Monday, April 22, 2024

Koningsdag Returns! Ja! Ja! Ja!

 

What’s King’s Day? 

Saturday, April 27th is King’s Day (Koningsdag)! 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. 

The Shorewood/Milwaukee King’s Day Celebration

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 Saturday, April 27th, those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood starting at noon.  After a brief ceremony, those desiring to participate in a King’s Day Ride, are then riding onto other eastside drinking establishments.  Note, this is a free, no-cost event.  

The Schedule of the Grande Tour

After gathering at noon at Three Lions, and hydrating a bit, our ceremony will start at noon, and then Riders will saddle up at ~12:40 and head to Café Hollander.

After re-hydrating at Café Hollander, riders will saddle up at ~1:40, and head to The Nomad World Pub. 

After that, the schedule may become a bit more flexible, but the idea is we head out from the Nomad, and stop by the Red Lion Inn, then go from the Red Lion to Café Benelux, and then back to Shorewood.  

Biking and Wearing Orange Are Encouraged

This event happens ran or shine. 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!

Family Friendly?

Yes, especially the first segment. Our intent is that the first ride segment (the one from Three Lions Pub to Café Hollander), will be an especially family-friendly segment (paced so that families with kids can ride along).    

Why Does GSB Organize a King’s Day Event Every Year?

Because the Dutch 50 years ago made a bold decision that their country and cities had become far too “car centric” in their designs, and acted to change that. That decision has made the Netherlands the World leader in well-designed, bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly streets and sidewalks. Because of that, the Dutch now having 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. Shorewood and Milwaukee could learn a lot from the Netherlands.

You’re Invited

We hope you can join us, if not for the ride, at least for a drink at Three Lions. It’s not required, but 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). Proost!

Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton, sandiependleton@gmail.com, 414.418.4469

If You Drink, Drink Responsibly. Hartelijk dank!  



 


Friday, April 19, 2024

Better Street Culture: How We as Drivers and Pedestrians Can Better Communicate and Share Our Streets

 

The above message roughly says “Raise Your Hand to Cross and While Crossing the Street for Greater Visibility!”

By Sandie Pendleton

Developing our street use traditions and culture

Streets are public spaces, which everyone has a right to be on and use, as long as their use does not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable use of other users. Every pedestrian has just as much right to be on and use Shorewood streets, as any vehicle driver.

Use of streets is something of a negotiation between different users. Negotiation usually goes much better when two parties are willing to communicate, to negotiate, and to compromise.

Elected representatives and judges make law, but it is we the people who make traditions and culture. Here’s how we as drivers and pedestrians can create a better culture of street use in Shorewood.   

The seriousness of this issue

Pedestrian deaths in the U.S. have unfortunately been increasing over the last ten years. Last year in Wisconsin, there were 1,324 collisions between vehicles and pedestrians, which caused 72 pedestrian deaths (with almost a third of those deaths—23—occurring in Milwaukee County).

Of course, anytime we look at the number of pedestrian deaths (or bike rider deaths), we have to recall that walking and biking are good for one’s health. The CDC estimates that about 9% of all deaths in the U.S. are the result of inactive lifestyles (that’s hundreds of thousands of Americans who die prematurely each year). That’s often as expressed in the saying “the thing that is most likely to kill your typical American is his couch, his TV remote and/or his refrigerator.” And we have to recall that the number of pedestrians who die each year, pales in comparison to the number of people in cars who die in auto crashes each year in the U.S. (more than 40,000 each year).

We can do better. And one way that pedestrian traffic deaths have been lowered in other places relates to better education, and a tradition and culture of better communication between pedestrians and drivers.  

DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS: THE LAW OF STREET USE

There are several common misconceptions about Wisconsin laws governing how pedestrians and drivers use streets.

In Wisconsin, pedestrians have the right of way at signalized intersections when they have a walk or green signal. That means that no driver has the right (for example) to make a right turn, when a pedestrian has a walk or green signal, and the pedestrian is in the crosswalk. (Wis. Stat. § 346.23-.24.)

When it comes to unsignalized intersections, pedestrians also have the right of way at those, at both marked and unmarked “crosswalks” (id.), and it is very important to understand what a “crosswalk” is under Wisconsin’s laws.

What is a “Crosswalk” Under Wisconsin Law?

“Crosswalks” do not require a signal, any type of sign, or anything painted on the street. Essentially, if there is a natural crossing between sidewalks (or in the case of no sidewalks, between roads), under Wisconsin law, that is a “crosswalk.” And (as explained below) the general rule is pedestrians have “the right of way” in any crosswalk. (See Wis. Stat. § 340.01(10), which defines the term “crosswalk.”) What the above means is that if a pedestrian has “stepped off the curb” and is in a “crosswalk,” a driver approaching the pedestrian must yield to the pedestrian (i.e., must slow down or stop, so as not to endanger the pedestrian).


As indicated above, some crosswalks are marked and others are not. Also, some “crosswalks” have right-of-way controls—like stop signs or traffic signals—while others have none. (Image credit, WisBike Fed.)

A limitation on the above “general rules,” is that Wisconsin law says that a pedestrian may not “suddenly leave . . . a curb or other place of safety and walk [or] run . . . into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is difficult for the operator of the vehicle to yield.”  (Wis. Stat. § 346.24; see also Estate of Zhu v. IDS.)

So the above are the rules regarding crossing at “signalized intersections,” and at “crosswalks.” 

“Jaywalking” Is Not Against the Law

But what about a pedestrian who is crossing a street outside of a “crosswalk”?  Can’t that pedestrian be ticketed for “jaywalking”?   

Jaywalking is a derogatory term invented by the auto industry in the early 20th century, to make it seem as though people walking were at fault for being hit by drivers. Wisconsin law does not prohibit or make illegal jaywalking. Instead, Under Wisconsin law, pedestrians may cross the street “mid-block” and at any other place where there is not a “crosswalk.” That said, one also has to take into account the law of negligence in Wisconsin. Under that law, if a pedestrian chooses to try to cross the street at “mid-block,” the pedestrian has the obligation to yield the right of way to vehicles. So if I’m crossing the street and I’m doing that outside of a crosswalk, I need to ensure that I am not doing that in a situation in which it would be impossible for an approaching vehicle to avoid hitting me. If I fail to do that, and the car hits me, if there is later a lawsuit, my failing to comply with the relevant statute (Wis. Stat. § 346.25) could be used to argue that the collision was (and my injuries were) caused at least partly by my own negligence.

Reasonable Speed for Conditions

Finally, it should be noted that regardless of right of way, drivers still need to drive an appropriate speed for the conditions and be prepared to stop if needed. Specifically, Wis. Stat. § 346.57(2) states:

No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing. The speed of a vehicle shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any object, person, vehicle or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and using due care.

(Emphasis added.) So even if the driver is driving within the posted speed limit, he still may be violating Wisconsin law (and proceeding in a negligent manner), if that speed is not appropriate for the conditions. For example, as to conditions, was it snowing, was it raining, was it dark? And as to “actual and potential hazards,” could the driver see (or should the driver have seen), that there were kids playing near the street, or a pedestrian in the street or approaching the curb of the street? If so, the driver had an obligation to reduce the vehicle’s speed, so the driver would be more likely to be able to avoid hitting, injuring or killing a child or other pedestrian.

Bigger Vehicle, Bigger Responsibility

While it is the responsibility of all road users to pay attention to their surroundings, and conduct themselves in a “reasonable” manner, drivers in particular have such a responsibility, because they have chosen to drive a vehicle that could cause serious harm (or even kill) