appear that Elkhart uses noise cameras, its <a href="https://noisefree.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elkhart-Boom-Car-Paper.pdf">noise abatement program in is reportedly cash positive for its budget</a>.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But at this point, I do not know
if there are any suppliers of <i>noise cameras</i>, who offer “percentage of ticket
revenue” agreements, or otherwise have agreements that would assure a locality
that—if it installs such a company’s noise camera systems—the use of such a
system would be at least be revenue neutral for the locality.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It would seem like automated
enforcement programs (like noise cameras) would also save a locality money,
because they would function as police “force multipliers,” because an actual
officer does not have to be out on the street looking for and waiting to spot
violators, and then attempting to pull over violators, to issue a citation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So at this point, I don’t know exactly
what costs would be associated with the Village trying to implement a noise
camera system. But—if speed camera and redlight camera systems in other communities are any
indication—it may be that the Village implementing such a system <i>would bring
in revenue to the Village</i>. Think about that. Wouldn’t it be nice if your
property taxes went down, because noise cameras are bringing in new revenue?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially if the persons paying those fines
were reckless drivers?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>What about Redlight Cameras –
Are those Permitted in Wisconsin?</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As I indicated above, there is a
Wisconsin statute (<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/349/i/02">§ 349.02(3)</a>)
that prohibits the use of <i>speed camera</i> systems. But, there is no Wisconsin
statute that prohibits law enforcement from using a system that automatically
records whether a vehicle is running a redlight. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Please note, however, that if you
look on the Internet, you can find many “layman” articles indicating that
Wisconsin prohibits the use of redlight cameras (see such as <a href="https://kool1017.com/did-you-know-these-are-illegal-on-roads-in-wisconsin/#:~:text=Both%20red%20light%20cameras%20and,speeding%20with%20a%20speed%20gun.">this
article</a>, or <a href="https://www.cbs58.com/news/farfetched-ludicrous-gop-critical-of-mke-red-light-camera-proposal-to-reduce-reckless-driving">this
article</a>). But the assertions made in those articles are not supported by
citation, and I have been unable to find any provision in the Wisconsin
Statutes that would prohibit the use of redlight cameras in Wisconsin. Some
might argue that the use of redlight cameras is prohibited in Wisconsin,
because the use of redlight cameras <i>is not expressly permitted by the
Wisconsin Statutes; </i>such an argument would probably be based on the
pre-emption provisions in the Wisconsin Traffic Code (<i>see </i>Wis. Stat. §
349.03 and § 349.06). But that argument is a strained argument, one not
supported by the actual text of those statutes, or the pre-emption case law
interpreting those statutes<i>. See, e.g., </i><a href="https://casetext.com/case/city-of-janesville-v-garthwaite"><i>City of
Janesville v. Garthwaite</i></a><i>, </i>83 Wis. 2d 866, 266 N.W.2d 418
(1978)(because the Wisconsin legislature has not acted to prohibit excessive
noise made by squealing tires or acceleration of automobile engine, a city
ordinance that prohibited such does not interfere with uniform application of the
noise provisions in Motor Vehicle Code, and was therefore not invalid as not
meeting the Code’s “strict conformity test”). (As always, if you are reading
this, and you think I should be aware some authority that would prohibit the
use of redlight cameras in Wisconsin, let me know.) <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Of course, there have been some highly-publicized efforts in Wisconsin in the last few years, to pass legislation that would allow the use of <i>speed cameras</i> in the City of Milwaukee (or at least permit a certain limited number of those cameras). <i>See </i><a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/ab85">2023 A.B. 85</a> and <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/sb107">2023 S.B. 107</a>. The passage of those proposed bills would also make it clear that the use of <i>redlight cameras</i> would also be permitted, at least to a certain extent in Milwaukee. But the efforts to pass those bills, at least so far, have been unsuccessful.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Are Redlight Cameras Effective? Do They Save Lives?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">According to the latest research, the answer is "yes." In 2021, 1,109 people were killed
in the U.S. in crashes involving redlight running. <a href="https://www.iihs.org/topics/red-light-running#:~:text=Cameras%20can%20fill%20the%20void,signalized%20intersections%20by%2014%20percent.">A
recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)</a> found
that cameras reduced the fatal redlight running crash rate of large cities by
21 percent, and the rate of all types of fatal crashes at signalized
intersections by 14 percent.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Fiscal Impact of Redlight
Cameras?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If Shorewood were to start using
an automated enforcement system to enforce stop light regulations, what would
the fiscal impact be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, as
mentioned above, cities in other states (such as Chicago) that have decided to
use AESs (including redlight camera systems) are often able to do such with a <i>substantially
positive budgetary impact</i>. This is because <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/02/20/red-light-camera-tampa-florida-revenue-road-safety/">cities
are able to enter into “percentage of ticket revenue” agreements with companies
that manufacture, install and maintain such cameras</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So think about it. Wouldn’t it be
nice if your property taxes went down, because redlight cameras are bringing in
new revenue to the Village?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially
if the persons paying those fines were reckless drivers choosing to flagrantly ignore
redlights (and in the process, creating a substantial danger to themselves and
others)?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Of course, if cities or villages
in Wisconsin were to install redlight cameras, that might result in legislators
acting to ban such cameras. Legislators might seek to ban such cameras on the
grounds that they believe the use of such cameras smacks too much of “big
brother,” or that the use of such cameras would unfairly penalize lower-income
members of society. Or some legislators may believe that everybody (especially
young men) ought to have the right to run redlights anywhere they like,
whenever they like. To me at least, that seems like an asinine argument, which
I would hope no Wisconsin legislator would be willing to make. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Publicizing that Shorewood Uses
Redlight Cameras<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">The effectiveness of using redlight cameras in Shorewood
would be enhanced if drivers know Shorewood uses such cameras. Some Shorewood
residents would probably be happy if signs were posted at some key entrances to
Shorewood that said something like this: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4sD1jA1ps8GoZPaM9HBOL1nE3QzBTbl6X5NczwtTQ6RHzNq7TpeoU2hhVj5KR-N7n_uGabC3mlrnZf_H19KPgQLR9zCnypCA2pdXoI-l84ouKQfh9-pNTGxCGoeLzKn0Yo0CtRmKqh2rwMi1Ap_dfbXgHQRsmmDTgknbBDNAw3muGHTdRPYzJpyAZdY8/s1120/Redlight%20Photo%20Enforced%20Picture%20121023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1120" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4sD1jA1ps8GoZPaM9HBOL1nE3QzBTbl6X5NczwtTQ6RHzNq7TpeoU2hhVj5KR-N7n_uGabC3mlrnZf_H19KPgQLR9zCnypCA2pdXoI-l84ouKQfh9-pNTGxCGoeLzKn0Yo0CtRmKqh2rwMi1Ap_dfbXgHQRsmmDTgknbBDNAw3muGHTdRPYzJpyAZdY8/w200-h128/Redlight%20Photo%20Enforced%20Picture%20121023.png" width="200" /></a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JhV2rilrD893FtOIVRhd9jTao90M2lznEj8kdx_uQjGYLHRaSV_qXZazRi2idRAil8ue6WG9Q_06cFxd8M_KDz7Jely7TYTx0pXFYhqhPUlKVVA6h9Unxjn5y_qYuiG4ANPHm0E6F69PtnUDmN1YXbUYu4V5sAwAZyyrWKaS1e7I1NIu8rLKAFC0qceg/s656/Redlight%20Camera%20Includes%20right%20turn%20photo%20121023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JhV2rilrD893FtOIVRhd9jTao90M2lznEj8kdx_uQjGYLHRaSV_qXZazRi2idRAil8ue6WG9Q_06cFxd8M_KDz7Jely7TYTx0pXFYhqhPUlKVVA6h9Unxjn5y_qYuiG4ANPHm0E6F69PtnUDmN1YXbUYu4V5sAwAZyyrWKaS1e7I1NIu8rLKAFC0qceg/w153-h200/Redlight%20Camera%20Includes%20right%20turn%20photo%20121023.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Or if such signs were posted at key intersections, where
compliance with redlights have been a problem (<i>e.g., </i>at Capitol & Oakland,
and Capitol & Morris). Having such systems and signs would seem especially helpful
to discourage the current high rates at which east bound drivers on Capitol
ignore the “no turn on red” signs/rules at Morris and also as Oakland). Both
those latter two intersections are near schools, and have a high number of students
and other pedestrians crossing there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Are There Better Options to
Discourage Reckless Driving?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Cities have other options they
can use to try to decrease the amount of reckless driving. Those options
include:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Better drivers-ed programs for young drivers;</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Lobbying legislators to increase the penalties
for reckless driving, in the hope that such more substantial penalties will
deter such behavior, or encouraging local judges to more often “throw the book”
at those cited for reckless driving;</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Hiring more police officers, and deploying those
police officers to focus on deterring reckless driving;</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Not hiring more police officers, but having existing
officers focus more of their time on traditional enforcement activities (</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">i.e.,
</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">looking for, attempting to stop, and ticket reckless drivers); and/or</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Redesigning and re-constructing streets, so the
design of the streets naturally discourages high speeds (such as by adding narrows,
chicanes, mini-traffic circles, speedhumps, protected bike lanes, etc.), or the
running of redlights (for example by replacing “redlight intersections” with roundabouts).</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Are the above options better options? </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Drivers ed courses tend to be
expensive, and it is questionable whether they would affect driver behavior. As
to the “stiffer penalties” option, penalties are already high, and that doesn’t
seem to be deterring the behavior. As to the “police officer options”
identified above, each of those options carries risks (for example, attempting
to stop reckless drivers, can lead to high-speed chases), and expenses. And as
to the last option, such options can take years if not decades to implement,
and are expensive. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If it is the case that cities in
Wisconsin can implement noise camera systems and/or redlight camera systems in
at least a revenue-neutral manner (and if cities can adopt and implement “reckless
driver vehicle impound and disposal” ordinances for little or no cost), it
would seem like those two options would be less expensive (and as to camera
systems maybe even revenue positive) compared to the costs associated with any
of the above five alternative methods. The use of AESs could also help to reduce alleged incidents of racial
profiling and help to minimize the number of stressful police-driver traffic-stop interactions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And there is nothing that says that we can try only one method to deter reckless driving. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Does the Community Support the
Village Moving to Use Noise Cameras or Redlight Cameras to Discourage Reckless
Driving?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">That’s a difficult question. As
with many things, it is likely that “the devil’s in the details.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">First and foremost, there is the issue
of cost. It is probably fair to say that there are few in Shorewood who want
their property taxes to increase. So it is unlikely the community would support
such camera systems <i>unless</i> state or federal funds could be obtained to
pay for such, or <i>if contracts with providers were available that would make
such systems revenue neutral. </i>Of course, if the implementation of such
systems in Shorewood would likely lead to <i>a positive fiscal impact </i>(or
better yet, a promise that the revenue would be applied to lowering property
taxes), such would likely increase support amongst residents for such
systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Clearly, <i>speed cameras</i> are
politically unpopular, so unpopular that about 30 states (including Wisconsin) ban
them. Studies also indicate, however, that speed cameras have become more
popular, <a href="https://studyfinds.org/traffic-cameras-interactions-police/">where
the public believes that their use will cut down on alleged incidents of racial
profiling, and minimize police-driver interactions</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But we are <i>not</i> talking
here about <i>speed cameras</i>. And the Village is already using some forms of
AESs (an automatic parking enforcement system, and likely as of January 1,
2024, an “Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) and Notification” system). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We are talking here about <i>redlight
cameras</i>, and <i>noise cameras</i>. Only seven states—Maine, Mississippi,
Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia—prohibit
<i>redlight cameras</i>. And, as best I can tell, no state bans <i>noise
cameras</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As to the “details,” as to
redlight cameras, maybe Shorewood residents would only support trying such
cameras at only a few intersections (<i>e.g., </i>Capitol & Wilson, and/or
Oakland & Edgewood); or would want to ensure the system is calibrated so it
would only issue automatic tickets to <i>flagrant </i>redlight runners. Police officers have never cited every
driver they see who technically violate traffic light rules, so even if
Shorewood starts using redlight cameras, it would retain the discretion to calibrate
the redlight cameras, so that they only issue automatic tickets to “flagrant”
redlight runners (<i>i.e., </i>the type of drivers who pose the highest risk to others, and who are most likely to engender a sense of lawlessness and disorder in the community).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As to the “details” as to noise
cameras, maybe Shorewood residents would support noise cameras only in the
follow situations: (1) only at a few specific locations (for example, near
schools); (2) only if Shorewood adopts objectively-measurable noise standard policies (rather than the Village’s Code’s current rather subjective standard); and/or (3)
only if the standards are different, depending on whether daytime or nighttime
hours are involved (<i>e.g., </i>10:00pm to 7:00am). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: black;">Conclusion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We Don’t Have to Accept the <i>Status Quo</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Reckless
drivers are harmful to Shorewood and Shorewood residents in multiple ways. There
are things that we in Shorewood can do, if we want to, to address this problem.
Those include:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Enacting, publicizing
and enforcing a reckless driver vehicle impound ordinance; and/or</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Investigating and
implementing new AESs in Shorewood (noise cameras and/or redlight cameras).</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">I hope
we can get a discussion going about addressing this problem, sooner rather than
later. If you favor the Village adopting such an ordinance, or trying such
cameras, you may want to consider contacting </span><a href="https://www.villageofshorewood.org/198/Village-Board">members of the
Shorewood Village Board</a><span style="color: black;">, so they know you are
concerned about reckless driving in Shorewood, and that you favor the Village
investigating the above options. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">In the
meantime, be careful out there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: black;">As
always, I’m willing to engage in civil dialogue with anyone who wants to
discuss what I write about in this blog. Also, if you believe I’ve overlooked relevant
authority, evidence or research, I’m interested in hearing from you about such).<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-39952661609982226622023-11-13T09:05:00.000-08:002023-11-25T06:47:25.373-08:00Santa Rampage Ride 2023! Don't Miss It!<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">By Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">President, Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Bike Fed is holding its annual</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><a href="https://wisconsinbikefed.org/santa-cycle-rampage/" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">Santa Cycling Rampage Ride on Saturday, December 2nd</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, and you’re invited</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gNEwKGT1J5s" width="320" youtube-src-id="gNEwKGT1J5s"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Click on the above video, to be amazed</i> <i>and put in to a holly jolly mood</i><i style="font-style: italic;">.</i></div><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">If you’ve never participated in the Santa Ride, I highly recommend it. See the above video and </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the article “</span><a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2016/12/02/bike-czar-why-ride-in-santa-cycle-rampage/" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">Why Ride in the Santa Cycle Rampage</a>,<span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">” which I penned for the Bike Fed a few years back, as published in Urban Milwaukee (complete with 10 “can’t miss” holiday dad jokes).</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Santa Ride is a joyous and silly way to get in the holiday mood, and it’s the gateway drug of winter biking.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It also helps raise money for the Bike Fed, so it can continue to do its crucial and important work.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Riders are encouraged to dress as Santa, or to wear some other creative holiday-themed costume </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(complete Santa costumes start as low as about $16 on Amazon)</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Those of you who are doing the Ride from Shorewood, Glendale, Whitefish Bay or other points North, are</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"> invited to gather at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday December 2nd </b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">at</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://threelionspub.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Three Lions Pub in Shorewood</a> </b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">on Oakland Avenue (they are expecting us, and they are an official sponsor of the Ride this year).</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The plan is to gather there, then ride over together to Café Hollander (leaving Three Lions <b>at 9:30 <u>sharp</u></b>, so we get to Café Hollander before the “Southern Wave of Santas” gets there around 10:30).</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ride will occur come rain, shine, blizzard, hell, or high water. (Your bike has no need to hibernate during the winter months, nor do you.) The ride (especially from Three Lions to Cafe Hollander) is a family-friendly,
costumed, leisurely roll of holiday good cheer of less than 3 miles, generally occuring on
low-traffic volume streets. (The full MKE ride is much longer, and will have <b><u>a lot</u></b> more Santas than our segment will.) </span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can't ride that day for whatever reason, but still are interested in biking issues in Shorewood and MKE, I encourage you to stop by at Three Lions or Cafe Hollander, to have a beer or a cup of coffee with us, to talk (plot?) about biking and better streets in our area. Just watching the river of Santas that will go by Cafe Hollander is an amazing sight to see. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Riders starting at Three Lions are highly encouraged
(but not required) to support the Wisconsin Bike Fed by formally signing up for
the full Santa Rampage Ride </span><a href="https://wisconsinbikefed.org/santa-cycle-rampage/">at this link</a><span>.
I recommend the event (or whatever portion thereof you can participate in or watch). Individual results may vary,
but I’ve heard more than one person described participating in the full Santa Ride as a mind-expanding, life-changing experience. </span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Three Lions serves wonderful breakfast food, has a wide selection of beers, and they are offering drink specials to all riders that day. C</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">onvince yourself and your friends this is the year you are all going to ride a part of the Rampage.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hope to see you at Three Lions on the 3rd.</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Cheers!</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p><o:p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"></o:p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S.: Buried in all of the frivolity of the Santa Ride is a serious issue too, as it helps spread the message--in a fun and postive way--that our streets should be for everyone, not just cars:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhwcVUzf5pU" width="320" youtube-src-id="NhwcVUzf5pU"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><i>Please note: on the day of the Ride, each participant in the Shorewood Santa Ride will be asked to agree to a Waiver of Liability Agreement.</i></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-47779345224604166402023-07-31T19:42:00.003-07:002023-08-01T09:56:57.095-07:00Let's Talk About Rethinking I-794<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SnhzkVBawCy-H0Tkk0cGBn2ga6579qXti03bB3XqZYjilxCdYqjieyddZJJom8Hz05CyE80mdW_uqSHa_wZXK6OSw7AEVwJRwjZ5fnWhEqp3kYh180A5qARgLUlRif4GLVD4NupgWKpwBmKV6ENP9kQvbMziggHzKnYIveZSimy_FhSesCnPeKqjpgF1/s1760/Pompeii%20Square%20Picture%20073123.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1760" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SnhzkVBawCy-H0Tkk0cGBn2ga6579qXti03bB3XqZYjilxCdYqjieyddZJJom8Hz05CyE80mdW_uqSHa_wZXK6OSw7AEVwJRwjZ5fnWhEqp3kYh180A5qARgLUlRif4GLVD4NupgWKpwBmKV6ENP9kQvbMziggHzKnYIveZSimy_FhSesCnPeKqjpgF1/w200-h133/Pompeii%20Square%20Picture%20073123.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span>Is there any place sadder in Milwaukee than Pompeii Square?</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span></span><br /><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span>At the height of Milwaukee's rush to capture as many federal highway dollars as possible, Milwaukee was willing to demolish its historic downtown train station (to make way for the proposed Lakefront North Freeway), and tear down Milwaukee's oldest Italian catholic church (the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church), and in the process destroy a once vibrant Italian neighborhood. Pompeii Square is a sad, sad reminder of those decisions.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://highway.umwblogs.org/files/2009/04/600px-eisenhower_interstate_system.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://highway.umwblogs.org/files/2009/04/600px-eisenhower_interstate_system.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></span><span style="background: white;">President Eisenhower never wanted interstate roads to go through cities, and certainly not through dense residential neighborhoods. According to t<a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/bragdon2.cfm" target="_blank">he Federal Highway Administration's website</a>, President Eisenhower said this at a high level meeting in April 1960</span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white;">: "[President Eisenhower] went on to say that the matter of running Interstate routes through the congested parts of the cities <b>was entirely against his original concept and wishes</b>; that he <b>never anticipated that the program would turn out this way</b>." (Emphasis added.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;">Eisenhower was a cosmopolitan man, who had traveled and visited great cities all over the world. He understood the importance of a good network of interstate highways</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>between states, </i><span style="background-color: white;">and</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><i>between cities, </i><span style="background-color: white;">but he also understood the importance of vibrant, downtown urban areas (and never intended interstate routes to go through or destroy those downtown areas, or through neighborhoods). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>As many of you know, my office is downtown, on Wisconsin Avenue near the Milwaukee River. For the majority of my career as a lawyer, my office has been in downtown Milwaukee. I'm not anti-car. I own a car, and I regularly use it (even if I'm trying to use it less than I did previously, for several reasons). But I have always thought that I-794 blights the area around it, and creates a barrier between the downtown and the Third Ward. I hate walking around I-794, I hate biking around I-794, and I hate driving around I-794. If you are on Clybourne, or on one of the streets adjacent to I-794, there are very few places (with only 1 or 2 exceptions I can think of) that are capable of sparking a feeling of joy.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I can remember visiting Milwaukee in the 1970's when I was a kid, and riding along in a car on I-43 and looking at houses that were next to the interstate, and thinking "wow, the poor people who live right here, who had this huge highway built right next to their homes, and who have to live next to all of this noise, exhaust, and traffic." Even then, I had this sense that what had happened was somehow unfair, wrong, and unjust. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>According to DOT, if we were to re-establish
Milwaukee's traditional street grid where I-794 currently is, and remove that elevated, limited access highway, we would be opening up more than 30 acres of downtown and/or lake-view property to new
development.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>To me, this is an opportunity for us to reconsider our past mistakes (or sins), and chart a new path. This gives us an opportunity to </span></span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">think like a 21st Century city (not a 1960s city). The young, educated,
intelligent, talented and creative workforce that downtown businesses are
working hard to recruit, are looking for vibrant urban streets and neighborhoods
to live and work in. No one wants to live or work next to an elevated
interstate highway. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It is possible to have surface streets that are vibrant for
shops, pedestrians and other users, and which streets still move a large volume
of cars (see for example the Champs Elysees in Paris, which has a traffic
volume of about 65,000 cars per day.) What would Paris be like if instead of the Champs Elysees, that was instead replaced with an elevated, interstate highway? That would be an urban planning sin of collosal proportions.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Removing the Park East Freeway led to over
one billion dollars in private investment in that neighborhood, and</span></span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> "carmageddon" did not occur, despite many naysayers' predictions. Same
thing happened in San Francisco, when they took down the Embarcadero freeway,
and other urban freeways in other cities. It is estimated that replacing I-794 with a traditional street grid would lead to $1.5 billion dollars worth of investment in that area.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> </span><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">I urge you to explore </span><a href="https://www.rethink794.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Rethink 794's website</span> </a><span style="background-color: white;">to learn
about the history of 794, and about why re-establishing a traditional street
grid, and opening up more than 30 acres to new development, could be such a great thing for Milwaukee's future.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>There are trade offs we all need to weigh as we consider whether to replace an elevated I-794. If I-794 is replaced (rather than repaired at great expense), that may result in my drive from the river to the lake taking a few more minutes than it currently does. But in exchange, I expect I will get a revitalized, and re-connected downtown and Third Ward. Maybe I'll get a few new bars or restaurants with outdoor seating, that I really like, or some new stores. Maybe I'll see Marquette University High School (or some other school) relocate to a new facility, that has great lake views, and sports facilities for kids. To me, the speed of the drive is not the most important thing, if what I get in return is a better drive, a better street, and a better neighborhood.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>For example, if the Lake Freeway (North) had been built from somewhere on the Eastside through Juneau Park to the Hoan Bridge and I-794 (hooking up the proposed extension of the Park East Freeway to the lakefront), I could probably today get to the Marquette Interchange faster than I can today (driving from Shorewood, along the lake). But at what cost? What would happen to my views of the lake, the art museum, and people enjoying Veterans Park while I make that drive? That would disappear (think of how on the Eastside of Cleveland, I-90 hugs Lake Erie, and blights that beautiful shoreline for miles). Wo</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">uld I want an elevated, limited access freeway acting as a barrier between the Eastside (where my church is, and where many of my friends live), and the lakefront? Certainly, no.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">To bring the debate or discussion examples even closer to Shorewood, what about the changes we've made over the last ten years along Wilson Drive? Let's face it, Wilson Drive used to be used by many as something like an "expressway" between Capitol Drive and Hampton Avenue. We've changed it. Yes, you and I and most other people are driving a little slower on Wilson Drive these days. But I know I'm enjoying that drive more than I used to, and I think the traffic calming measures that have gone in place on Wilson has made Wilson a better street (both in terms of to drive on, to live on, to walk on and to bike on). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Or look at Oakland Avenue in Shorewood north of Capitol Drive. We've put in traffic calming measures on that stretch of street, and its paid off in residential and commercial development for Shorewood. Or the new traffic calming on-street features on Estabrook Parkway? Who in Shorewood wants to go back to the old Wilson Drive, the old Estabrook Park/Parkway, or the old Oakland Avenue (that had no street life)? Certainly I don't.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>On August 1st and August 2nd the Wisconsin
DOT will hold a public meeting to consider several options relating to I-794.
I urge you to <a href="https://www.rethink794.com/history-of-i-794" style="background-color: #fcff01;">visit
the Rethink I-794 website</a>, scroll down, and learn about:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.35pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The history of
interstate highway proposals and construction in downtown Milwaukee; and</span></li></ul><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.35pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The options that are
currently proposed by the DOT. </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">I’ve attended several meetings on this issue (including a half day symposium at Marquette University, that featured a wide spectrum of viewpoints on this issue). I've also read the articles I could find about this project. I admit that at first, I was sceptical about taking down I-794. And I still want to hear more from the DOT (and others) regarding how taking down I-794 would affect travel times in downtown Milwaukee, or for drivers traveling through that area (such as people who live in Shorewood or St. Francis). But based on what I've seen so far, my current conclusion is that re-establishing the traditional grid would help to create a more vibrant downtown Milwaukee and lakefront.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></span></span><br /><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Key for me is the
positive developments that followed the taking down of other interstate highways
in urban areas. Thirty U.S. cities are now considering doing such. Taking down the Park East Freeway in Milwaukee led to over a
billion dollars in private investment in that area. I like the Deer District, and what that has done for Milwaukee's image. Similarly, San Francisco's decision to remove the Embarcadero
Freeway</span></span></span></span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">--a decision that was hugely controversial at the time--</span><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="text-align: start;">has been a huge success for that city. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span>If elevated 794 is removed
(rather than repaired) it is not like all the vehicles that currently travel on
I-794 will (after redevelopment) be traveling on one surface street (<i>e.g.</i>,
Clybourne). This is becase a traditional urban street grid (as opposed to a limited
access elevated highway) enables the diffusion of traffic (and more route
options for drivers).</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_AZiJqieR0z94850AAciq7lJdQHUsjxHs8yYeEChONPtjiTDJHrw7GZotfhSRBT4thLWIcaAY6mn3kmbcFzxwp6Wyni9l35L5jZZd8zLHPWowuNREUR-y2bEEHRzgEo4DyFjtjE33jBBDkXodwyYsQmom8x5KsGOI_WDhw4FT46gNBhCGoMVnoR6isER/s1179/1909%20Milwaukee%20Parkway%20Drawing%20073123.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="1179" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_AZiJqieR0z94850AAciq7lJdQHUsjxHs8yYeEChONPtjiTDJHrw7GZotfhSRBT4thLWIcaAY6mn3kmbcFzxwp6Wyni9l35L5jZZd8zLHPWowuNREUR-y2bEEHRzgEo4DyFjtjE33jBBDkXodwyYsQmom8x5KsGOI_WDhw4FT46gNBhCGoMVnoR6isER/w640-h514/1909%20Milwaukee%20Parkway%20Drawing%20073123.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;">We can have nice, beautiful, vibrant streets in Milwaukee. Or at least, as indicated by the above 1909 drawing, prior city planners thought so.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><span>The bottom line is Milwaukeeans of good will working
together (1) defeated the proposed Lakefront (North) Freeway, and the proposed
extension of the Park East Freeway all the way to the lakefront; and (2) successfully advocated
for the freeing up all of the real estate that was economically blighted by the
existence of the Park East Freeway. Over one billion dollars in private real
estate investment followed. From what I've seen so far, similar postive results will be achieved, if the
traditional Milwaukee street grid can be re-established, and 30 acres of
valuable now blighted, under-utilized downtown real estate can be re-developed in the current I-794 blight zone.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span>This may overly simplify the issue for some, but isn't it time we spend less time discusing what the Milwaukee Public Museum is going to do with the "Streest of Old Milwaukee" display, and more time disucussing what we can do to create great vibrant streets in a Future Milwaukee? </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">I encourage you to learn more about this issue. One way to do that is to attend one of the DOT meetings, and talk with DOT officials, and your "neighbors" (using that term in the broad, biblical sense). The details about those meetings </span><a href="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/647f3615434dca744e168f93/64a84c07c8f46851bc9cb73e_794LIC_PIM_Invite.pdf" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">are
at this link</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">. Or, if you can't attend in person, the link tells you how you can submit written comments. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">If you have studies, statistics or views that you think I should consider (as I think through exactly what my final position on this issue is, and which of the options the DOT has proposed I support), I welcome the oportunity to hear about such. And, as always, I'm more likely to be persauded by research, well-designed predictions by qualified experts, and statistics, as opposed to subjective predictions that it is obvious that "carmageddon" will obviously occur. I believe we can have a civic, fact-rich discussion on this issue, and I hope you do as well. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.73)" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: inherit; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-16477062154751875592023-06-04T16:25:00.006-07:002023-06-21T07:24:06.781-07:00Your Next Minivan -- a Cargo Bike?<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;"><i>By Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">It's simple. The cost
of just about everything about owning a car has risen, tailpipe emissions are a
leading cause of global warming, and sedentary car-centric lifestyles are a
leading cause of many significant health problems. How to fight back? For some
families in Shorewood, the answer is “one less car, one more cargo bike.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">What’s a Cargo
Bike?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Cargo bikes come in
various shapes and sizes, but the three most popular are box bikes, box trikes,
and longtail bikes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjstrmGeLON8irGmZaRaOIED-ukxdYfFsp-9HClxzor1Cii6cS911AzwgyY-kJ2efKP9JVVYqB-V-Aj8RwdB8kDo4P_cvG_SWYfVjY5njcx6gXKccFdVNHDcim5rRgGdFV78HOKmRzt935U3WhW6xOa0mhh9XuQO4y4qx7LGBpx6aQIBX0y1DjSS7pg/s4000/Basic%20Box%20Bike%20Picture%20060423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="4000" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjstrmGeLON8irGmZaRaOIED-ukxdYfFsp-9HClxzor1Cii6cS911AzwgyY-kJ2efKP9JVVYqB-V-Aj8RwdB8kDo4P_cvG_SWYfVjY5njcx6gXKccFdVNHDcim5rRgGdFV78HOKmRzt935U3WhW6xOa0mhh9XuQO4y4qx7LGBpx6aQIBX0y1DjSS7pg/w200-h146/Basic%20Box%20Bike%20Picture%20060423.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIdqgoY_6GpX5iE1RbVazwLR0eFaDiORku9Kr4upVjHPIwDcZSXgOllWGeJ1HLdKEzmJbszRJ0d6ZNGQaGBCRWwaw-eZV8QEskcHdBCXvy15K2Ls9ET86LSstWRDKpMRObTBgEgJCSfnIEpDLY0gEGmCmq2p8u51tye6kOreRe8osbjfYme6OLFOKrA/s1600/7%20Seegers%20Show%20Best%20Way%20to%20the%20Lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIdqgoY_6GpX5iE1RbVazwLR0eFaDiORku9Kr4upVjHPIwDcZSXgOllWGeJ1HLdKEzmJbszRJ0d6ZNGQaGBCRWwaw-eZV8QEskcHdBCXvy15K2Ls9ET86LSstWRDKpMRObTBgEgJCSfnIEpDLY0gEGmCmq2p8u51tye6kOreRe8osbjfYme6OLFOKrA/w320-h240/7%20Seegers%20Show%20Best%20Way%20to%20the%20Lake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Above, a box bike and a box trike.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs3N58YSuppxxvBdiFoBgV2qJr19OBeo5xEaP-2r7yhMpPXLeBNPwf1e-98jcqVau8jnKUmuAkZHztBDh4zKDz6DDX_TlV0K_PpYOuQNPXB0sru9V_dX7zqL166hqYPHzW13KGIHweO_b1HZlyQ1e2IryZWGmI4F9UKAP_Mui5MwgkBFKgNaeVOXrrg/s1200/Basic%20Longtail%20Bike%20Picture%20060423.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs3N58YSuppxxvBdiFoBgV2qJr19OBeo5xEaP-2r7yhMpPXLeBNPwf1e-98jcqVau8jnKUmuAkZHztBDh4zKDz6DDX_TlV0K_PpYOuQNPXB0sru9V_dX7zqL166hqYPHzW13KGIHweO_b1HZlyQ1e2IryZWGmI4F9UKAP_Mui5MwgkBFKgNaeVOXrrg/w320-h213/Basic%20Longtail%20Bike%20Picture%20060423.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Above, a longtail bike.</span></i></div></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">There’s much to be
said for all three types of cargo bikes, but we’ll talk here primarily about
box bikes and box trikes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Are Box Bikes Easy
to Ride?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Box bikes look odd to
many Americans. Those who have never ridden one, might believe they are somehow
difficult, or even unstable. But they are actually easy to ride and highly
stable. Just about everybody who tries one, picks up the knack of it right
away. Some prefer box trikes over box bikes, believing box bikes to be more
stable when not moving—but modern box bikes have large, easily-deployed double-legged
kickstands, which makes them as stable as box trikes, when the double-legged kickstand
is deployed. Many find a box bike more manueverable when in motion, than a box trike.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUO-a6Q4doEsFsos9OTHv9EJJZZWX_WX6yFMZWEf-kggyvtTdtCLEyO8ZKaU8BdaIuG2S_7taJ04BSO_CzD_BeuljzdBDcOR9EbLzHHpJX19fzuYYRCoZNu6qtnYxuQPNCmOO64oAyCV6RdcSfBPDN7YGGLcDdAkKdUWNB5N32oYU3KcJz3of2yQzDw/s1328/2%20Seeger%20Dad%20and%20Kids.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="747" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUO-a6Q4doEsFsos9OTHv9EJJZZWX_WX6yFMZWEf-kggyvtTdtCLEyO8ZKaU8BdaIuG2S_7taJ04BSO_CzD_BeuljzdBDcOR9EbLzHHpJX19fzuYYRCoZNu6qtnYxuQPNCmOO64oAyCV6RdcSfBPDN7YGGLcDdAkKdUWNB5N32oYU3KcJz3of2yQzDw/s320/2%20Seeger%20Dad%20and%20Kids.jpg" width="180" /></a></i></div><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Above, Eric Seeger
takes his three children for a spin on Downer Avenue in the Seegers’ cargo
trike.</span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">e-Bikes Make It
Even Easier</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">While the gearing on
box bikes traditionally made them easy to pedal, the recent rise of electric
cargo box bikes has made them usable by just about anyone. You can put hundreds
of pounds in the bin of an e-box bike, and almost-effortlessly go up any hill
in Shorewood.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">How Affordable is
a Cargo Bike, Compared to a Car?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Average new car
prices <i>reached a record high </i>in the U.S. last year. According to Kelly Blue
Book, the average new electric vehicle costs </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>$65,041</u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, the average
“luxury” gas-powered vehicle costs </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>$67,050</u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, and the average non-luxury gas-powered vehicle costs
</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>$44,584</u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Once a family buys a
new car, then come the costs to fuel, insure and maintain that car. According
to AAA, those costs also reached a <i>record high</i> last year:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>$10,728</u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> per year (or $894 per month).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In contrast, </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">non-electric</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">
cargo bikes start at about </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">$1200</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> (longtails) or </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">$2100</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> (box bikes).
</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Electric </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">cargo bikes start at </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">$2000</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> (e-longtails) or </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">$8,000</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">
(e-box bikes). Yes, there are maintenance, charging (and if you choose)
insurance costs related to owning an e-cargo bike, but those are a small
fraction of the (on average) </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">$10,728 </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">in annual fuel, insurance and
maintenance costs associated with a car. Depending on where you live, you also
would need to consider whether you are incurring costs to park a car (and whether
you are paying for car parking as a portion of the rent or mortgage payment you
are making).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Are Cargo Bikes
Good for the Environment?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Using a cargo bike
for transportation, <i>even part-time</i>, instead of a car is one thing an individual
can do to help reduce global warming, and improve the environment. According </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas-powered vehicles on U.S. roads "release about 1.4 billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere each year—mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>)—contributing to global climate change.” Amazingly, each gallon of gasoline a Shorewood resident burns “creates 20 pounds of GHG . . . [t]hat's <i>roughly 5 to 9 tons of GHG each year</i> for a typical vehicle.” A <a href="https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_reports/187/">whitepaper published by the Portland State University</a> found that cars in the Portland area emit <i>about 55 times as much CO</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><i>2</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"> per person mile, compared to e-bikes (rates vary city to city, depending on how electricity is generated in the area). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Think about
the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing a car, and getting that new
car to your local dealership. Now think about the carbon footprint associated
with manufacturing a cargo bike, and getting that cargo bike to your local bike
shop. Think about the carbon footprint associated with producing gasoline, and
transporting that gasoline every few days to your local gas station. Think
about the emissions associated with operating a car, compared to operating a cargo
bike or e-bike. Think about the noise pollution in your community created by cars (or
motorcycles), compared to that created by bikes (or e-bikes).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">One other benefit of
cargo bikes to Shorewood is cargo bike owners are more likely to buy their
groceries and do other shopping in Shorewood, which is good for local
businesses, both large and small.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqNKPjnimcZsSkGe78BenUxuluZ4xypQ0yFEqAnTzqJz8NM4vBHYmejzUMtu5wSv-ih_FGEmmiXWm6oNYf-hzZ_qr4_thc4bM2oogtzrskiE9WfXD5IHuOnMfTNEWPnsQ8HkEHe9s9CmgSkDrkBMTsK22G2ly7jB-gwZ7zu5wI46QQD1dSga69kGzCQ/s1600/6%20Box%20Bikes%20Haul%20the%20Essentials.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqNKPjnimcZsSkGe78BenUxuluZ4xypQ0yFEqAnTzqJz8NM4vBHYmejzUMtu5wSv-ih_FGEmmiXWm6oNYf-hzZ_qr4_thc4bM2oogtzrskiE9WfXD5IHuOnMfTNEWPnsQ8HkEHe9s9CmgSkDrkBMTsK22G2ly7jB-gwZ7zu5wI46QQD1dSga69kGzCQ/w240-h320/6%20Box%20Bikes%20Haul%20the%20Essentials.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-30MbhbkijiUCUHkcIvq6NeqBA_rV9Unrq4irhRwUBpW1wN9ktga8n_C4osYYeev-Qggr-rh9h-lcGJ-aNsZyxk7qvJtqv3ZQpeNHqKlwVXY-fQdc4Vvn96IgXvpB5rjT4MqHHF64PPNjD_Nr_SJ8QpTKJxTjvwxrqkB5HDK3Fvmu7CvisZjs6rowIQ/s1600/1%20Seegers%20Support%20Shorewood%20Business.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-30MbhbkijiUCUHkcIvq6NeqBA_rV9Unrq4irhRwUBpW1wN9ktga8n_C4osYYeev-Qggr-rh9h-lcGJ-aNsZyxk7qvJtqv3ZQpeNHqKlwVXY-fQdc4Vvn96IgXvpB5rjT4MqHHF64PPNjD_Nr_SJ8QpTKJxTjvwxrqkB5HDK3Fvmu7CvisZjs6rowIQ/w320-h240/1%20Seegers%20Support%20Shorewood%20Business.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Above, a Shorewood
box trike filled with “the essentials” from Metro Market, and a Shorewood box
trike family gets refreshment and supports another local business. </span></i></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Cargo Bikes in
Europe</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Cargo Bikes are very
popular in Europe, especially in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. “I
visited the Netherlands and Belgium recently and I saw countless families using
box bikes to transport their kids—and lots of other stuff—everywhere I went,”
says Shorewood resident <b>Dan Boehm</b>. Given how densely populated Shorewood is,
commercial cargo bikes could be a solution to all of those double-parked
delivery vehicles in Shorewood. “It would be great if companies like Amazon,
UPS and FedEx were to instead use commercial cargo bikes to make deliveries in
Shorewood, like delivery services are doing in Europe (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/cargo-bikes-greener-quicker/" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">in the Netherlands and London</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">), and in North American (in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/05/30/cycle-of-rage-joy-dots-new-cargo-bike-paves-the-way-to-a-smaller-future/" style="background-color: #fcff01;">NYC</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/10/25/ups-electric-bike-deliveries-cargo-seattle.html" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">Seattle</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59PZ92_LI6E&ab_channel=TorontoStar"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Toronto</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">).” (Highlighted text contains hyperlinks.)</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aLXhoch6KhS0NL83FLRq3CqJtcaAhYb4LQA0y6MEkp2CdyjEAh4H_061vqae4iCVWAGAQPaUEo4nfodmT0VXItdA15GQ0-mC8M4PzBtTSNqu1cT3jFmwIP6Rs57RLJz4I4jjlM6SF6xVtQf4-7FdzDy4yLtNGARP4MdP8-QbSuCCLD2ZNTiX7Y-1Pg/s640/Cargoroo%20Bike%20Pic%20from%20Dan%20Boehm%20060423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aLXhoch6KhS0NL83FLRq3CqJtcaAhYb4LQA0y6MEkp2CdyjEAh4H_061vqae4iCVWAGAQPaUEo4nfodmT0VXItdA15GQ0-mC8M4PzBtTSNqu1cT3jFmwIP6Rs57RLJz4I4jjlM6SF6xVtQf4-7FdzDy4yLtNGARP4MdP8-QbSuCCLD2ZNTiX7Y-1Pg/s320/Cargoroo%20Bike%20Pic%20from%20Dan%20Boehm%20060423.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Above, a "bike share”
Cargoroo™ box bike in Amsterdam (photo credit, Dan Boehm)</span></i></div></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">But What If I Need
to Move Something Big Someday?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But, you say "I <i>need to </i>own a mini-van, for those rare occasions when I have to move something big." Fortunately, you live in Shorewood, very close to affordable truck rental options. Home Depot rents
trucks (starting at $19 for the first 75 minutes), as does nearby U-Haul on
Capitol Drive (in a variety of sizes and price points). Think about it. According to StreetsBlog USA, the average car in the U.S. is only used about an hour a day, which means that second (higly expensive) car you might buy may be <i>sitting unused more than 95% of the time you own it</i>. Is that a good investment of your family's limited resources?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Shorewood Families
Using Cargo Bikes</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The Seegers in Shorewood bought
their box trike over </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">five</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> years ago. According to </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Hanna Seegers</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">,
“We love it and have used it extensively to get around Shorewood with our three
children. The front box design lets me see what they’re doing , and it gives my
kids a great view of the world around them, much better than from the back seat
of a car or minivan.” “And its unusual design really gets noticed by drivers,
which is a good thing.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“We absolutely loved
our longtail cargo bike the seven years we had it, and once our daughter
outgrew it,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">we sold it to another
Shorewood family,” said Shorewood resident </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Katie Gnau</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. One nice thing
about a cargo bike is “it certainly held its value much better than any car
we’ve ever owned.” “We used it frequently to get to schools, parks and the
store, and even featured it in one of our family Holiday videos.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For an excellent short video on the many benefits of box bikes--including a demonstration of the much better view of the world that kids have in a box bike compared to a car--see Jason Slaugther's YouTube video by clicking on the following link "</span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQhzEnWCgHA&ab_channel=NotJustBikes" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">The Car-Replacement Bicycle: the Bakfiet</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> This is something of an aside, but I cannot recommend enough Jason's educational-and-highly-entertaining YouTube Series "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/notjustbikes" style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Not Just Bikes</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">", for those interested in learning about how we might together make our community more healthy, pleasant and prosperous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Tax
Credits for e-Bikes?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Not
currently. But there is an effort in congress to create a $1500 tax credit for
e-bike purchases. After being originally introduced in 2021, in March of this
year a bill authorizing such a tax credit was re-introduced in the House.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Other
Lower-Cost Bike Kid/Cargo Transport Options</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">There
are of course families in Shorewood who like to bike, but who may hesitate at
the upfront costs of a dedicated cargo bike, and would prefer a less costly kid-hauling and/or stuff-hauling option. For many families, that option is buying a bike
trailer (such as a Burley Bee). Bike trailers can haul two kids plus a few bags
of groceries (or no kids and easily a week’s worth of groceries). The cost of a
</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">new</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> bike trailer runs from about $200 to $400 (depending on the brand
and options), and </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">used </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">trailers can often be found for less on such
sites as eBay. (Bike parking at Metro Market is faster and more convenient than
car parking, and you get some exercise in the process.) Those who don’t have
small kids to haul around, may want to consider adding panniers to their bike,
as those can each carry a full bag’s worth of groceries. A set of panniers
(with rack) starts at about $70 (and goes up from there, depending on the
features and size you want). One of the advantages of a bike trailer over a dedicated cargo bike is that a bike trailer tends to take up less space in a garage, and a bike trailer (which are lighter in weight than a cargo bike) can be </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">easily hung out of the way in the garage rafters, or easily folded-up </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">for storage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Conclusion</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">So, is a cargo bike
right for your family? It ultimately depends on your individual circumstances, age and number of kids, and needs. But for those looking to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, lead
an active lifestyle, and model a green/healthy lifestyle for their kids, a cargo
bike may be worth considering as a viable alternative to a traditional car.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYGp2DqASI_nDPM8-cTvgkIUBIRmIb0_TuH7r_jJAvCTHSFRsPplfhVqMryP3PXDLngKP3iMrcjEBna1zYWCqZX0YG1o1xdlEqsef35as0_B9tdT9YVHhrX00vX-39AjUwxoDKS-WbnvhGtP6VzSMUR16qa1L0c6VEc0e5C_jL8Uxce_cXASKk3G_Ww/s1600/3%20Who%20Needs%20a%20Muscle%20Car%20When%20You%20Have%20a%20Muscle%20Bike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYGp2DqASI_nDPM8-cTvgkIUBIRmIb0_TuH7r_jJAvCTHSFRsPplfhVqMryP3PXDLngKP3iMrcjEBna1zYWCqZX0YG1o1xdlEqsef35as0_B9tdT9YVHhrX00vX-39AjUwxoDKS-WbnvhGtP6VzSMUR16qa1L0c6VEc0e5C_jL8Uxce_cXASKk3G_Ww/s320/3%20Who%20Needs%20a%20Muscle%20Car%20When%20You%20Have%20a%20Muscle%20Bike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Above, two of the
Seegers in their box bike at the Lake Front Classic Car Show --
who needs a “muscle car” when you’ve got a “muscle bike”?</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The author can be reached at sandiependleton@gmail.com, or at 414.418.4469.</i></span></span></span></span></div>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-28851703164783337362023-04-10T16:08:00.001-07:002023-04-10T17:49:51.085-07:00Koningsdag 2023!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGIy3X3-nVHydBANUMBYe8kCgk9K3Fq8YMgWa_BGAz7Hf1nGhXpaImYwMUovjjJJCQzcCgbg4YGaBVde-xq5aaHgzbbh7iQIyJhz1dJkUJa4Xqt4SiL0Z7tYukj8tXgcmC6hpez8FOJopzhZRaeHAubffDqQjSmECTfyb3_JhUdj3DB4tH4Xi2Msvrg/s1024/King's%20Day%20Graphic%20041621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGIy3X3-nVHydBANUMBYe8kCgk9K3Fq8YMgWa_BGAz7Hf1nGhXpaImYwMUovjjJJCQzcCgbg4YGaBVde-xq5aaHgzbbh7iQIyJhz1dJkUJa4Xqt4SiL0Z7tYukj8tXgcmC6hpez8FOJopzhZRaeHAubffDqQjSmECTfyb3_JhUdj3DB4tH4Xi2Msvrg/w184-h184/King's%20Day%20Graphic%20041621.jpg" width="184" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz5MvvG4D1gxGar1uKhLVJ6sURuOBe2t4xIsZ6Ayv316Qs-8jb0ExwNqwrllpcSs3Tmr0ErHH3S3oDzBw5EhGFFBN9UEXQdM6N6x9H0T9RIJmSRrsjsmiAprTS4qoOzQYBCtoLeof-KDU4YIc6FxJqvbMB3vkYfW9rOxLutHUcRAo4QhnVl0mcdUJ3Q/s4032/King's%20Day%20Picture%20(President%20McKaig)%204%20042722.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz5MvvG4D1gxGar1uKhLVJ6sURuOBe2t4xIsZ6Ayv316Qs-8jb0ExwNqwrllpcSs3Tmr0ErHH3S3oDzBw5EhGFFBN9UEXQdM6N6x9H0T9RIJmSRrsjsmiAprTS4qoOzQYBCtoLeof-KDU4YIc6FxJqvbMB3vkYfW9rOxLutHUcRAo4QhnVl0mcdUJ3Q/w246-h184/King's%20Day%20Picture%20(President%20McKaig)%204%20042722.jpg" width="246" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">King's Day returns! Koningsdag this year is Thursday, April 27<sup>th</sup></span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><b>. Join us!</b> </span></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Koningsdag is sort of the Dutch equivalent of St. Patrick’s Day. Just like everybody is Irish and raises a toast to Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, on King’s Day anybody who wants to be Dutch, is Dutch. King’s Day is an excuse to wear orange, go for a spring day bike ride, and gather at a fine local establishment or two with friends to drink Dutch bier and raise a toast to the Netherlands. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You don’t have to travel to Amsterdam to celebrate King’s Day because Shorewood and Milwaukee are having their very own King’s Day festivities. On Thursday, April 27<sup>th</sup>, those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at <b>Three Lions Pub</b> in Shorewood starting at 4:00. After that, leaving about 5:30 for a leisurely ride to <b>Cafe </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Hollander </b>(and, after celebrating there) a leisurely ride to<i> </i><b>Cafe Benelux </b>(for a bit more). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Attendees are encouraged to bike to and between participating venues. (Note, there is no charge, no organized ride and no registration or waiver form; all riders ride at their own risk, just like any other day.) Those attending are encouraged to <b>wear orange</b> (the national color of the Netherlands, and the official color of King’s Day). All welcome, invite your friends. You don’t have to be Dutch to bike or join in the celebration on King’s Day!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">These gatherings are being organized to bring greater awareness to the Netherlands’ leadership in making their communities over the last 50 years much <i>more bike friendly, and less car dependent</i>. (If you are interested in the multiple people and factors that led to that happening, see <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/de-fiets-is-niets/" target="_blank">this excellent podcast episode posted just this last week "<i>de fiets is niets</i>"</a>--which translates to "the bike is nothing"; spoiler alert, the Nazis hated bikes and Dutch bikers.) Currently, the Dutch have the highest rates of routine, everyday bike use in the World, and many studies indicate those high rates have many benefits for Dutch health, happiness, prosperity and the environment. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Each participating venue is making a King’s Day
Donation to the Wisconsin Bike Fed, to support the Bike Fed’s work in making
Wisconsin an even better place to bike than it already is. While not required,
participants are also encouraged to make a donation to the Wisconsin Bike Fed
(or join) that day (donations will be accepted at each venue, and Bike Fed apparel
will be available for purchase). Dutch bier and other drink specials will be
available at each bar to all bike riders wearing orange.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">While not required, if you think you may attend, please RSVP to the below
email address (so we can give venues a rough count as to how many may be
stopping by that day). <i>Proost!</i></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton, sandiependleton@gmail.com, 414.418.4469</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">(If You Drink, Drink Responsibly. Hartelijk dank!) </span></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-20901741162109462912023-03-30T14:51:00.000-07:002023-03-30T14:51:05.998-07:00Koningsdag Returns! Ja! Ja! Ja!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bJcepSHlVfyOJHDm2XGBCF5fUO_7cuKM9rkCgAc43cRhnK6G8_ekI-hp4NpH5Ar4Z7k1mesrGEyqI3SWG2ECM08IcBzMIk1cmZwmILeyRtSSwQ1maBW8QfLuJ3d7QU3-zGFLPG0v32cmWIJIeRf3jpCNk0Jm_w2HrVm22HntMDL6y4QSCPTE80NEJw/s4032/King's%20Day%20Picture%20(President%20McKaig)%204%20042722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bJcepSHlVfyOJHDm2XGBCF5fUO_7cuKM9rkCgAc43cRhnK6G8_ekI-hp4NpH5Ar4Z7k1mesrGEyqI3SWG2ECM08IcBzMIk1cmZwmILeyRtSSwQ1maBW8QfLuJ3d7QU3-zGFLPG0v32cmWIJIeRf3jpCNk0Jm_w2HrVm22HntMDL6y4QSCPTE80NEJw/s320/King's%20Day%20Picture%20(President%20McKaig)%204%20042722.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SAVE THE DATE. Thursday, April 27<sup>th</sup></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> is King’s Day (<i>Koningsdag</i>)! If you
aren’t sure what that is, it’s sort of the Dutch equivalent of St. Patrick’s
Day. Just like everybody is Irish and raises a toast to Ireland on St. Patrick’s
Day, on King’s Day anybody who wants to be Dutch, is Dutch. King’s Day is an
excuse to wear orange, go for a spring day bike ride, and gather at a fine
local establishment or two with friends to drink Dutch bier and raise a toast
to the Netherlands. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
year, you don’t have to travel to Amsterdam to celebrate King’s Day because
Shorewood and Milwaukee are having their very own King’s Day festivities. On Thursday,
April 27<sup>th</sup>, those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at <b>Three
Lions Pub</b> in Shorewood starting at 4, and then riding to other participating establishments (more details regarding other participating bars coming soon to come soon).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Attendees are encouraged to bike to and between participating venues. (Note, there is no organized ride; all riders ride at their own risk, just
like any other day.) Those attending are encouraged to wear orange (the national color of
the Netherlands, and the official color of King’s Day). All welcome, invite
your friends. You don’t have to be Dutch to bike or join in the
celebration on King’s Day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">These gatherings are being organized to bring greater awareness
to the Netherlands’ leadership in making their communities over the
last 50 years much <i>more bike friendly, and less car dependent</i>.
Currently, the Dutch have the highest rates of routine, everyday bike use in
the World, and many studies indicate those high rates have many benefits for
Dutch health, happiness, prosperity and the environment. Each participating
venue is making a King’s Day Donation to the Wisconsin Bike Fed</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">, </span><span style="color: black;">to support the Bike Fed’s work
in making Wisconsin an even better place to bike than it already is. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">While not required, p</span><span style="color: black;">articipants are also encouraged to
make a donation to the Wisconsin Bike Fed that day (donations will be accepted at each venue, and Bike Fed apparel will be available for purchase). Dutch beer and other drink specials will be available at each bar to all
cyclists wearing orange.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you think you may attend, please RSVP to the below email address (so we can
give venues a rough count as to how many
may be stopping by that day).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Proost!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton,
sandiependleton@gmail.com, 414.418.4469</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>If You Drink, Drink Responsibly. Hartelijk dank! </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-52792979812929237342023-01-16T21:12:00.002-08:002023-01-17T08:37:43.811-08:00Prtoected vs. Non-Protected Bike Lanes on Lake Drive -- DOT to Hold Public Information Meeting on Jan. 26th <p style="text-align: justify;">The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a Public Information Meeting on the above issue on Thursday, January 26th, at 5 - 7 p.m. at the Village Center Meeting Room (downstairs at the Library). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I plan on attending the meeting on 26th, and hope other folks who are in favor of "Safe Streets for All" can as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, unless the DOT’s current position changes between now and then, on the 26th the DOT will indicate its “preferred alternative” is <b>not to add any protected bike lanes (“PBLs”) on Lake Drive</b> in Shorewood. Instead, the DOT will indicate its “preferred alternative” in Shorewood is to have parking at the curb, and just to add conventional bike lanes. (see below):</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsh0FDc1lMhYYQAHu12N9r23WpNwGMn16jcuLJ7CLYY3n5k73-nAi2gHGUETkUeL8zBMOnj_t0BigC1UWMspOQQj8BIY-Zpnwrk-6wPcOX9X9NrSlWxmJka8cXf8h1fEKj86A21TY4wtv4J3GfQ7FLscz4HSjdOVbZLasHzsZDUj0HATShs5EB9XnMeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsh0FDc1lMhYYQAHu12N9r23WpNwGMn16jcuLJ7CLYY3n5k73-nAi2gHGUETkUeL8zBMOnj_t0BigC1UWMspOQQj8BIY-Zpnwrk-6wPcOX9X9NrSlWxmJka8cXf8h1fEKj86A21TY4wtv4J3GfQ7FLscz4HSjdOVbZLasHzsZDUj0HATShs5EB9XnMeg=w493-h640" width="493" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">As I’ve said before, conventional "just paint" bike lanes are better than no bike lanes, but protected bike lanes are substantially better.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">GSB continues to advocate for a parking-PBL for Northbound bike traffic on Lake Drive in Shorewood. The reasons for that are (1) PBLs make streets safer for all users; (2) there is a value to consistency between Milwaukee and Shorewood on Lake Drive; (3) PBLs are the more modern, safer design, that is most likely to encourage more bike riding by riders of all ages; and (4) there is no reason why, if the Milwaukee DPW can maintain Lake Drive with PBLs on both sides of Lake Drive, that Shorewood’s DPW cannot maintain Lake Drive with a parking-PBL on the east side of Lake Drive.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The DOT’s position in Shorewood is substantially different from its position in Milwaukee. </b>As you may recall, the DOT has approved Milwaukee’s request that PBLs be added to both sides of Lake Drive in Milwaukee up to the Shorewood border when Lake Drive is reconstructed next year in Milwaukee (see below blog article for details). Specifically, the DOT has approved a parking-PBL on the east side of Lake Drive, and a “low-3-foot-wide curb” protected bike lane on the west side of Lake Drive (<i>i.e</i>., on the west side of Lake Drive, there will be the curb, then the bike lane, then a low-3-foot-wide curb, then the southbound vehicle travel lane).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Milwaukee (and in particular the Milwaukee DPW) understands the importance of building protected bike lanes on important streets in Milwaukee (such as Lake Drive), and Milwaukee’s advocacy on this issue with the DOT has paid off.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The primary argument the DOT has raised as to why it has a different approach in Milwaukee compared to Shorewood, is an argument that there are too many driveways that are too close together in Shorewood, for PBLs to be practical. This argument does not have merit, at least not in Shorewood south of Shorewood Boulevard.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The DOT is correct that <i>on part of Lake Drive in Shorewood</i>, driveways are more frequent and closer together than in Milwaukee. But that is not true as to all of Lake Drive in Shorewood. Even if the DOT is unwilling to add a PBL on Lake Drive north of Atwater Park (due to the higher frequency of driveways in that area of Lake Drive), it should continue to be urged to consider a compromise “half-a-loaf” solution. That is, one whereby the Milwaukee parking-PBL that will be constructed on the east side of Lake Drive in 2024 would be extended into Shorewood in 2025, from Edgewood Avenue to Shorewood Boulevard (which is one block south of the intersection of Lake and Capitol). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In that “southern segment” of Lake Drive in Shorewood, the frequency of driveways on the east side of the street is actually lower than the frequency of driveways on the east side of the street in Milwaukee (in the relevant comparison segment, that is, the area from the intersection of Lincoln Memorial Drive and Lake Drive, to the Shorewood border). Let's call those two segments "the Shorewood South Segment," and the "Milwaukee North Segment," to differentuate those two segments from the "Lake Park Segment," the "Atwater Park Segment," and the "Shorewood North Segment." Milwaukee is going to add a parking-PBL in the Milwaukee North Segment. In that segment, the distance is 2640 feet (.5 miles), and there are 22 driveways, which gives one a ratio of 1 driveway on average every 120 feet. In contrast, in the segment of Lake Drive that is north of there (the Shorewood South Segment), the distance is 1718 feet (.33 miles), and there are only 11 driveways, which gives one a ratio of 1 driveway on average ever 156 feet. In other words, in those two segments, driveways in Milwaukee are about 25% closer together. Yet Milwaukee is still building a parking-PBL in that segment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the above, the closeness of driveways in the Milwaukee North Segment has not resulted in the DOT concluding that constructing a parking-PBL in the Milwaukee North Segment would somehow be unsafe and/or unfeasible. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">If a parking-PBL is safe and feasible in the Milwaukee North Segment, a parking-PBL is safe and feasible in the Shorewood South Segment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other communities (Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Cambridge, Massachusetss) have installed PBLs on residential streets that have high levels of driveway frequency (even frequencies higher than in the Shorewood North Segment), without problems. The question remains: if other communities can do it, why can't Shorewood? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Further, it is not as if there is some significantly higher demand for on-street parking in the Shorewood South Segment, compared to the Milwaukee North Segment. It must be remembered that <i>no one is talking about building any bike lanes (conventional or protected) in the "Atwater Park Segment" </i>(<i>i.e., </i>the segment from Shorewood Boulevard, north to about a block north of Atwater Park). So we are not talking about the Atwater Park area (where there is a relatively high demand for parking, especially on nice days in the summer); we are instead talking about the "Shorewood South Segment," where there is very little demand for on street parking. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are college and religious institutions on or near the Milwaukee North Segment that result in demand for on-street parking. Those institutions include UWM itself (a 4 to 5 block walk from Lake Drive), plus the three institutions or institutional buildings that are on Lake Drive in that Milwaukee North Segment (the UWM Hefter Conference Center, the Wisconsin Institute for Torah Studies, and the Chabad Lubovich of Wisconsin). There are no such institutions or institutional buildings in the Shorewood South Segment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So again, we get back to the point that if a parking-PBL is safe and feasible in the Milwaukee North Segment (even with the higher demand for parking in that segment), a parking-PBL is safe and feasible in the Shorewood South Segment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One important goal of the redesign of Lake Drive (in both Milwaukee and Shorewood) is traffic calming. Traffic calming contributes to fewer accidents, and less severe accidents. Adding a protected bike lane in Shorewood will have significant traffic calming affects (compared to adding conventional "just paint" lanes). By adding a parking-PBL, drivers perception of Lake Drive will be that it is narrower, which naturally tends to slow traffic. If parking is placed at the curb, drivers will just ignore the paint on the road, and drive in the bike lanes, and drivers' perception of the street won't be changed. They will still see a wide, straight road ahead of them, and will drive at a speed consistent with that perception. Slower vehicle speeds on Lake Drive is what will make Lake Drive a neighborhood residential street again, and a street that is safer for residents and all users. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">If anyone has any questions about any of the above, let me know. As I indicated, I hope other friends of safer streets in Shorewood will attend the DOT’s public meeting on the 26th, to urge the Village Board to take a position in favor of a parking-PBL in Shorewood, and to urge the DOT to accept that position. </p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-9467084979130357192022-12-10T19:11:00.001-08:002022-12-11T14:56:25.490-08:00Protected Bike Lanes Coming to Lake Drive in Milwaukee<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We have some good news for those who would like to see Lake Drive in Milwaukee and Shorewood be better <i>for all users. </i>As
indicated in prior blog posts, Lake Drive in Milwaukee will
be reconstructed in 2024, and as part of the redesign process, the City of
Milwaukee proposed adding p</span><span style="text-align: left;">rotected bike lanes ("PBLs") </span><span style="text-align: left;">on both sides of the street. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtjjqk-r4LNYjbIU9W5xW2WVxx9OvuKfXjLNy1ito4jUoabVS_hhp7VHnVnbRqNdJrPpAVkZBqS39fEGCC8O6hPm_bqYm-0MuSwsiZRfNBZJVZby0zqyWoQgOp68AKMoYHrGn8qxLUHRiO3mCgPwvqepwtuvRF3vbLqR6ubeYZE1NRNT4NiVfgPR90Q/s600/MKE%20Dual%20Side%20PBL%20Image%20121222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="600" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtjjqk-r4LNYjbIU9W5xW2WVxx9OvuKfXjLNy1ito4jUoabVS_hhp7VHnVnbRqNdJrPpAVkZBqS39fEGCC8O6hPm_bqYm-0MuSwsiZRfNBZJVZby0zqyWoQgOp68AKMoYHrGn8qxLUHRiO3mCgPwvqepwtuvRF3vbLqR6ubeYZE1NRNT4NiVfgPR90Q/w400-h309/MKE%20Dual%20Side%20PBL%20Image%20121222.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As Lake Drive is a state highway connector,
the final say on the design is in the hands of Wisconsin Department of
Transportation.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">As indicated in the
below letter, the City and the DOT have announced that the DOT has approved the
City’s proposal for PBLs on the entire stretch of </span><span style="text-align: left;">Lake Drive in the project area</span><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeSTjQqk8NfngUv_-HJJ07SfB7WdGk_859wjseL24wDk_6X4d8i0GDzaaPqsKNs7w_KFuEbNIy7pZMzqu1z_pG46SaDw9Cm9kema5mf0Y5nzQVtdzN-Ecx_vvF40_o45ebnR8Hk91E-mRv8y_XdP8BEiOWbbCrJv9nu0fOMHdEEpZyJmCWk6KYqubpw/s3289/DOT%20Approves%20Lake%20Drive%20PBLs%20121022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3289" data-original-width="2539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeSTjQqk8NfngUv_-HJJ07SfB7WdGk_859wjseL24wDk_6X4d8i0GDzaaPqsKNs7w_KFuEbNIy7pZMzqu1z_pG46SaDw9Cm9kema5mf0Y5nzQVtdzN-Ecx_vvF40_o45ebnR8Hk91E-mRv8y_XdP8BEiOWbbCrJv9nu0fOMHdEEpZyJmCWk6KYqubpw/s320/DOT%20Approves%20Lake%20Drive%20PBLs%20121022.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>What About Lake Drive in Shorewood?</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What
significance does this development have for the Lake Drive reconstruction
project in Shorewood? Obviously, it would make a great deal of sense for there to be a consistent bike lane configuration in Milwaukee and Shorewood. As mentioned in below posts, the Shorewood reconstruction project is now scheduled to occur in
2025. The above decision of the DOT and the City is good news for those who know that PBLs make streets safer for all users (pedestrians, bike riders, residents, <i>and car users</i>). Why is that? Primarily because PBLs promote traffic calming, and provide everyone greater levels of certainty regarding where street users are likely to be. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Of course, no one is talkng about adding PBLs in the Atwater Park Area. Instead, we are talking about the area of Lake Drive south and north of Atwater Park (the area of Lake Drive in Shorewood where cars are more likely to exceed the 30 mph speed limit). And currently we are only talking about having a parking-PBL (or some other type of PBL) on the east side of Lake Drive in Shorewood. If we compare those portions of Lake Drive in Shorewood, to that portion of Lake Drive in Milwaukee from the intersection of Lake/Lincoln-Memorial/Kenwood to the intersection of Lake/Edgewood, it's fair to say those sections are comparable. (Yes, the street standard profile in portions of Shorewood is 44' compared to 46' in Milwaukee, but that is not a meaningful difference; there is plenty of room for PBLs in Shorewood.)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The DOT's approval of PBLs on Lake Drive in Milwaukee (which has even higher levels of traffic then in Shorewood), is an acknowledgment that <b>PBLs are likewise feasible and safe in Shorewood</b>. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is unfortunate that the Village of Shorewood Board was pushed by the DOT at the Board's Monday, November 21st meeting to take a position on whether the <i>parking lane</i> on Lake Drive in Shorewood should be located at the curb, or instead whether the <i>bike lane</i> should be placed next to the curb. With the decision in Milwaukee less than two weeks away, there is no reason why the DOT needed to push the Village Board to make a decision on the 21st. Would the Board have come to a different conclusion on the 21st, if the Board had known then that the DOT was going to approve PBLs in Milwaukee? </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But it is certainly not too late for the Village Board to revisit this issue. The Shorewood Lake Drive project is not until 2025.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">The Village Board on the 21<sup>st</sup> unfortunately did little to advance the concept of a Shorewood active micromobility network (see below blog posts for more on that network). We have a great start on that network (the Oak Leaf Trail on the Village's western border). Now is the time to focus on building out that network on the southern border (the Edgewood/River-Park Corridor), and the eastern border (Lake Drive). </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">Stay tuned for future developments.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton (414.418.4469; sandiependleton@gmail.com)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">P.S.:</b><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"> </b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">Please choose to “follow” this blog, so you get notice of new articles as they appear. </span></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-59141078223012859202022-11-22T09:09:00.004-08:002022-11-22T09:09:52.626-08:00Shorewood Village Board Votes in Favor of “Parking at the Curb” on Lake Drive<p><span style="text-align: justify;">To sum up what happened at the
Village Board meeting on November 21</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">st</sup><span style="text-align: justify;">, it was something of a mixed
decision. A motion was made in favor of “Option 1” but that motion </span><i style="text-align: justify;">failed
for a lack of a second</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. As you may recall, Option 1 is probably the least
favorable of the four DOT options, because with its wide travel lanes it would
do the least to reduce speeding on Lake Drive, it offers no buffer lanes
between driving lanes and bike lanes, and it does not include a parking-protected
bike lane on the east side of the road. No trustee made a motion in favor of any
of the other 3 DOT options (including the protected bike lane option that GSB
has been advocating for, a/k/a “Option 4”).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There was some discussion about whether
it was possible to defer a decision until sometime in the future. Specifically,
as indicated in the below diagram, Milwaukee is requesting that <i>protected bike
lanes be included on both sides of Lake Drive </i>in Milwaukee, when Milwaukee’s
segment of Lake Drive is to be reconstructed in 2024 (<i>a year ahead of
Shorewood’s project</i>). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh86h0Wvmv-fErIdoQ7UA5QqcNRYssJDir-v61EI0iX8Oadq63BD9xzQWKFJGvwGOsl7ci60H1OY6kttsO727XSjHXVn8koawgahIkiWvxeishIAcfVjRT1cjk9PBRUFuSgQ9IcaqG0IBaqV_791KuvHnVSFyqPi66YFEim7cLSlr0l5ZszFb2CI4711A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="743" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh86h0Wvmv-fErIdoQ7UA5QqcNRYssJDir-v61EI0iX8Oadq63BD9xzQWKFJGvwGOsl7ci60H1OY6kttsO727XSjHXVn8koawgahIkiWvxeishIAcfVjRT1cjk9PBRUFuSgQ9IcaqG0IBaqV_791KuvHnVSFyqPi66YFEim7cLSlr0l5ZszFb2CI4711A=w400-h291" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">However, on the 21</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">st</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> no
trustee made a motion to defer the vote.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the end, the trustees voted in
favor of having the parking lane in Shorewood at the curb (5-1, with Trustee Lynn voting
“no,” and President McCaig abstaining). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So the Board chose to provide
some guidance to the DOT, but not as much guidance as the DOT may have
preferred. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Three or four of the trustees
indicated during the discussions that they saw a value to the bike lane
configuration in Shorewood <i>being consistent</i> with the bike lane
configuration in Milwaukee. Some trustees questioned why the DOT isn’t favoring
a consistent bike lane design all along Lake Drive (essentially, Milwaukee,
Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside). Those same trustees expressed
frustration that the DOT was pushing for a decision from Shorewood, before the
DOT decided whether it was going to agree with Milwaukee’s request for
protected bike lanes on both sides of its portion of Lake Drive.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There were a few residents who attended the Board meeting on the 21st who spoke in favor of Option 4, and a few residents who spoke in opposition to having a bike lane along the curb on the east side of Lake Drive (most of who reside on Lake Drive). For the most part though, I would characterize the meeting as a well-conducted Village meeting, one consistent with Shorewood's tradition of civic dialogue on important issues. It was also clear on Monday evening how much work that Village staff and Village Board members have put into this issue, to try to meet the DOT's demand for a review and decison on this issue in a less than three-week period. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Where Does that Leave Us? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">What's Next? </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is likely the DOT will consider the
comments of the Board, and the comments of the public, as it makes a decision
on Milwaukee’s request for protected bike lanes (PBLs) on both sides of Lake
Drive. As indicated in the above diagram, Milwaukee is requesting on the east side of Lake Drive a parking-protected
bike lane (a parking-PBL) and on the west side a curb-protected bike lane (a “curb-PBL”).
If the DOT ultimately chooses not to have a parking-PBL in Milwaukee, it likely
makes no sense to have a parking-PBL in Shorewood. Currently, we do not know by
when the DOT will make its decision as to Milwaukee, but that is likely to be
soon, if construction is going to start in 2024. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, if the DOT
accepts Milwaukee’s request for PBLs on both sides of Lake Drive, it makes
sense for folks in Shorewood respectfully to demand something similar in Shorewood from the
DOT. Folks should have an opportunity to do that when the DOT schedules its
next Public Information Meeting (“PIM”) in Shorewood, likely sometime in
January or February. <o:p></o:p>(As also indicated below, we are asking supporters of protected bike lanes in Milwaukee and Shorewood to express that support to the DOT in writing now.) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is also possible that
Shorewood’s final design <i>could involve a PBL, but not a parking-PBL</i>. That is,
the DOT could come up with a design that would place car parking at the curb on
the east side (consistent with the Village Board’s vote on November 21<sup>st</sup>),
then the bike lane, then some type of physical “barrier” or “delineation”
between the bike lane, and the driving lane. Such a delineation could be
achieved in several ways. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One option would be to place a
low curb between the bike lane and the driving lane (as Milwaukee is proposing
to add between the bike lane and the driving lane on the west side of Lake
Drive, see the above diagram). Such a “curb” is low enough that it can be driven over, but it would
feel very awkward for a driver to do that, at anything other than a low speed. Or
the delineation could be achieved by adding a painted buffer lane between the
bike lane and the driving lane, with some bollards in that buffer lane. Milwaukee
has built bollard-PBLs on both the North Avenue Bridge and the Locust Avenue
Bridge. Another option would be to have what is sometimes referred to as a “shelf”
protected bike lane, that is, a design whereby the road is constructed so that
the bike lane and the parking lane are a few inches higher than the driving
lane. Milwaukee has such a shelf-PBL on the South side. The above alternatives
may not provide as much protection as a parking-PBL, but they still offer
a greater separate of motor vehicles and bikes than do conventional bike lanes.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">That’s not to say that such curb-,
bollard- or shelf-PBL designs would not bring with them maintenance and/or cost
issues, that would need to be thoughtfully considered. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Again, there is value in
Shorewood’s design being consistent with whatever design the DOT ultimately
approves as to Milwaukee’s segment. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As soon as we know more (either
about the DOT’s decision relating to Milwaukee, or the date for a PIM in Shorewood), I’ll be
sure to let you know. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Time for Protected Bike Lanes in Shorewood Has Come </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Madison has had PBLs for 50 years, and parking-PBLs since 2019.
And cities all over the U.S., Canada and other countries have PBLs. If cities
that have snow (<i>e.g., </i>Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York City, and even
Buffalo) can have successful PBLs, so can Shorewood. Cities that have dynamic
(even chaotic) street environments (with driveways, alley entrances, and
delivery vehicles and public service vehicles) have successful PBLs. If other
communities can do it, so can Shorewood. If cities that have a history of
aggressive driving styles (for example NYC or Chicago) can have successful PBLs, so
can Shorewood. Every study I am aware of indicates that <a href="https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic-benefits" target="_blank">PBLs make streets safer
for <i>all </i>users of that street (pedestrians, bike riders and <i>car users</i>)</a>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to the many, many of you
who took the time to contact the Village and the DOT about this issue. We
appreciate the foresight you have, and your desire to improve Shorewood through
civic engagement. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Creating the Active Shorewood Micromobility Network</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Big picture, Shorewood eventually
is going to re-design and re-construct its streets, so that our community and streets
are less car-centric in their design. Eventually, we are going to have streets
that can be safely and confidently used by persons of all ages and by a variety
of means (a "multi-modal" transportation design, that also works in conjunction with such things as transit and ride-sharing services). There should <i>not</i> be a single street in Shorewood that people say
about it things like “<i>I would never ride on that street, it’s not safe</i>,” or “<i>I
would never let my kids ride on that street, it’s just not safe</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoqMPgawLp48yjSFraAHKbOpZV_6dPWI8xJsWPVoVIHOKYkzshfsTW3L4SgUxT59AprE8MyiIjMVJrjOYzmzJtcEkUEiFO5B6SSUoSatp3qQ4KTN0dnl1SWuHghUnMC8ZDDSdT1I_uBdKxeklue9PXH7o8X_rN-pKe1WYOqjlytmLlxvCEX4IorR4r2w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="111" data-original-width="111" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoqMPgawLp48yjSFraAHKbOpZV_6dPWI8xJsWPVoVIHOKYkzshfsTW3L4SgUxT59AprE8MyiIjMVJrjOYzmzJtcEkUEiFO5B6SSUoSatp3qQ4KTN0dnl1SWuHghUnMC8ZDDSdT1I_uBdKxeklue9PXH7o8X_rN-pKe1WYOqjlytmLlxvCEX4IorR4r2w=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><u>Let's Create the Active Shorewood Mircomobility Network</u></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>More Mobility | More Safety | More Prosperity</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div style="text-align: center;">Better Air | Better Water | More Health</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Fewer Cars | Fewer Car Trips</div></i></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We need to design and build in
Shorewood an <i>active micromobility</i> <i>network, </i>a network so that
active people can safely and confidentially move around our community. A
network so that people who choose to drive less, can instead choose to get
around Shorewood safely and confidently via bike, ebike, scooter, or escooter (whether
that bike or scooter is privately owned, or owned by a rideshare service). People
should be able to live in Shorewood, and get to school, work, shops, bars,
restaurants and everyplace else safely and confidently without a car. We want
(and climate change makes essential), that we have a walkable and bikeable community,
that enables people to choose to live lifestyles that are car-free or at least car-light. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The debate over Lake Drive is a
part, an important part, of the above. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>How Can You Help?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Village Board on the 21<sup>st</sup>
unfortunately did little to advance the concept of a Shorewood active micromobility
network. <b>But the debate over Lake Drive is not over yet.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The debate now turns to the DOT. (The
final design decision is one for the DOT to make, because Lake Drive is a “state
highway connector”). If you want to help in our efforts to persuade the DOT to
see reason, you can send a message like this to the DOT:<o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>I [live in Shorewood, or
Milwaukee, or I routinely bike or drive on Lake Drive]. I am in favor of
protected bike lanes (“PBLs”) on Lake Drive. I ask that the DOT accept the City
of Milwaukee’s recommendation and include PBLs on Lake Drive. I believe that it
makes sense to have consistency as to the basic bike lane design along Lake
Drive. If the DOT includes PBLs on Lake Drive, I asked that the DOT also
include PBLs on Lake Drive in Shorewood as well. </i></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Your comments can be sent to the
following professionals who are in charge of the design process with the DOT:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">debra.tarnow@dot.wi.gov; christine.hanna@dot.wi.gov;
Reem.Shahin@dot.wi.gov; abubb@kapurinc.com.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Public comments can
make a difference. So if you’ve read this far, <b>please consider taking a minute,
and sending an email something like the above to the DOT now</b>. Thanks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Stay tuned for future developments. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton (414.418.4469; sandiependleton@gmail.com)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>P.S.:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b> </b> </span>Please choose to “follow” this blog, so you
get notice of new articles as they appear. And we hope to see you in person, at
Three Lions Pub, when bike riders from across the northshore gather, and then participate in all or some of the Santa Cycling Rampage (details in the below article). Cheers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-83621165149237421652022-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:002022-11-22T08:20:54.529-08:00Santa Cycle Rampage Time Is Here! Join Us!<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gNEwKGT1J5s" width="320" youtube-src-id="gNEwKGT1J5s"></iframe></div><br />The Bike Fed is holding its annual<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://wisconsinbikefed.org/santa-cycle-rampage/">Santa Cycling Rampage
on Saturday, December 3<sup>rd</sup></a>, and you’re invited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve never participated in the Santa Ride, I highly recommend it (see <a href="https://youtu.be/gNEwKGT1J5s">video from
the 2021 Ride here</a>, and see the “<a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2016/12/02/bike-czar-why-ride-in-santa-cycle-rampage/">Why
Ride in the Santa Cycle Rampage</a>” article I penned for the Bike Fed a few
years back, as published in Urban Milwaukee, complete with 10 “can’t miss” holiday
dad jokes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Santa Ride is a joyous
and silly way to get in the holiday mood, and it’s the gateway drug of winter
biking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helps raise money for
the Bike Fed, so it can continue to do its crucial and important work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riders are encouraged to dress as Santa (Santa
costumes start as low as $15 on Amazon), or to wear some other creative holiday
costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of you who are doing the Ride
from Shorewood, Glendale, Whitefish Bay or other points North, are<b> invited
to gather at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday December 3<sup>rd</sup> at <a href="https://threelionspub.com/" target="_blank">Three Lions Pubin Shorewood</a> </b>on Oakland Avenue (they are expecting us).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan is to gather there, then ride over together to Café Hollander
(leaving Three Lions at 9:30 sharp, so we get to Café Hollander before the
“Southern Wave of Santas” gets there around 10 or 10:30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three Lions serves wonderful breakfast food,
has a wide selection of beers, and will have that morning’s World Cup game on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convince yourself and your friends this is the year you
are all going to ride a part of the Rampage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope to see you at Three Lions on the 3<sup>rd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">P.S.: Buried in all of the frivolity of the Santa Ride is a serious issue too, as it helps spread the message--in a fun and postive way--that our streets should be for everyone, not just cars:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhwcVUzf5pU" width="320" youtube-src-id="NhwcVUzf5pU"></iframe></div><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-33194096504540121502022-11-08T13:54:00.005-08:002022-11-13T19:35:57.665-08:00Village Board Defers Lake Drive Protected vs. Non-Protected Bike Lane Issue<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">On November 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">,
after a productive discussion, the Shorewood Village Board deferred the issue
of protected bike lanes vs. non-protected bike lanes for two weeks. Such delays
on important issues are not unusual, and here the purpose of the delay is so
that the Parks & Public Spaces Committee (and its Pedestrian & Bike
Safety Subcommittee) can consider the issue, and make a recommendation to the
Board.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The P&PS Committee
will meet on Tuesday, November 15<sup>th</sup> at Village Hall, starting at
6:00. The meeting is open to the public, and anyone who wishes to come and hear
the presentation, and/or offer comments, is welcome to attend. (I plan on
attending, as there are several bike and pedestrian related issues that I want
to offer comments on.) Those of you who want to see protected bike lanes on Lake Drive should consider attending Tuesday's P&PS Committee meeting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It is fair to say that
the Village Board came close to expressing its approval for Option 3 on the 7<sup>th</sup>,
as opposed to Option 4 (the protected-bike-lane option GSB has been advocating
for). As discussed below, ultimately the final decision is for the DOT, because
Lake Drive is a state highway, but it is likely that the Village Board’s
position would carry some weight with the DOT, as the DOT makes its decision. At
the November 7 meeting, a motion was made by Trustee Kathy Stokebrand to
express support for Option 3. After further discussion, the motion failed 4-2.
The Board then voted 5-1, to defer a decision on the issue for two weeks, so
that the P&PS Committee can consider the issue at its monthly meeting on Nov.
15<sup>th</sup>. The Village has also written to all residents on Lake Drive, urging them to weigh in the four alternative designs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Concerns Discussed at the
Meeting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As indicated in my below
article, of the four bike lane options the DOT has recently defined, prior to
the meeting on the 7<sup>th</sup>, the Director of the Village’s DPW (Leeann
Butschlick) made staff’s recommendation to the Village Board, indicating that
staff was recommending the Board express its support for “Option 3.” That option
is shown on DOT slide 19 (and is entitled “Buffered 5-Foot Bike Lane – Parking
at Curb”). In support of that option, Director Butschlick in her written
materials to the Board indicated the following: “This option provides for the
requested buffered dedicated bike lane while providing the standard layout of
travel and parking lanes familiar to the traveling public.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">During the debate about
Option 3 vs. Option 4, President McKaig passed along three concerns that had
been raised by Village staff regarding Option 4. Here’s my understanding of the
concerns (my apologies in advance to President McKaig and/or DPW staff if my
notes of the meeting do not completely capture the concerns identified during
the meeting; the meeting was recorded, so anyone wanting to hear the concerns
as stated at the meeting, can watch the video). Here is my understanding of the
three concerns:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Snow Maintenance.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
If the village opts for Option 4, it would need to have a plan as to how that
bike lane and buffer zone (an 8’ width in total, that would be next to the
curb, and protected from the driving lane by a parking lane) would be
maintained during the winter months. The Village, of course, has many miles of
streets (and sidewalks and trails in Village parks) that need to be addressed
and tended to when snow falls. President McKaig passed along the view of DPW,
that the DPW (as currently staffed, funded and equipped), would be unable to
remove snow from a Lake Drive parking-protected bike lane, if that is the
option ultimately selected by the DOT.</span></li><li><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Leaf Removal.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> There
was also a concern (mentioned briefly) raised about leaf collection, if Option
4 is the option selected/built. Although President McKaig’s comments on this
issue were brief, as I understand the concern, if Option 4 is selected the DPW
has apparently indicated that could make it difficult (more difficult than if Option
3 were selected) for the Village’s leaf removal crew to remove leaves raked and
placed along Lake Drive on that east side of the street.</span></li><li><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Safety. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If the Village
opts for Option 4, would that be less safe than Option 3? Again, although the
discussion was brief, President McKaig indicated that Village staff had raised
concerns on this issue, particularly as to whether, if Option 4 were to be
selected, that would create “sight line issues,” making it more difficult (if I
understood President McKaig’s brief comment) for drivers pulling into or out of
driveways on the east side of Lake Drive to see northbound bike riders riding
in the protected bike lane envisioned by Option 4.</span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m looking forward to
hearing from Village staff more at next week’s meeting regarding their views on
this issue. But here are my preliminary thoughts or questions on these issues,
based on the information I have now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">1.<span> </span>Snow.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> Whenever a bike
trail, bike lane or protected bike lane is proposed, it is not uncommon for
snow removal issues (or objections) to be raised. I readily admit that the
Shorewood DPW has a difficult job when it comes to snow removal (especially
some years), and they do miracles with limited resources, serving a clientele
who can often have high expectations as to Village services. Staff members and
Board members are sensitive to this issue, as it is they who are the ones who
need to deal with resident complaints when those come in. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is not like the DPW is oblivious to the
needs and desires of winter bike riders and winter bike commuters. The DPW
clears snow of the "bike path" through River Park, and often gets that job done
before the County crews get that job done on the Oak Leaf Trail. </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Is It Possible to Manage Snow, So that
Winter Biking Occurs?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Protected bike lanes exist in many other
cities that have snow. That’s true in the U.S. (</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">e.g.,</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in Milwaukee,
Madison, Minneapolis, Chicago). And that’s true in many cities in Canada, and
in Scandinavian countries.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve mentioned previously </span><a href="https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/tag/Not+Just+Bikes"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">the
YouTube series “Not Just Bikes,”</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> a well-produced,
thoughtful and entertaining series created and narrated by Jason Slaughter, that
explores many issues about “strong cities,” bikes, and urban street design.
Often the theme or lesson of Slaughter’s videos is that it is <i>multiple public
policy decisions </i>that lead to high levels of bike riding in some countries
and some communities, compared to others. I highly recommend the series. In one
of the episodes, Slaughter addresses how snow removal affects whether or not residents
in a community bike in the winter. Below </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU&ab_channel=NotJustBikes"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">is
a link</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> to an episode entitled “<i>Why Canadians Can’t Bike
in the Winter (But Finnish People Can)</i>.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="278" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uhx-26GfCBU" width="391" youtube-src-id="Uhx-26GfCBU"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, the lesson is that snow removal has
not been an insurmountable problem in other communities, precluding the
creation of protected bike lanes in those communities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I mentioned above, the discussion
during the actual board meeting was relatively short. So further exploration of
these issues will probably have to wait until the P&PS Committee meeting on
the 15</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">What Should be Discussed on the 15<sup>th </sup>About Snow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the snow maintenance issue, questions I
can think of now that I would want to ask staff are questions such as the
following. What snow removal equipment does the Village currently have? The Village
clears snow off 8’ wide trails in River Park and Atwater Park – can that same equipment be used to clear an 8’ wide section (5’
bike lane and 3’ buffer lane) next to the curb on Lake Drive? </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If the DPW’s current equipment is not
sufficient, maybe the issue is “if we were to invest in new equipment that
would enable the DPW to clear an 8’ wide section of street on Lake Drive, what
would the cost be?” Let’s discuss what that cost is, and weigh that cost
against the benefits of protected bike lanes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">For example, on November 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> he
Board approved expenditures of up to $60,000 to obtain and install three sets
of pedestrian blinking crossing beacons, which would be installed on Lake Drive when it
is reconstructed, with a goal of enhancing pedestrian safety. If we want to
install protected bike lanes on Lake Drive, and equipment needs to be acquired so
that snow can be removed from those lanes, what will that equipment cost?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And if it’s a staff issue (</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">e.g., </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Option
4 would require more staff hours than Option 3), let’s discuss what the
differential is, and the cost of that differential.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Or, if the issue is “we would need to
contract-out snow removal as to a protected bike lane on Lake Drive if Option 4
is the selected option,” let’s discuss that issue. I understand the Village
already contracts out some other snow removal jobs in the Village. For example,
the Village in its design for Oakland Avenue reconstruction has included
addition pedestrian bump outs (to improve pedestrian safety), and there was a comment
made at the Village Board meeting on the 7th that the Village is going to contract out to a private service the
job of snow removal at those bump outs. If this snow removal job as to Option 4
really would need to be contracted out, let’s discuss what that cost would be,
and weigh that cost against the benefits of protected bike lanes. Also, if the
Village is already planning on contracting-out snow removal at the bump outs at
five intersections on Lake Drive that it approved on November 7</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, ho
much more would it cost the Village, if the Village hires the same service
provider to also clear the snow on a protected bike lane. Or, many households that or on the east side of Lake Drive are already contracting for snow removal as to the household private driveways (some of them quite long). Should the Village contract with one of those service providers, that is already coming to Lake Drive to do snow removal (and already have the pick-up trucks that might be better suited to removing snow from an 8' wide area next to the curb, if Option 4 is selected.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Overall, we should consider/discuss any
increased cost of snow removal that might be associated with Option 4 (if there
is any), compared to Option 3, against the increase in property values in the
Village associated with having first-class, modern protected bike lanes in the
Village (and other benefits associated with a protected bike lane).</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Or, let’s discuss or explore options that
might negate the necessity of either buying new equipment, or contracting out
snow management, and still get snow managed in the area of a protected bike lane on Lake
Drive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">For example, the Village regulations
already allow for a declaration of a snow emergency (which temporary prohibits
parking between midnight and 6:00 a.m.), and allows the DPW to also post
“temporary no parking” signage on any street, so that the snow can be cleared. If
a snow emergency was to be declared, the DPW could either plow unimpeded Lake
Drive overnight, or (if the snow plowing needed to be done outside of those
hours), put up temporary no parking signs, and plow all of Lake Drive while
such signs are up. Because no bollards (or other structures) are involved in
Option 4, with no vehicles parked on Lake Drive, the Village could proceed as it
regularly proceeds now to remove snow from the full width of Lake Drive. If the
Village decides to use this “declare a snow emergency” option, it would appear
that the Village would <b>not need to purchase any new equipment</b>, or contract-out to a
third party the cost of snow removal on any portion of Lake Drive. No additional personnel should be needed either, because the crews would be clearing snow from the same width of Lake Drive that it is now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If current Village “snow emergency”
regulations are inadequate, let’s explore or discuss modifying current regulations,
in a way that could address the challenge. For example, many communities have “snow
emergency <b>route</b> regulations,” that designate certain streets (or sides of
streets) as snow emergency routes, and which prohibit parking on those streets,
whenever it snows over a certain amount in a 24-hour period. If the Village
were to adopt such a regulation, it could designate the east side of lake drive
as such a route, and post signs there indicating such (for example, simple signs that say "SNOW ROUTE No Parking Until Snow Removed." Doing that should enable
the DPW use its current street snowplows to clear snow from the entire width of
Lake Drive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We should consider too the issue of how
many cars park on Lake Drive on the east side of the street, during or
immediately after snow falls? (It would be nice to have data on this, but I’m
not aware that such studies have been done, or that such data exists.) Would
invoking a Snow Emergency, or designating Lake Drive as a Snow Emergency Route,
cause much disruption to on-street parking patterns? The Village already has
overnight parking regulations (no parking 2 - 5 a.m.), and daytime parking regulations; it would not
seem an insurmountable problem to craft regulations that would restrict parking
during certain times on Lake Drive, so that snow can be removed. And the Village Board could instruct the Police Department not to give permission to any resident who asks for permission to park overnight on the east side of Lake Drive, if snow is falling or it is within 24 hours of a snow storm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Looking to other streets in the Village,
the DPW already deals with dynamic and varied street environments already
(streets with cars parked on them, and some that have none, and "alternating side parking regulations on Oakland Avenue, and parts of Capitol Drive). If there is a will to get parking regulations modified in a sensible way so that snow plowing can occur, there seems like there ought to be a way. And it must be remembered, <i>it's not the bikes or bike riders who are causing this problem for snow plows</i>; instead, its car drivers who believe they should have the unfettered right to park free on any Shorewood street (especially Lake Drive), even in the middle of or immediattely after a snow fall. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We all know that
after certain snowfalls, all snow does not get removed, even if a plow has gone over the street in question. Sometimes that is due
to parked cars on a particular street. And sometimes that is just because of
the nature of the snow fall in question. Sometimes snow becomes packed hard on
the street, and if the temperature stays below a certain temperature, there is
nothing the DPW can do to remove such “pack ice.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Drivers drive on (and winter bike riders ride
on) streets in Shorewood that have on them such “pack ice,” snow, or just plain
ice. If Option 4 were to be selected and such pack ice were to exists in a bike
lane on Lake Drive, that won’t be a novel winter street condition.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes to whether winter bike
riders are expecting perfection, I don’t think that is the case. Drivers in Shorewood
do not expect perfection when it comes to snow plowing. Also, winter bike
riders (many of whom now ride with studed tires) are not "delicate flowers" that are going to wilt at the prospect of riding on a street that either has not yet been plowed, or which (even though it has bee plowed), still has some snow on it. Winter bikers tend to be an experienced, hearty and resourceful group of people (compared to those who bike in spring, summer and fall). Winter riders are used
to biking on snow or ice-covered streets (or bike trails). If a bike lane for
some reason one day is not in good winter riding conditions, winter riders do "a work
around" (or avoid that street or trail, or don’t go biking that day). The phrase
“the perfect should not be the enemy of the good” comes to my mind, when
considering this snow maintenance issue. Is this a real, determinative issue,
or only a way (or excuse) to avoid doing something in Shorewood that we have not
done before?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I don’t claim to be an expert on snow removal,
or the DPW’s budget. I look forward to learning more about Village staff’s views
on this issue on the 15</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, and seeing if this is an insurmountable
problem with Option 4, or a problem that can be addressed (and if so, what
would be the best way to address the problem). But again, other communities
(including budget-strapped Milwaukee, and including many communities that on average get a lot more snow than Shorewood does) have protected bike lanes, and they seem
to be able to handle snow removal on protected bike lanes, even when we are
talking about raised-protected bike lanes, or bollard-protected bike lanes--neither of which is being proposed by the DOT for Shorewood. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post that will discuss what Milwaukee is proposing for its portion of Lake Drive. More details to follow, but Milwaukee is proposing a parking-protected bike lane on the east side of Lake Drive, and a curb- protected bike lane on the west side of Lake Drive. That is, Milwaukee is proposing/supporting protected bike lanes <i>on both sides of Lake Drive in Milwaukee. </i>Obviously, Milwaukee doing such suggests that Milwaukee does not see the snow plowing issue as insurmountable. Also obviously, it would seem like there would be some advantage to having a consistent protected bike lane design in Milwaukee and Shorewood on Lake Drive. </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">2. Leaf removal.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I rake my yard’s leaves out to the
terrace, and then when the leaf vacuum truck comes by, cars are parked in front
of my house, and the vacuum truck goes right on by. Maybe the truck gets them
next time (when cars are not parked in front of my house), or maybe it doesn’t
(and I end up bagging the leaves, or they sometimes just stay until the spring
thaw/yard clean up). This, of course, is a first world problem to have.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I assume that people on Lake Drive experience
the same issue. So as we consider which option is better (Option 3 or 4), we
have to keep in mind that Option 3 (allowing car parking next to the curb) can
also make it impossible (or at least more difficult) for the Village’s leaf vacuum truck to get to the
leaves piled on the terrace next to the curb.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Either way, considering the relatively low
rates of parking during the late fall time period on most sections of Lake
Drive, I do not see this as an insurmountable problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Also, we need to hear from Village staff,
their view as to whether the DPW’s current leaf collection equipment could be
used on the east side of Lake Drive, if Option 4 is selected. If not, what
would be the equipment the DPW might need to get leaves moved to a location
that they could be vacuumed up? I routinely see in Milwaukee leaf collection
crews using pick-up trucks or "parking jeeps" with plow like structures on their front ends
pushing leaves into large piles, so those can be vacuumed up by larger trucks.
If Shorewood’s vacuum truck is too large to fit down an 8’ lane width protected
bike lane (5’ of bike lane, and 3’ of buffer), could the Village do a similar
work around with a Village pick-up truck or gator? Or again, just like some communities have "street sweeper day" parking regulations, it would seem like the Village could likewise adopt such regulations, that would give them certain days, when parking would be prohibited on the east side of Lake Drive, so that parked cars would not impede vacuum truck access to leaves piled by residents on the terrace.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">3. Safety.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> I hope we can
have a real discussion about safety. If some folks have studies that indicate
conventional bike lanes (Option 3) are safer than protected bike lanes (Option
4), let’s see those studies, and let’s discuss them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We should also be sure we are defining the safety
issue, and its components. I suggest that there are a couple of them. Let’s first
discuss collisions between cars and bikes. If Option 3 (conventional bike lane),
as compared to Option 4 (protected bike lane) is selected, would that:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;"></p><ul><li><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-highlight: yellow;">Decrease the chances of a bike-car crashes?</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-highlight: yellow;">Decrease the severity of a bike-car collisions
to a bike rider?</span> </span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As a person who regularly rides (and
drives) on Lake Drive, and has done so for over 30 years, my experience (yours
may differ) has been that it is very rare (at least for me) to see a car
pulling out of or into a driveway on the east side of Lake Drive. I know it
happens, but I just rarely see it. I’ve never encountered a problem with it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So given the level of bike traffic and the
low-frequency level of bike rider interaction with “driveway” cars, it would
seem that Option 3 would not decrease appreciably the frequency of collisions
between bikes and “driveway” cars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Both Option 3 and Option 4 present “sight line” issues.
If one diagrams it out, the sight line issue is probably “a wash.” Here is why:</span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">With Option 3 (with <u>cars parked next</u> to
the curb), one can imagine a scenario where a driver-pulling-</span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">out-of</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">-a-driveway
does not see a northbound bike rider in the bike lane, because the driver’s
view is blocked by cars parked next to the curb, south of the driveway the car is pulling out of. But a driver-pull-</span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">into-a</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">-driveway
(approaching from either north or south on Lake Drive) would have a clear view
of the bike lane, and any bike in the bike lane.</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With Option 4 (with <u>the bike lane next</u>
to the curb), one can imagine a scenario where a driver-pulling-</span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">into</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-a-driveway
does not see a northbound bike rider in the bike lane, because the driver’s
view is block by cars parked in the parking lane to the south of the lane being pulled into. But a driver-pulling-</span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">out-of</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">-a-drive
(intending to head either north or south on Lake Drive), would have a clear
view of the bike lane, and any bike rider in the bike lane.</span></span></li></ul></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If
I’m missing something in my analysis above, let me know. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s on the severity question of car-bike collisions that
I think Option 4 is superior to Option 3. Here’s why.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cars pulling into or out of driveways tend to be
driving at a relatively low speed (5 or 10 mph). Compare that to the speed of a
car in the driving lane on Lake Drive (30 mph, or sometime 40 or even 50 mph).
If I’m going to be on a bike, and have a collision with a car, I would prefer to
have a collision with a car going between 5 and 10 mph, as opposed to 30-50 mph.
The 5-10 mph could cause injury. The 30-50 mph would likely cause death.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Next,
let’s discuss car-car collisions. If Option 3, as compared to Option 4 is
selected, would that:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-highlight: yellow;">Decrease the chances of car-car
collisions?</span></li><li><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-highlight: yellow;">Decrease the severity of a car-car
collisions?</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Again, for the same reasons as indicated
above, the “sight line” issue is probably “a wash.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As to the severity of any car-collisions
that might occur, it is here where I think Option 4 shows itself again to be
the better option. Here’s why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It should be remembered that studies
regarding streets that have protected bike lanes (as in Option 4) indicate that
they <i>decrease the incident of all types of collisions </i>(<i>including car-car collisions</i>).
What explains this? Some of this is due to the traffic calming effect of
protected bike lanes, but there are likely other explanations as well (for
example, greater predictability of where bikes are going to be, and decreases
in the opportunity for cars to change lanes while traveling).</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So as residents on Lake Drive consider
what it would be like to pull out of, or into, driveways on Lake Drive,
residents should consider which Option (Option 3 or Option 4), is going to
result in traffic calming, that is, which is more likely bring down speeds on
Lake Drive (especially speeds in excess of 30 mph), and which is likely to decrease
cars switching lanes as they travel on Lake Drive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My sense is that Option 4 would probably
have a greater traffic calming (speed reduction) effect than Option 3. This is
because when drivers perceive a narrow driving path, they naturally tend to
slow their speed. With parked cars right next to the northbound driving lane (compared
to having just a painted-buffer-and-bike-lane next to that driving lane), that
would give a “narrow driving path view,” especially to cars headed North. Of
course, if cars traveling north or south on Lake Drive decrease their speed,
that both reduces the risk of collisions occurring, and decreases the severity
of any accidents that do occur.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">One final thought on the “sight line”
issue. Much of the issue of whether a driver’s view of approaching traffic
would be obscured would depend on how far back from a driveway a parked vehicle
is. My understanding is that Shorewood parking regulations require that parked
vehicles park no closer than 4’ to an “unmarked, regular” driveway, or no
closer than allowed as indicated by signage or paint (on the curb or on the
street). As the design for Lake Drive is developed, no matter which option is selected,
if the DOT were to want to limit the chances that a driver’s view would be
limited, there would be nothing that would preclude the DOT as it designs the
paint scheme for Lake Drive (in conjunction with the Village) from defining parking
set-backs from driveways at more than four feet. That would involve a trade-off
of course. Doing such would likely cut down on the total potential parking
spots on Lake Drive. So a calculation would need to be done, to determine what
the reduction would be, at various setback-levels. Village residents would need
to consider what they want more; more parking spaces on the east side of Lake
Drive, or making it potentially more easy, comfortable and safer as drivers exit
and enter driveways. If sight line issues are a concern with either option, the
above would be at least one way to address the concern.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The final decision as to
which option the Village is going to endorse will likely be made by the Village
Board at its next meeting on November 21<sup>st</sup>. That position will then be
considered by the DOT. The DOT has indicated that it will hold a 3<sup>rd</sup>
Public Information Meeting regarding Lake Drive, sometime in January or
February 2023. Ultimately, because this Lake Drive is state highway, the DOT
will make the final decision on which of the four alternatives will be
constructed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Again, if you want to
weigh in on these issues, you can attend the upcoming Village meetings on these
issues (either the P&PS meeting starting at 6:00 on Tues., Nov. 15<sup>th</sup>)
or the Village Board meeting on Monday, Nov. 21<sup>st</sup> (time TBD). Or you
can email comments or concerns to the Village and DOT at the addresses
indicated below. </b>Thanks to all who have already submitted comments in support
of Option 4 to the Village.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As always, I’m willing to
discuss these issues, and I can be reached at the below email or cell phone
number. Hopefully, discussions we have in the Village will ultimately result in
our having an even better Lake Drive than we have now. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.3333px;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton (414.418.4469; sandiependleton@gmail.com)</span></span></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-58594823696641214142022-11-05T12:32:00.002-07:002022-11-08T13:56:11.081-08:00Village Board to Choose Between Protected vs. Un-Protected Bike Lanes<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Representatives
from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be present at the November
7 Shorewood Village Board meeting to discuss the Lake Drive
re-design/re-construction project. The DOT will present a project overview, and review
the scope and results of the second public information meeting (held 6/12/2022).
Importantly, at Monday’s meeting DOT will describe its four current designs,
each of which include bike lanes, and two of which propose a “parking-protected
bike lane.”</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">WisDot will be asking the
Village Board to choose one of those designs on Monday.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Greater Shorewood Bikers ("GSB") is asking Shorewood residents to contact Village and DOT officials, to express support for a protected bike lane on Lake Drive in Shorewood. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
more information about the four alternatives, see the DOT’s Power Point Presentation
slides (pages 10 -30 in the Village Board packet, <a href="https://villageofshorewood.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11072022-1954" target="_blank">available at this link</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, see slide numbers 17-20
which provide diagrams for each of the four current alternatives.</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Milwaukee
has bollard-protected bike lanes on several streets (such as on Locust Avenue and
North Avenue), and parking-and-bollard-protected bike lanes on several other
streets (for example, on Kilbourn Avenue).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/kilbourn-avenue-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="800" height="270" src="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/kilbourn-avenue-scaled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(The "parking-and-bollard-style protected bike lane" on Kilbourn Avenue.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">As
the Shorewood Village Board considers the merits of the four design options, I suggest it should
consider these five questions:</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Which option will more likely make
Lake Drive </span><b style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><i><u>safer for all users</u></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">?</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Which option will more likely increase
bike use and the adoption of active/healthy lifestyles in Shorewood more generally?</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"> </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Which option will more likely make
Lake Drive safer for bike riders (and users of the several other emerging
micromobility means of getting around, such as e-bikes and e-scooters)?</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Which option will make it more likely
that young, educated and talented individuals will want to move to Shorewood,
and grow a family or business here?</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Which option is most consistent with
Shorewood’s oft expressed desire to be the premier walkable and bikeable
community in this area?</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The
DOT’s materials indicate that the DOT has not changed the legal position that
it articulated at the Public Information Meeting (“PIM”) in June.<span style="text-indent: -0.5in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">That is, the DOT’s position (which is correct) is that federal law requires if federal funds are going to used that bikes lanes be added to Lake Drive
when it is reconstructed. Clearly, the Village wants to use federal funds to do the
re-construction (unless there are some Shorewood residents
who want to fork over ~$7MM to repave Lake Drive in 2025, just to keep it the way
it is configured now).</span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There
are several different ways that bike lanes could be added to Lake Drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As indicated by our prior blog entries (see
below), GSB has been advocating for protected bike lanes on Lake Drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In its Power Point Presentation, the DOT has
presented four options as to how parking lanes, travel lanes, and bike lanes
could be configured on Lake Drive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Of
the four options, the Director of the Village’s DPW (Leeann Butschlick) is at least preliminarily recommending to the Village Board that the
Village Board choose “Option 3,” the option that is shown on DOT slide 19 (entitled
“Buffered 5-Foot Bike Lane – Parking at Curb”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In support of that option, Director Butschlick in her written materials to the Board only indicates the
following: “This option provides for the requested buffered dedicated bike lane
while providing the standard layout of travel and parking lanes familiar to the
traveling public.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
will be attending next Monday’s meeting, and advocating in favor of “Option 4.”
The only difference between Option 3 and
Option 4 is the location of the northbound bike lane; that is, whether the bike
lane will be placed next to the driving lane (Option 3), or between the parking
lane and the curb (Option 4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here
is why Option 4 is the better option.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There
is a substantial amount of research indicating the benefits of protected bike
lanes. </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you are unfamiliar with
protected bike lanes, I recommend watching <a href="https://vimeo.com/93261795?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=13226483">the
short 4-minute video at this link</a>. If you are interested in reviewing
a brief summary of some of the many research studies that have identified the
multiple benefits of protected bike lanes, I recommend <a href="https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic-benefits">this
“protected bike lane research compilation” webpage</a>. Finally, <i><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/is-the-us-becoming-more-bike-friendly#:~:text=And%20the%20increase%20in%20protected,now%20well%20over%20600%20miles">National
Geographic Magazine<span style="font-style: normal;"> published an article last
year regarding the increasing rates of everyday, routine biking in U.S. urban areas</span></a></i>,
and how better biking infrastructure and networks (including protected bike
lanes), are playing an important role in that trend. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If we want to have a “complete streets” approach to street design in Shorewood, that means the street designs we move towards must be ones that create streets that can confidently and safely be used by all types of road users (not just drivers, but also pedestrians, bike riders and other micromobility users). We want to encourage more people more often
to get around Shorewood using means other than motor vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want that because that is good for the
environment, good for individuals’ health, good for the healthy/active
lifestyles we want to promote in Shorewood, and good for the community feeling
we want to create in Shorewood. </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">The speed limit on Lake Drive is 30 miles per hour.</span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">If we
want to configure Lake Drive so it is a street that families feel safe riding
on with their children (which we do), the option that is the safest, and the
one most likely to engender that feeling of safety for biker riders and other
micromobility users, is the option that puts the “bike” lane furthest away from
the 30-mph-traveling-4100-pound-on-average car (a car possibly being operated
by a distracted or impaired driver).</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One
can think of painted on bike lanes as “Bike Lanes 1.0” and protected bike lanes
as “Bike Lanes 2.0.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies clearly
indicated that protected bike lanes are safer than conventional “just paint”
bike lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shorewood wants to be a
leader when it comes to being bike friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Shorewood does as to bike lanes, will likely influence how bike
lanes are configured on Lake Drive in Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point and Bayside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is a once in a generation opportunity, because </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Lake Drive is reconstructed approximately once every 20 years. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As
we think about Lake Drive's design now, we should think ahead to how mobility in this
area is likely to change in the next 10 to 25 years. Some trends that we are likely to see during that period:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">More people in this area purchasing
e-bikes, and choosing to use e-bikes instead of motor vehicles.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">More people in this area purchasing
e-scooters, and choosing to use e-scooters instead of motor vehicles.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">More people choosing to use
traditional bikes to get to work or around the Village (instead of motor
vehicles), so as to gain the health benefits associated with bike-usage and
active lifestyles.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">The increase in <i>shared</i> bike, e-bike and/or
e-scooter networks (both dockless and undocked systems), and the use of
such services/networks to get around instead of using motor vehicles.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Decreases in personal motor vehicle
ownership, as more people in this area work from home, or decide they want to
live a more car-free lifestyle.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Vehicle crash avoidance systems continuing
to improve, so that they become better at enabling cars from coming into
contact with pedestrians, bike riders, and other users of micromobility means;
this development will cause more people to perceive that it is safe to use bikes
or scooters, and be more likely to more often use such methods (as opposed to
using motor vehicles as frequently as they do today).</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Several
of these trends suggest that we may want to adopt a new term for what we have
traditionally been calling “bike lanes,” and instead start calling them
something else (<i>e.g.,</i> “micromobility lanes,” or “MM lanes,” or “alt
lanes”). As we decide where such lanes
should be placed on the public right-of-way, we should choose to locate these lanes where they are most likely to encourage people to use alternatives-to-motor-vehicles. Actually safety, and the perception of safety, are both important. Protected bike lanes in other
communities (<i>e.g., </i>Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York
and San Francisco), have been very popular, have improved road safety <i>for
all road users including drivers, </i>and have increased ridership levels. (See
<a href="https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic-benefits">this
“protected bike lane research compilation” webpage</a> to see citations to the
many studies that support the above assertions.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Shorewood
likes to promote itself as a walkable, bikeable, active community. It differentiates itself from other competing
communities by promoting itself as such a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that just all talk? The location of bikes lanes on Lake Drive in
Shorewood is an opportunity for Shorewood to act on its convictions. By being the first community on Lake Drive to
choose to add a protected bike lane on Lake Drive, that increases the
likelihood that other neighboring communities will
follow Shorewood’s lead. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lake
Drive is one of the most visible streets in Shorewood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it is configured in an outdated manner (“Bike
Lanes 1.0”), that sends the message that Shorewood is an outdated,
non-progressive, non-cutting edge community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Lake Drive is configured in a modern manner (“Bike Lanes 2.0”), that helps to send the message Shorewood wants and needs to convey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shorewood is in a competition with other
communities to attract young, educated, and talented individuals and
families, and those individuals and families are looking for communities that
are truly bike friendly and progressive in their street designs (not ones that
just “talk the talk”). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">GSB
asks you consider sending an email to Village officials, that says something
along the following lines:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 20.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I live in Shorewood [and/or I regularly bike
on Lake Drive]. I have reviewed the four alternative designs the DOT has
prepared regarding bike lanes on Lake Drive. Of those four alternatives,
I favor “Option 4,” the one entitled ““Buffered 5-Foot Bike lane – Bike Lane at
Curb.” I do that because having the bike lane for northbound riders be
between the curb and the parking lane (rather than having the bike lane next to motor vehicles weighing on average 4100 pounds traveling at 30 mph), is the better and safer
alternative. Shorewood choosing to approve a protected bike lane on the
east side of Lake Drive, is consistent with Shorewood’s identity as a community
that wants to promote healthy and active lifestyles. If we are committed
to a complete streets approach in Shorewood (one where all types of users feel
confident they can safely use all streets in Shorewood), we need to take this
opportunity to create at least one protected bike lane in Shorewood. (Milwaukee is ahead of us, as it has already built protected bike lanes
on several streets, and the Mayor recently proposed in his 2023 budget $500,000
for new protected bike lanes in Milwaukee.) People choose to move to
Shorewood because of its reputation as a pedestrian-friendly and bike-friendly
community. Protected bike lanes are safer for bikers, and are superior to
conventional “just paint” types of bike lanes. Lake Drive is one of the
most biked on streets in Shorewood, and it is time it had modern, first-class
bike infrastructure. When Shorewood has the opportunity to choose
protected bike lanes, it should do so. I ask that on Monday you vote in
favor of “Option 4” (the one entitled ““Buffered 5-Foot Bike lane – Bike Lane
at Curb”). Thank you for your service and consideration of my above
comments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Feel
free to cut and paste the above into an email, but please send something, no
matter how short (constituent emails can make a huge difference in decisions
made by Village officials).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are
sending an email on this issue, please send your email to the following Village
officials (and to the DOT team members working on this project).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their email addresses are as follows:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="mailto:PresidentMcKaig@shorewoodwi.gov">PresidentMcKaig@shorewoodwi.gov</a>;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="mailto:TrusteeArndorfer@villageofshorewood.org">TrusteeArndorfer@villageofshorewood.org</a>;
<a href="mailto:trusteebaldauff@shorewoodwi.gov">trusteebaldauff@shorewoodwi.gov</a>;
<a href="mailto:trusteecouto@shorewoodwi.gov">trusteecouto@shorewoodwi.gov</a>;
<a href="mailto:trusteeIrcink@shorewoodwi.gov">trusteeIrcink@shorewoodwi.gov</a>;
<a href="mailto:trusteelynn@shorewoodwi.gov">trusteelynn@shorewoodwi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:TrusteeStokebrand@villageofshorewood.org">TrusteeStokebrand@villageofshorewood.org</a>;
<a href="mailto:lbutschlick@shorewoodwi.gov">lbutschlick@shorewoodwi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:glbrunk@gmail.com">glbrunk@gmail.com</a>; <a href="mailto:bgriepentrog@shorewoodwi.gov">bgriepentrog@shorewoodwi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:debra.tarnow@dot.wi.gov">debra.tarnow@dot.wi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:Reem.Shahin@dot.wi.gov">Reem.Shahin@dot.wi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:abubb@kapurinc.com">abubb@kapurinc.com</a>; <a href="mailto:canderson@shorewoodwi.gov">canderson@shorewoodwi.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:tkuhlmann3920@icloud.com">tkuhlmann3920@icloud.com</a>; <a href="mailto:lakedriveshorewood@gmail.com">lakedriveshorewood@gmail.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
have already sent an email to the above individuals expressing my support for
Option 4, and I will be attending Monday’s meeting to advocate for
protected bike lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you would like
to attend Monday’s meeting in person, that could have an impact as well. The meeting starts at 6:00 pm on Monday evening at the Village Courtroom in
Village Hall. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">The mission of GSB is to
encourage people to bike more (and drive less), and to that end, we advocate
for better, safer infrastructure for bike riders and pedestrians. GSB </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">believes that </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">making Shorewood an even
better place than it already is to bike and walk, and less car-centric and
car-dependent, makes Shorewood an even better place than it already is to live,
play, raise a family, work and grow a business.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If there are any questions, or you would like to discuss this
issue with me (whether you favor protected bike lanes or oppose them), do not
hesitate to reach out to me, as I’m always happy to have a civil discussion
with folks on these issues. Thanks for your consideration of these issues.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton (414.418.4469; sandiependleton@gmail.com)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"></p><p></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-58304423544097111762022-10-07T18:01:00.003-07:002022-10-07T18:04:13.938-07:00Milwaukee County Secures $1.3MM in TAP Money to Improve the Oak Leaf Trail Near UWM <p style="text-align: justify;">Governor Evers announced yesterday $35MM in awards over the next
5 years to improve bike and ped infrastructure in Wisconsin, including $1.3MM
to build a ramp (and make other trail improvements) just south of Shorewood, on
the Milwaukee River Line near the UWM Campus. The new ADA-compliant ramp will be
suitable for use by pedestrians and bike riders (and other heroes of
micromobility), and will replace some of the informal (and often unsafe)
pedestrian trails that have existed in that area for many years. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The new ramp will be located near the
intersection of N. Cambridge Avenue and E. Hampshire Street (the intersection
where the famous “boat house” is located).
The ramp will provide a much better and more convenient connection
between the southwest side of the UWM campus, and the OLT, compared
to the existing ramp options (the ramp at Riverside High School at Locust, and the trail connections at
the Shorewood/Milwaukee border). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUK0r99fJLbi_C5hMektxdUh4CgwUhcXL3VEhhc2dGTRur0Z5XOhjYLs48U197U5MWUcuet3KmPkMU9s1Z8GNGHpMc5g37S9lVmHpsOtVuU605vpXiHpvdhLSytHdARQB_HbDkE4dlYt_Oc7QWh3ldfWsSHL4Zxqfih3eUVY0xz4StrpngPSmQB6spw/s4608/20221006_173156.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUK0r99fJLbi_C5hMektxdUh4CgwUhcXL3VEhhc2dGTRur0Z5XOhjYLs48U197U5MWUcuet3KmPkMU9s1Z8GNGHpMc5g37S9lVmHpsOtVuU605vpXiHpvdhLSytHdARQB_HbDkE4dlYt_Oc7QWh3ldfWsSHL4Zxqfih3eUVY0xz4StrpngPSmQB6spw/w200-h150/20221006_173156.heic" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieybBv6aSDaOM91jrvaDz-JNXW3fXdfxw75C40v2XBT9NKt16riw1hAY44YtWiykDVrk1lrRKsJ99fUGI5nq7IYzmp-PHSPf3oSoM1Dp5bL5AosorNd1jc9ZwCCC-DiCiDW1qeOeFpgUeFJs_RQqPOV7OMEuU9ZdOoJGLOuLgqVrj4hdCQpuNYzhxR2A/s4608/20221006_173228.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieybBv6aSDaOM91jrvaDz-JNXW3fXdfxw75C40v2XBT9NKt16riw1hAY44YtWiykDVrk1lrRKsJ99fUGI5nq7IYzmp-PHSPf3oSoM1Dp5bL5AosorNd1jc9ZwCCC-DiCiDW1qeOeFpgUeFJs_RQqPOV7OMEuU9ZdOoJGLOuLgqVrj4hdCQpuNYzhxR2A/w200-h150/20221006_173228.heic" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div>(Above, images of the current steep and unsafe connecting trail at Cambridge and Hampshire.)<br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The new
funds come from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (“TAP”), and
are designed to make it easier and safer for folks to choose to get around
using non-motor-vehicle methods. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeCFptZ1brGQSvcwHFkeRG-dv2YmLhY-QC1FvaikCpkpCV0QiD55RdsqUcoB_wHNg7fHh3TftS1VDDFCz-RRo_UP06WllkVEhktsJk_sfrIfPoUMggE3M5-Nm81DPtSYs9TXpC5sCJLBThxkH_TkkD6KNj7qvBX0gNQi5SywE78SHdk6_okaxYzNB6A/s4032/20221006_173657.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeCFptZ1brGQSvcwHFkeRG-dv2YmLhY-QC1FvaikCpkpCV0QiD55RdsqUcoB_wHNg7fHh3TftS1VDDFCz-RRo_UP06WllkVEhktsJk_sfrIfPoUMggE3M5-Nm81DPtSYs9TXpC5sCJLBThxkH_TkkD6KNj7qvBX0gNQi5SywE78SHdk6_okaxYzNB6A/w200-h150/20221006_173657.heic" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1gh_opwrvtfc5A7iBUCt6-jSYN-ZKOCl_vlXLYxSPCb5nwcXqQPrp0qQCuQuUwBdT8DpnPLstR7wkQev9xP4JFo6R4T4-T6fL0G34CwWzrsiv-jWFuM99H9-UC4XtCzmVi-ms7fXA-RcGUG_XBetTFjDRqneKO-Oywz3ops14TQmu6LpUgmS9FSfBg/s4608/20221006_173609.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1gh_opwrvtfc5A7iBUCt6-jSYN-ZKOCl_vlXLYxSPCb5nwcXqQPrp0qQCuQuUwBdT8DpnPLstR7wkQev9xP4JFo6R4T4-T6fL0G34CwWzrsiv-jWFuM99H9-UC4XtCzmVi-ms7fXA-RcGUG_XBetTFjDRqneKO-Oywz3ops14TQmu6LpUgmS9FSfBg/w200-h150/20221006_173609.heic" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div>(Above, images of the well-designed and safe bike/ped ramp connector at the Urban Ecology Center.) <p style="text-align: justify;">Construction on the project will
not happen right away (as there is a 20% “local matching” requirement to TAP
funds, and the County budget is already streatched thin). But the trail improvement on this part of the OLT is much closer to being built now, then it was before the Governor's announcement. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For more
details about this project, see the <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/33053f0"><b>Governor’s
Press Release</b></a>, the <b><a href="https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/doing-bus/local-gov/astnce-pgms/aid/tap/proj2022.pdf">State’s
list of projects designated for TAP funds</a>,</b> and last year’s <i><a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/07/29/mke-county-parks-planning-oak-leaf-trail-projects/"><b>Urban
Milwaukee<span style="font-style: normal;"> article regarding the proposed
project</span></b></a></i>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The securing of
these funds is the result of several years of work/attention by many active
transportation advocates, including at the Wis Bike Fed (<i>e.g., </i>Kirsten
Finn, Dave Schlabowske, Jake Newborn), Greater Shorewood Bikers, and with the
County (in particular, Jessica Wineberg, the County’s Trails Coordinator). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-67236571569257034962022-08-17T13:38:00.007-07:002022-10-17T09:07:12.105-07:00Riding While Intoxicated<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjminX1e0zGSwqLZHsr4gFR_yCWZor3OE7bg-DwX7jjScYalIPPBeNKzgOS4kBuyA-JPeRZ7iP_wQhNfZ3dB7Rc5QRR6tCUhypC2vBD61m35lqyvIWw-OWE6PY7ZxpiRp2cxLUi-8HElkUVv0ziixfbXfGQFgjoYz4EZ63lBbfKI4B-L_LlT8HO8mPjiw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="628" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjminX1e0zGSwqLZHsr4gFR_yCWZor3OE7bg-DwX7jjScYalIPPBeNKzgOS4kBuyA-JPeRZ7iP_wQhNfZ3dB7Rc5QRR6tCUhypC2vBD61m35lqyvIWw-OWE6PY7ZxpiRp2cxLUi-8HElkUVv0ziixfbXfGQFgjoYz4EZ63lBbfKI4B-L_LlT8HO8mPjiw=w421-h279" width="421" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of you out there may be wondering "If I'm riding my trusty bike home from the bar after having several drinks, can I get arrested and convicted of OWI?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The short answer, in Wisconsin at least, is "no." That's according to a recent article published by the State Bar of Wisconsin (click <b><i><u><a href="https://www.wisbar.org/NewsPublications/InsideTrack/Pages/Article.aspx?Volume=14&Issue=14&ArticleID=29274" target="_blank">here</a></u></i></b> to read and see the legal citations), which reviews this whole area of the law (including the application of OWI laws to e-scooters and even motorized lawnmowers).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what about if I'm taking that trip home from the bar on my new-fangled e-bike? According to the article, same answer, Wisconsin OWI laws <b><i>would not </i></b>apply.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what about if I'm making that same trip on a "motor bicycle"? First, what is a "motor bicycle? Section 340.01(30) defines such as "a bicycle to which a power unit that is not an integral part of the vehicle has been added to permit the vehicle to travel at a speed of not more than 30 miles per hour with a 150-pound rider on a dry, level, hard surface with no wind and having a seat for an operator" execpt that the term "motor bicycle" <b><i>does not</i></b> include "an electric bicycle." If you are one of the few people in Wisconsin to own such a bicycle, you could get into trouble on your trip home from the bar, because the OWI laws <b><i>apply</i></b> to such a vehicle. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"RWS" (<i>i.e., </i>Riding While Schnockered) may be <i><b>a better idea</b></i> than operating a car or motorcycle under the influence, but that still probably doesn't make it <i><b>a good idea</b></i>. You might get arrested for or convicted of something like public intoxication. Or, if you were negligently to hit a pedestrian, you could be held liable for the pedestrian's injuries (and possibly even punitive damages). Note too that most auto insurance policies in such a situation would not provide coverage to the cyclist (but if the cyclist were to have homeowner's or renter's policy, such a policy might provide liability coverage, but not for punitive damages). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So relax and have a good time out on the town on your bike -- but not such a good time that you create an incident that catches the attention of some killjoy Wisconsin legislator, who decides its time to crack down on intoxicated bikers. <i><b>Celebrate your freedom responsibly</b>. </i>Cheers!</p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-67120734019402152862022-06-22T12:34:00.004-07:002022-10-18T11:52:54.450-07:00Proposed Designs for Lake Drive Include Bike Lanes; DOT Seeks Public Comments<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">Lake Drive in
Shorewood (which is part of State Highway 32) will be reconstructed in 2026,
and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation last night unveiled two proposed
designs for how Lake Drive will be configured once re-built, with both plans
including designated bike lanes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>The New Proposed Designs</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">In Option 1, “most” of
Lake Drive in Shorewood would have on it <b>6-foot-wide</b> bike lanes for both
southbound and northbound lanes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitb-JyRX3-qYlr25xgFsBiu4XG_Dv130B2ICQXxSQDDPsM7Qc44PWeZwNZE4IKxSC013Ge_O9RMTTl32sXKb0R5TjMW1r3K5zlhNCUyB1QSzjCSXElXLAj7_5Qt2XV2Rpec7hRCjvE71IESisKEKj9RtBIQn9igSYYUdGRICFn_hE9nV0MQhk2lRHtIQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="468" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitb-JyRX3-qYlr25xgFsBiu4XG_Dv130B2ICQXxSQDDPsM7Qc44PWeZwNZE4IKxSC013Ge_O9RMTTl32sXKb0R5TjMW1r3K5zlhNCUyB1QSzjCSXElXLAj7_5Qt2XV2Rpec7hRCjvE71IESisKEKj9RtBIQn9igSYYUdGRICFn_hE9nV0MQhk2lRHtIQ=w476-h461" width="476" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">In Option 2, “most” of
Lake Drive in Shorewood would have on it <b>5-foot-wide</b> bike lanes instead, plus a
4-foot “buffer lane” between the northbound bike lane, and the northbound
parking lane.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl9S0BOPK5SCgv60T1EfdnXjPc6FbpgfXt-bvuNcp1m7qXK7cATDhf4-pBsh4NOFl6SdQXorzLureyM0wtefSMjzU7PRWkUqhkBjgoBAreOexWlRovJ14FYIYqXmnHyTAYH6gfpKIcZ85T56LyZvszlYqgEqqvkepOZCzpb4Ts9brKs0SZmBbS611VTQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="458" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl9S0BOPK5SCgv60T1EfdnXjPc6FbpgfXt-bvuNcp1m7qXK7cATDhf4-pBsh4NOFl6SdQXorzLureyM0wtefSMjzU7PRWkUqhkBjgoBAreOexWlRovJ14FYIYqXmnHyTAYH6gfpKIcZ85T56LyZvszlYqgEqqvkepOZCzpb4Ts9brKs0SZmBbS611VTQ=w465-h485" width="465" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">The “buffer” lane is intended to decrease the risk of cyclists getting “doored” by persons parking
their vehicles in the northbound parking lane.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We say above “most” because
near Capitol Drive, in the new designs there is a stretch of Lake Drive where
the bike lanes are eliminated (so as to provide space for turn lanes), and “sharrows”
(rather than bike lanes) are instead marked on the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">For full details as to
these two proposed options, </span><u style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/by-region/se/32lakedrive/2022alternatives.pdf">click
on this link</a></u><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Under both of the
current proposed designs, parking will be eliminated on the westside of Lake
Drive, and no widening of Lake Drive occurs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Other Traffic Calming
Features of the Proposals</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Other traffic calming
measures are also included in the two current proposals, such as pedestrian “bump
outs” at certain intersections. Some during the presentation asked the DOT to
consider instead adding “center median islands” (as have been added on Wilson
Drive in Shorewood), believing those would be better and safer for pedestrians.
Several attendees also advocated for adding “blinking light” pedestrian crosswalks
(as Whitefish Bay added on Lake Drive).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>New Proposals Compared
to Prior Proposals</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">There has been
controversy over the DOT's prior proposals, especially DOT’s proposal last year
(one that would have widened Lake Drive at certain points so as to preserve
parking on the westside of Lake Drive, add bike lanes, at the cost of
eliminating some current trees on Lake Drive). The DOT listened to resident
comments against that proposal, and that proposal is now off the table.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Comments by Attendees
at the Public Involvement Meeting regarding Bike Lanes</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">An estimated 40 people
attended the in-person presentation at the Village meeting room, and an
estimated 30 attended the online presentation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Some at the meetings
spoke in favor of the new bike lanes and new pedestrian amenities, arguing that
such would have a “traffic calming” affect on Lake Drive, which would make Lake
Drive safer for everyone (drivers, residents, pedestrians and bike riders).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Some at the meetings asked
the DOT to consider an additional design proposal, one that would have both of
the bike lanes be “protected” bike lanes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Traditional "regular" painted-on bike lanes increase
cyclist safety (the DOT spokesman said by somewhere between 25% and 75%), but protected
bike lanes are the preferred, safer-alternative to traditional bike lanes.
Protected bike lanes not only are better for bike riders, </span><b style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">they are better for
drivers too.</b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"> As stated in </span><u style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.pasadenacsc.org/blog/protected-bike-lanes-increase-traffic-safety-for-everyone#:~:text=With%20protected%20bike%20lane%20street,mistakes%20result%20in%20people%20dying.">this
online article</a></u><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As reported by Science Daily, researchers studied
data on traffic fatalities in 12 US cities and found that those streets with
protected bike lanes had the highest mode share of people riding bikes
(remember, protected bike lanes enable more people to feel safe biking, so more
people do it) <b>and lower fatality rates for all road users, not just cyclists</b>.
Fatalities fell by over 38% in Chicago, 40% in Denver, nearly 50% in San
Francisco, 60% in Seattle, and a whopping 75% in Portland, OR. What these
cities had in common were protected bike lanes. The researchers concluded that:
“…building safe facilities for cyclists is one of the biggest factors in road
safety for everyone. Bicycling infrastructure -- specifically, separated and
protected bike lanes -- leads to fewer fatalities and better road-safety
outcomes for all road users.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">(Emphasis added.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">If the DOT were to prepare
and present for consideration a design proposal for protected bike lanes, that
would involve the following. As to the northbound side of the street, that would
involve a design option whereby the order of the parking lane and the bike lane
on the northbound side of the road would be reversed. Currently (as shown in
the above diagrams), under the DOT’s proposed design for the northbound side of
the road, the order of the lanes is: (1) parking lane next to the curb, then (2)
bike lane, then (3) “car-traffic” travel lane. To create a protected lane for
bike riders, the bike lane would be put next to the curb, then would come the
parking lane, then would come the car-traffic lane. Such would create a “buffer”
between cyclists, and cars traveling on Lake Drive (which has a 30 mph speed
limit).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">If a protected bike
lane were to be created on westside of the road, that would involve still
having the southbound bike lane next to the curb, but then some type of
differentiation between the bike lane and the vehicle-travel lane (for example,
the bike lane could be raised, or there could be a “curb” between the two lanes,
or a row of bollards could separate the two lanes).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">During the virtual
session, a question was also asked about creating a bi-lateral, combined protected
bike lane on the eastside of Lake Drive. The DOT spokesperson responded that
such was not being proposed for a couple of reasons, including the DOT is concerned
that other communities (such as Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay and Fox Point) might
not support such bike bi-lateral lanes, and is worried that if such is the
case, having such lanes in Shorewood (for a distance of less than 1.3 miles)
might cause confusion for cyclists.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Comments in Opposition
to Elimination of Westside Parking</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Some at the meeting
questioned the need for dedicated bike lanes. The DOT spokesperson responded
that bike lanes are required to be included in any new design and reconstruction
of Lake Drive under Federal and State Law, given the results of the DOT’s parking
study.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">At least one attendee
argued that eliminating parking on the westside of Lake Drive was inconsistent
with Shorewood values of “equity and inclusion.” The attendee argued that eliminating
parking spaces would place a burden on those persons who drive to use Atwater
Park and Beach (including from Milwaukee), who in the future may have to walk further
if they park further away from Atwater Park and Beach. The DOT spokesperson
responded that the DOT’s study indicated that there was an adequate amount of
parking spaces within a “ten-minute walk” radius of Atwater Park, and that studies
show that persons often are willing to walk up to ten-minutes to get to
recreational spaces (like parks and beaches). Based on those studies, the DOT
concluded that the elimination of parking on the westside of Lake Drive would
not prevent people who drive from accessing the park, or unduly discourage
their use of the park.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">The same attendee also
indicated she opposed the elimination of parking spaces on the westside of Lake
Drive, because she wanted private service providers who provide services to property
owners on the westside of Lake Drive (such as landscaping companies, or snow
removal companies), to have free, on-street parking on the westside of Lake
Drive, so that employees of such companies would not be parking on the eastside
of Lake Drive, and then crossing Lake Drive to properties on the westside of
Lake Drive (either with or without lawncare or snow-removal equipment). (Another person at the meeting responded that they saw such a concern as not well founded, as such service providers can park their vehicles on the driveways owned by the residents who hire the service providers.) The
same attendee also indicated that she believed the designs did not adequately
take into consideration the needs of “elderly people” (people in their 70’s and
above), who may want to (or need to) be able to park closer to Atwater Park, when
they want to go to Atwater Park or Beach. The DOT spokesperson responded that the
Village has the authority (if it wants to), to create handicap parking spaces
(either in the park or on the street), so as to accommodate the needs of some park
users who have mobility issues.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">One resident on the
westside of Lake Drive indicated she was concerned that if the parking lane is
eliminated on the westside of Lake Drive (and there being instead a bike lane
next to the curb on the westside of the road) that such would result in it
being more difficult (and less safe) for residents on the westside of Lake
Drive to be able to back their vehicles out of their driveways and onto Lake
Drive (especially in the mornings on weekdays, when vehicle traffic volumes on
Lake can be higher than at other times of the day/week).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Finally, one resident
noted that in Shorewood there already exists “three north-south biking options,”
referring to the bike lanes on Downer and Oakland, and the Oak Leaf Trail. To
the resident, this indicated that bike lanes did not need to be included on
Lake Drive. The DOT spokesperson responded that bike lanes would need to be
included on a re-constructed Lake Drive as required by State and Federal Law, given
the results of the DOT’s parking study. (In actuality, cyclists choose to ride on Lake Drive rather than Downer avenue for a variety of reason, including that there are no marked bike lanes on Downer Avenue in Shorewood, given the terrible condition of the road surface on Downer Avenue south of Capitol Drive, and given the higher number of stops signs and intersections that a cyclist would encounter on Downer Avenue, compared to Lake Drive). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>GSB Comments on Last
Night’s Meeting</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">“Bike” lanes these
days really have to be thought of not as “bike” lanes, but “micromobility”
lanes, given the new “non-car” ways that many people are choosing to get around
(</span><i style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">e.g., </i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">bikes, ebikes, scooters, escooters, etc.). Shorewood should want
to ensure that those who choose to get around not using a car, have safe places
to do so. Shorewood should want families to be able to ride on Lake Drive, or walk
across Lake Drive, and feel safe doing so. That will promote more active lifestyles,
and less car dependence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">As with many proposals
involving adding "bike" lanes and/or pedestrian amenities, some
people will oppose them because they are opposed to bikes generally, and
believe that roads should be designed primarily to encourage “unrestricted”
car-traffic, traveling at the highest unimpeded speed. Some believe it is
important that when drivers drive to and reach their destination, public roads
should be designed so that there exists at those destinations parking that is ample,
close, and free. Some people will oppose bike lanes and pedestrian amenities because
they believe free parking is more important than other values, such as bike and
pedestrian safety, and the encouragement of active lifestyles, in particular,
people driving less and walking and biking more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">GSB does not pretend
that the westside parking issue is a simple issue, or doesn't involve the
consideration of competing values. People of good will can value the competing
costs and benefits in different ways, and (once those are weighed in comparison
to each other) come to differing conclusions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">As to the parking
issue, GSB recommends Donald Shoup's book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X" style="font-size: 10pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">The High Cost of Free Parking</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">.
(If you don't have time to read the book, check out the YouTube videos on the
topic.) Professor's Shoup's book has completely changed the way many think
about parking, especially free parking. As he notes, overall, free parking—and outdated
zoning laws requiring too many parking spaces per apartment, or per square foot
of commercial space—has done a lot to encourage highly-sedentary, car-centric
lifestyles in most communities in the United States.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">GSB believes that most in our
Village want Shorewood to be a welcoming place, for persons of diverse
backgrounds, both now and in the future. But it is important that
we distinguish between </span><i style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Shorewood being welcoming to people, </i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">and </span><i style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Shorewood
being welcoming to cars. </i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">It's not the equivalent of "love me, love my dog." </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">As we seek to design a better, greener, more-sustainable
Shorewood, we need to move away from street designs that are car-centric (which
promote car-dependent lifestyles), towards street designs that are less
car-centric (which promote active lifestyles). Part of that is having street
designs that calm traffic, and that help make pedestrians and bike riders both
safer and <i>feeling safer</i> using the street in question for walking and biking.
Shorewood was originally designed that way, but over the last 70 years our
society in general (and Shorewood in particular) adopted car-dependent
lifestyles, and car-centric street designs. Such has had substantial
detrimental affects on our environment, and on individual personal health (as
car dependent-lifestyles contribute to the rise of such things as obesity, heart
disease and diabetes).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Finally, which (in GSB's opinion) is better? Design Option 1 (with a 6-foot wide bike lane with no buffer) or Option 2 (with a 5-foot wide bike lane with a buffer to reduce the risk of "dooring")? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">It's a close call, but given GSB's estimation that dooring is a relatively low-occurence, low-risk event (as opposed to coming into contact with a moving vehicle), GSB favors Option 1. With Option 1, bike riders have slightly more room to manuever in the bike lane if a door opens unexpectedly, and bike riders have slightly more room to avoid moving vehicles in the driving lane. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Given State and
Federal laws (and given GSB’s experience with the DOT regarding other road
projects in the Milwaukee area), GSB believes it would be very, very unlikely
that the final approved design will not include bike lanes of some sort. In the
unlikely event it did not include bike lanes, GSB expects a lawsuit would
challenge the design, as one not in accord with State and Federal laws. So, GSB
respectfully suggests to all concerned that the current debate should be the
following: “If bike lanes and pedestrian amenities are going to be added to
Lake Drive, what is the best design/configuration of such?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">With the upcoming
re-construction of Lake Drive, Shorewood has a historic opportunity to move
away from an overly car-centric design on a high-profile road in Shorewood, and
towards a design that is more balanced and better in multiple ways, in that it increases
pedestrian and cyclist safety, promotes more active lifestyles, promotes greener
means of getting around, and promotes traffic calming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>GSB Encourages You to Submit
Comments to the DOT</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Anyone can submit comments
to the DOT regarding the Lake Drive project and the new proposed designs. GSB
encourages you to do so. Community suggestions can lead to better designs, and
a final design that is more likely to be accepted by the greatest number of
people. GSB encourages you to take a few minutes and submit your comments.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The mission of GSB is to
encourage people to bike more (and drive less), and to that end, we advocate
for better, safer infrastructure for bike riders and pedestrians. GSB </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">believes that </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">making Shorewood an even better place than it
already is to bike and walk, and less car-centric and car-dependent, makes Shorewood
an even better place than it already is to live, play, work and grow a
business.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">If you are submitting
comments to the DOT, GSB asks that you include in your comments the following five ideas:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">That you support the DOT’s
proposal to add traffic-calming measures on Lake Drive (including bike lanes
and pedestrian amenities).</span></li><li><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That you would like to
see the DOT develop an alternative proposed design (for consideration at the
next Public Involvement Meeting in October), one that would provide for
protected bike lanes on both sides of Lake Drive (or at a minimum on the
eastside of Lake Drive).<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That if a protected bike lane is not possible, then you support Option 1 (the 6-foot-wide bike lane) as opposed to "Option 2" (the 5-foot-wide bike lane).</span></li><li><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That you support the installation of "blinking light" pedestrain crosswalks (similar to what Whitefish Bay has done) at some intersections.</span></li><li><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That you believe the
DOT’s adding traffic-calming measures on Lake Drive (including bike lanes and pedestrian
amenities) is consistent with Shorewood’s values of promoting active lifestyles,
and being a bike and pedestrian friendly community.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">You can submit comments to the
DOT by emailing those to </span><a href="mailto:Christine.hanna@dot.wi.gov" style="background-color: transparent;">Christine.hanna@dot.wi.gov</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">
(or </span><a href="mailto:lakedriveshorewood@gmail.com" style="background-color: transparent;">lakedriveshorewood@gmail.com</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">).
You may also want to copy Village Board members on your emailed comments, so
they are aware of your views on these issues.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for your consideration.
If there are any questions, or want to discuss this issue with me (whether you
favor the current designs or oppose them), do not hesitate to reach out to me,
as I’m always happy to have a civil discussion with folks on these issues. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 110%;">Alexander
“Sandie” Pendleton</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 5pt; line-height: 110%;">President
and Co-Peloton Leader</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 110%;">Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 110%;">e: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 110%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8162025740363776519/6712073401940215286"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 110%;">pendleton@pendletonlegal.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 110%;">c:
414.418.4469</span></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-21653840989252285012022-06-17T08:35:00.002-07:002022-06-30T12:47:51.943-07:00Updating and Improving the Village of Shorewood Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrzeJmUah9ZJb2kC3yeTM05QR7F6WYrxpzwJe0cBIrVXhzHP3CuQYJHo4u0syKOOYwgHwVe_FSWDa6lV00ZMLTF9Y9uRgL-g-5k8qTqySdU0ZoRd3MRTTAaV9-8A2JMmzZCf736khHMnaj5QKeIEOxD3BEDxnS42a_NmKjUpYVdcbm8Gv-mqwtAHXbQ/s465/Cover%20of%20the%20Shorewood%20Master%20Bike%20Plan%20060722.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="437" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrzeJmUah9ZJb2kC3yeTM05QR7F6WYrxpzwJe0cBIrVXhzHP3CuQYJHo4u0syKOOYwgHwVe_FSWDa6lV00ZMLTF9Y9uRgL-g-5k8qTqySdU0ZoRd3MRTTAaV9-8A2JMmzZCf736khHMnaj5QKeIEOxD3BEDxnS42a_NmKjUpYVdcbm8Gv-mqwtAHXbQ/w301-h266/Cover%20of%20the%20Shorewood%20Master%20Bike%20Plan%20060722.PNG" width="301" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Shorewood has created a number of plans over the years relating to pedestrian and bicycle issues, the most recent being the Village's 2015 <a href="https://www.villageofshorewood.org/DocumentCenter/View/2991/PedBike-Master-Plan-PDF?bidId=#:~:text=The%20Village%20of%20Shorewood%20Pedestrian,sustainable%20multi%2Dmodal%20transportation%20network." target="_blank">Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan</a>. The Plan was the result of many hours of hard work by many Village residents and officials, including but not limited to Tom Kuhlmann, Rachel Ellerman, Jerry Lynn, and Tyler Burkart. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">But a lot has happened in the world since 2015. Since then there has been an increased use of eBikes and other "micromobility" means of getting around. And more people choosing to use such methods, or to bike or walk (especially as gas prices have risen to historic highs). The Village should (and likely will) start working on updating its 2015 Master Plan soon.<br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: times;">As we reach that stage, two questions naturally arise:<br /></span><span style="font-family: times;">1. How has the Village done with implementation of the recommendations in the 2015 Plan?<br /></span><span style="font-family: times;">2. What's missing from the 2015 Plan, that should be added to an updated plan?<br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> <br /></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times;">As to implementation, we've made some progress, but we're not where we should be, at least not yet. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times; text-align: justify;">For example:</span></p><ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><li><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222;">We still do not have any protected bike lanes in Shorewood.</span></span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><li><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">W</span></span><span style="color: #222222;">e have not yet constructed any “<i>Greenway</i>” streets in Shorewood with "bike boulevard" and pedestrian-enhancement features (even though the Master Plan called for the potential construction of such on Murray, Menlo, and Lake Bluff).</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">As to "what's missing" that should be added to a "new and improved" version of the Master Plan, the 2015 Master Plan did little to address Edgewood Avenue. It would be nice to see the updated Master Plan propose significant traffic calming, pedestrian safety and bike infrastructure on Edgewood Avenue, when it is reconstructed by the Village and the City of Milwaukee in 2027. (Deatils as to Edgewood Avenue will be addressed in a future blog post). </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Vehicle speeds play a significant role in whether a pedestrian or bike rider will survive being hit by a vehicle. Recently, St. Paul and Minneapolis have reduced the "standard" speed limit on most city-owned residential streets (as opposed to arterials) down to 20 mph. If you've travelled in St. Paul or Minneapolis recently, you've seen lots of yard signs promoting the new speed limit, using the slogan "Twenty is Plenty. Slower is Safer" For additional info about this program/development, <a href="https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/public-works/traffic-lighting/speed-limits#:~:text=20%20is%20Plenty%20in%20Saint%20Paul%20and%20Minneapolis&text=Residential%20streets%20are%2020%20mph,20%20mph%2C%20unless%20otherwise%20posted." target="_blank">see this link</a>. Is that an initiative that Shorewood's new Master Plan should call for? </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are interested in being involved in working on, or advocating about, the new Master Plan, let me know. It's early stages in this project, but it is a project vital to the future of Shorewood, in several ways (health, safety, environment, housing-prices, business-success, etc.). A revised Master Plan is a project worth doing, and its important that it is done well, with input from folks throughout the Village.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>President and Co-Peloton Leader</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-69038575004010815342022-06-16T19:11:00.008-07:002022-06-21T18:40:24.347-07:00Lake Drive and Building the Shorewood Micromobility Network<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span>BUILD THE SHOREWOOD </span></span><span face="Corbel, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">MICROMOBILITY </span><span face="Corbel, sans-serif">NETWORK</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWBiCZhctvHXQSr78buGkE7KibjsOZy8BYzHCbufhh61OLAcxrtcyDyfh7MHkOcnZZ95Qq78PAGJDrtknPfTV7GWdtfE8PmOdVATz_25T0tVio2Btt2oXaM6E7vAdIxVvZTVCcggxxo6ASOXacpVwcYvdqBp1tOz0z6hb0lWc2oynmHs68CxM_41KPSg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="401" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWBiCZhctvHXQSr78buGkE7KibjsOZy8BYzHCbufhh61OLAcxrtcyDyfh7MHkOcnZZ95Qq78PAGJDrtknPfTV7GWdtfE8PmOdVATz_25T0tVio2Btt2oXaM6E7vAdIxVvZTVCcggxxo6ASOXacpVwcYvdqBp1tOz0z6hb0lWc2oynmHs68CxM_41KPSg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More Mobility | More
Safety |
More Prosperity<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Better Air |
Better Water | Fewer Cars</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">At this year's National Bike Summit in D.C., one of the things that several speakers and urban planners emphasized was the importance of advocating <i>not just for some new bike lanes here and there, </i>but instead advocating for a <i>comprehensive mircromobility </i><i>network </i>in your community. It is only when a community designs and builds such a network, that residents will opt to drive less, and instead opt to use other "micromobility" means (bikes, ebikes, scooters, escooters, etc.) or to rely on walking and public transit, more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Back in 2015, Shorewood took a good step towards that approach, at least from a design standpoint, when the Village drafted and approved the <a href="https://www.villageofshorewood.org/DocumentCenter/View/2991/PedBike-Master-Plan-PDF?bidId=#:~:text=The%20Village%20of%20Shorewood%20Pedestrian,sustainable%20multi%2Dmodal%20transportation%20network." target="_blank">Village of Shorewood Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But a lot has happened since 2015 in the area of micromobility (and gas prices), so it is now time to ask "<i>How are we doing in Shorewood when it comes to building our network?" </i>Do we now, seven years later, have a network of "bike" lanes in Shorewood (including some protected bike lanes), and greenways (with "bike boulevard" features) such that Shorewood is a little less car-centric and car-dependent?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We've made some progress, but we're not there yet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Master Plan correctly identified Lake Drive as a street in Shorewood that is used (and crossed) by lots of pedestrians, and lots of bike riders. Since 2015, the Village (with the cooperation of the State), reconfigured Lake Drive lane markings, and by doing such put Lake Drive on a "road diet" (reduing the number of travel lanes there from four travel lanes, to two travel lanes, plus two "parking" lanes). The Village also installed a "fog line" (helping to create a more defined space for bike riders), and added better-marked pedestrian crosswalks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The "next phase" for Lake Drive is now being designed. All of Lake Drive in Shorewood will be re-built in 2026. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a Public Information Meeting ("PIM"), next Tuesday, June 21st, on the current status of the new proposed design. The public can attend a virtual session (from 4-5 pm), or an in-person meeting at Village hall (from 5-7 pm). Details regarding the PIM are at this <a href="https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/by-region/se/32lakedrive/invite2.pdf" target="_blank">online invitation</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My understanding is that as part of the new design, the DOT will be proposing a new northbound bike lane, and a new southbound bike lane, along with improvements in pedestrian safety (installing "bump outs" at certain key intersections. The DOT will also be proposing that one lane of parking (the lane on the westside of the Drive) will for the most part be eliminated. (This is what I've heard; to get full and accurate details as to the new proposal, I encourage you to attend one of the Tuesday night sessions.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There has been controversy over the DOT's prior proposals, so I hope (if like me, you have an interest in bike and pedestrian safety) you will attend. I'll be attending the in-person session, and I hope you will consider doing likewise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As with many proposals involving "bike" lanes or "road diets," some people will oppose them because they are opposed to bikes generally, and some people will oppose them because they believe free parking is more important than bike and pedestrian safety (and the encouragment of biking and walking), through good road design. That's not to say those are the only considerations that may cause some to oppose the new design. Some have told me they they oppose the elemination of some parking spaces on Lake Drive (free or metered), because they think certain disadvantaged populations as a matter of equity should be provided free parking, so there is easy, low-cost, and convenient access to Atwater Park and Atwater Beach. And I have heard that some oppose the elemination of parking spaces because they want private service providers (such as landscaping companies, or snow removal companies), to have easy, free parking on one side or the other of Lake Drive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I don't pretend that the parking issue is a simple issue, or doesn't involve the consideration of competing values. But as to the parking issue, I recommend Donald Shoup's book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X" target="_blank">The High Cost of Free Parking</a>. (If you don't have time to read the book, check out the YouTube videos on the topic.) Professor's Shoup's book will likely change the way you think about parking, especially free parking. Overall, free parking--and outdated zoning laws requiring too many parking spaces per apartment, or per square foot of commercial space--has done a lot to encourage car-centric lifestyles in the United States, and in the Milwaukee area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I encourage you to attend next today's meeting, and (hopefully) be a voice there in favor of pedestrian bump outs, in favor of dedicated bike lanes, and (at a minimum) a countervaling voice to the voices that dislike bikes and bike infrastructure, and favor car-centric street design in Shorewood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>President and Co-Peloton Leader</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-23381097304501950152022-05-22T17:52:00.000-07:002022-05-22T17:52:08.101-07:00Three Feet -- It's the Law!<p> The new Wis Bike Fed 2022 lawn signs are now available, and look great;</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaA9WomkhICdhKdYB1PPru1xS1BzTa8pQwDIrZXcEALJ8iRDEp8a4WPaavO-pC3SU3UF8qgRsIx6qApBA8QvqsLu4Ah-9dhTHHNdDoaE7ajyCDvHIefCc9865x60gCZlGb-b-9m96S0DpQmALMFhRG9U-ZL61EX1itWHRbGH3VlSWJsn2E9SM246zNg/s3942/20220522_173254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="3942" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaA9WomkhICdhKdYB1PPru1xS1BzTa8pQwDIrZXcEALJ8iRDEp8a4WPaavO-pC3SU3UF8qgRsIx6qApBA8QvqsLu4Ah-9dhTHHNdDoaE7ajyCDvHIefCc9865x60gCZlGb-b-9m96S0DpQmALMFhRG9U-ZL61EX1itWHRbGH3VlSWJsn2E9SM246zNg/s320/20220522_173254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Bike Fed wants to get 125 of these high-quality, durable signs displayed in Shorewood yards this summer. The signs promote safety, and help to promote more biking (and less driving). If you would like one of these signs for your yard, let me know.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Alexander “Sandie”
Pendleton</span><span style="font-size: 10.6667px; font-variant-caps: small-caps;"><br /></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">President and Co-Peloton Leader<br /></span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Greater Shorewood
Bikers, Inc.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt;">e: </span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="mailto:pendleton@pendletonlegal.com"><span style="color: blue;">pendleton@pendletonlegal.com</span></a><br /></span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt;">c:
414.418.4469</span> </p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-37379757383148524852022-04-18T05:08:00.007-07:002022-04-18T05:08:53.168-07:00Koningsdag! Ja! Ja! Ja!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowRqizUeHqZpG_GqXesT2JWm5sF1A-_1TUQ-uVMp_44dBSeDN93UhWLHFNllYWFqwISw7MeLU0y3B3ti6cS651da8etW-u8CyRWcy6abpDW2PlD9NULFuCOTNtKaHb5R0fdePKRID9__Tah2YOWSc6eg5AP6DBz3ITObDNm67I_gKvFjz_kT9X_JrbA/s1024/King's%20Day%20Graphic%20041621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowRqizUeHqZpG_GqXesT2JWm5sF1A-_1TUQ-uVMp_44dBSeDN93UhWLHFNllYWFqwISw7MeLU0y3B3ti6cS651da8etW-u8CyRWcy6abpDW2PlD9NULFuCOTNtKaHb5R0fdePKRID9__Tah2YOWSc6eg5AP6DBz3ITObDNm67I_gKvFjz_kT9X_JrbA/w200-h200/King's%20Day%20Graphic%20041621.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wednesday, April 27<sup>th</sup></b><sup> </sup>is King’s
Day (<i>Koningsdag</i>)! If you aren’t sure what that is, it’s sort of
the Dutch equivalent of St. Patrick’s Day. Just like everybody is Irish
and raises a toast to Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, on King’s Day anybody who
wants to be Dutch, is Dutch. King’s Day is an excuse to wear orange, go
for a spring day bike ride, and gather at a fine local establishment or two
with friends to drink Dutch bier and raise a toast to the Netherlands. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-align: justify;">This year, you don’t have to
travel to Amsterdam to celebrate King’s Day because Shorewood and Milwaukee are
having their very own King’s Day festivities. On Wednesday, April 27</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;">,
those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood and
then Café </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Hollander</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> on Milwaukee’s Eastside.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Organized by Greater Shorewood
Bikers and the Wisconsin Bike Fed, these two cycling advocacy groups are
celebrating King’s Day to bring greater awareness to <b>the Netherlands’
leadership in making their communities over the last 50 years much <i>more bike
friendly, and less car dependent</i>. Currently, the Dutch have the highest
rates of routine, everyday bike use in the World, and many studies indicate
those high rates have many benefits for Dutch health, happiness, prosperity and
the environment.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Milwaukee’s King’s Day
celebration kicks off at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood at 4:00 pm, followed by a
celebration at Café Hollander on Downer. Attendees are encouraged to bike
to the event, and between the two venues (the two bars are an easy, pleasant
3-mile bike ride apart). Festivities at Three Lions will run from about 4-6,
and at Café Hollander from about 5-7. At one or both venues the Dutch National
Anthem will be played, and King Willem-Alexander and the House of Oranje will
be toasted. Celebrants are encouraged to wear orange (the national color of the
Netherlands, and the official color of King’s Day). If you can’t make it to
Three Lions, please join us at Hollander. All welcome, invite your
friends to join you. You don’t have to be Dutch to bike or join in the
celebration on King’s Day!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you think you may attend, please RSVP to the below email address (so we can give
Three Lions and Café Hollander a rough count as to how many may be stopping by
that day). <i>Proost!</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton, sandiependleton@gmail.com, 414.418.4469</i></p>Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-5825696796191783622012-12-02T19:32:00.000-08:002012-12-02T19:32:39.612-08:00GSB to Host Kevin Hardman on December 19th at Wheel & Sprocket<br />
<br />
Your are invited: <br />
<br />
<strong>What: </strong> Kevin Hardman from the Wisconsin Bike Fed on Making Wisconsin the Bicycle Capital of the U.S.!<br /><strong>When:</strong> 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 19th<br /><strong>Where:</strong> Wheel & Sprocket, 6940 North Santa Monica Boulevard, Fox Point<br /><strong>Hosted by:</strong> Ride MKE, Greater Shorewood Bikers and Wheel & Sprocket<br /><strong>What Else: </strong> Refreshments and Light Snacks Provided <br />
<br />
Ride MKE, Greater Shorewood Bikers and Wheel & Sprocket invite you to hear Kevin Hardman (Executive Director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin), address How We Are Going To Make Wisconsin the Bicycle Capital of the U.S.! This is your opportunity to hear what the BikeFed has in store for 2013, and also what Ride MKE and Greater Shorewood Bikers plan on doing in 2013 to make biking better on the Eastside and Northshore Area. There’s lots of things you can do to get involved to make your community a better place for biking, and a place where more people are biking. The program on the 19th will be a great opportunity for you to find out how, and to meet others who are part of (or want to be part of) the movement. The event is FREE and open to all who are interested. Socializing (beer, soda, snacks) begins at 5:00, presentations to begin shortly thereafter. Your chance too to pick up one of those last-minute stocking stuffers, e.g., a Surly Moonlander Fat Tire Bike. We hope to see you there. <br />
<br />
Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.com6940 N Santa Monica Blvd, Fox Point, WI 53217, USA43.1428818 -87.90260443.141433799999994 -87.905071499999991 43.1443298 -87.9001365tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-18945188863595805832012-06-12T18:04:00.001-07:002013-01-24T18:21:25.209-08:00Progress on the Trailer ProjectNow that GSB has successfully gotten Shorewood designated as a <em>Bicycle Friendly Community</em>, and now that we have completed the first phase of GSB's "<em>Go by Bike</em>" Banner Project, GSB is currently focusing on its next major project, the Shorewood Community Bike Trailer Project. This project is designed to get more bike trailers out to Shorewood residents, and encourage more Shorewood residents to leave their cars at home, and instead take their bike and bike trailer when they are going to the store or running errands.<br />
<br />
The program is just getting started, and we are currently recruiting sponsors for the trailers. Sponsors provide us the funds that enable us to buy Burley Trailers, and then we sell or rent those trailers (on a reduced-price basis) to Shorewood residents. In return for the funds the sponsors provide us, sponsors get their names and logos displayed on the trailers, and the benefit of the good media attention we expect this project will get, once it is formally launched. Also, so that more people can find out about the project, on the back of each trailer is our website address (BikeShorewood.org). <br />
<br />
We'd like to launch the Trailer Project officially with 12 -15 trailers in 2013, as we believe that will get everyone involved (the sponsors, the community and GSB), the biggest bang for the buck, media wise. We've done relatively limited promotion of the project so far. Basic sponsorhip costs for each trailer (prior to customization) is $265. If a sponsor wants GSB to handle the customization of the trailer covers, cost for such range from 38 to 100 dollars (depending what options are selected, and what logo design is submitted). <em>Shorewood Business Improvement District</em> has agreed to sponsor two trailers, and <em>Alterra Coffee </em>and <em>Harleys The Store for Men</em> have agreed to sponsor one trailer each.<br />
<br />
We are looking for additional sponsors, including what we are referring to as a "launch sponsor" (<em>i.e.,</em> a sponsor who willing to provide funds for 10-12 trailers, and which will be entitled to certain exclusive media opportunities when we launch the program officially). Exclusive launch sponsor opportunities are available for just $5000. To to the extent anyone reading this article has particularly good connections with owners or managers at Shorewood businesses, if you can discuss or encourage such businesses to become a sponsor of this project, we would certainly appreciate it. Contact either Dave Waters, Scott Holan or Sandie Pendleton if you desire additional information regarding the project, and how your business and our community can benefit from your involvment.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in trying one of the trailers, or seeing what they look like, stop by the First Ride Event, Saturday, June 16th, at Atwater Elementary School, noon to 3:00. We'll be there with the trailers, enabling parents, children and others to take a test ride with the trailers. (Kahuna)Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-81996038055029481362012-05-18T17:52:00.003-07:002012-05-21T17:47:39.809-07:00GSB Host Trail Magic On The OLT<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnhKg_D4ByNMZkw_-ABdXaDeIqRLuczVT0vLBrQL7QNC1UB7dDbWyZwYT3DdAxlvoOLf-sca9mfJqPHZXprrrso7ghMgfoxKz11W4_FI1dy4kmlSnQbhdjv7MkJcSLgznVZOa-WBF9vab/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnhKg_D4ByNMZkw_-ABdXaDeIqRLuczVT0vLBrQL7QNC1UB7dDbWyZwYT3DdAxlvoOLf-sca9mfJqPHZXprrrso7ghMgfoxKz11W4_FI1dy4kmlSnQbhdjv7MkJcSLgznVZOa-WBF9vab/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GSB members Tina Holan, Carsten Rou, Gary Johnson, Mara Kuhlman, Sandie Pendleton, Tom Bachhuber, Scott Holan and Dave Waters (among others) enjoying a beautiful day and a cold beverage or so at GSB's first annual OLT Trail Magic Event. Celebrating the last day of the official Bike to Work Week, GSB greeted and refreshed some 100 bike commuters as they headed home (or headed out) on Friday evening, on the OLT at the Shorewood/Milwaukee border. (Photo Credit, Tom Kuhlman) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
To celebrate the end of Bike to Work, GSB organized and hosted a trail magic event on the Oak Leaf Trail, on Friday, May18th. This is the first time we've put on a bike commuter recognition event, and I'm pleased to report that it went well. So many cyclists stopped by, we ran out of beer. Thanks to all who helped out and who stopped by. We'll do another one, sometime in the future. (Kahuna)Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-31638414099701721412012-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:002012-05-13T16:21:08.238-07:00A Good Reason To Bike To Work This WeekSo here's the grim news:<br />
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A new study led by Duke University predicts a 20 year forecast for America’s obesity epidemic.<br />
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As of today, 33% of all adults in America are obese (78 million people) and by 2030 they predict 42 % of all adults will be obese. That means 32 million additional adults will be obese by 2030.<br />
<br />
2/3 of all adults in America today are already overweight.<br />
<br />Currently 1/3 of all children and teens in the U.S. are overweight and 17% of kids and teens are obese with even higher percentages in African American and Latino children.<br />
<br />
Currently 5 % of all adults are severely obese—(nearly 100 lbs overweight) and that will increase to 11 % by 2030.<br />
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The health problems and the cost related to the obesity epidemic are and will be astronomical.<br />
<br />
Here's the good news: predictions do not always come true. <br />
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Something can be done about this. Here's how:<br />
<br />
Everyone needs to eat better and exercise more/be more active.<br />
<br />
Everyone needs to eat more fruits and vegetables and decrease the amounts of snacks, junk food, and desserts they eat.<br />
<br />Everyone needs to limit the amount of sugar drinks they consume—soda, juices, gatoraide, etc—get them out of the house.<br />
<br />Watch that the portions of food you get or give are reasonable. Don’t supersize your meals.<br />
<br />Easy on the seconds. Stop eating when you are full.<br />
<br />Limit the amount of time watching TV, on the computer, video games, computer games, staring at your cell phone.<br />
Be active—get exercise every day—30 to 60 minutes—doing something, anything.<br />
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Ride your bicycle.<br />
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Bike to Work Week is May 14th to the 18th……let’s all ride. (David Waters)<br />
<br />Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162025740363776519.post-790199884079349012012-05-06T09:46:00.002-07:002012-05-06T09:46:52.850-07:00May Is National Bike MonthAs you probably know, May is National Bike Month. Our friends at PeopleForBikes.Org put together the below, which we are repeating here, because we think there good suggestions. <br />
<br />
National Bike Month is officially here! With longer, milder days, May is a perfect time to recognize bicycling for the multitude of benefits it provides – improving our health, economy, and environment. Here are three ways to make the most of this year’s National Bike Month:<br />1) Go for a type of bike ride that you normally wouldn’t: If you’re a road rider, try a mountain bike ride. If you’ve never ridden your bike to work, give bike commuting a shot. And if the ride to work isn’t something you can tackle this year, ride your bike to run an errand you would normally do by car, even if it’s just a trip to the coffee shop or ice cream parlor. Remember—forty percent of trips Americans take are two miles or less, an easy bicycling distance.<br />2) Introduce one other person to bicycling. Whether it’s your partner, a coworker, a family member, or just a friend, help someone find a bike and go for a fun ride. Bicycling is a pretty amazing thing, right? Why not encourage someone else to discover the activity that brings you so much happiness.<br />3) Participate in one or more National Bike Month events. A list of community rides can be found at the League of American Bicyclists, and here are some key national events:<br />• National Bike to School Day (May 9)<br />• CycloFemme, the International Day of Women’s Bicycling (May 13)<br />• National Bike to Work Week (May 14-18)<br />• National Bike to Work Day (May 18)<br />• National Bike Challenge (May 1-August 31)<br />This May and this summer should be an amazing time for bicycling in America. An increasing percentage of our national leaders recognize bicycling as a simple solution for transportation challenges, jobs and economic development, and health and obesity issues. Communities are investing in bike lanes and paths more than ever, helping bicycling to become safer and stress-free. We encourage you to take advantage of these new places to ride by participating in National Bike Month!<br />(Kahuna)Kahunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09623670352521361312noreply@blogger.com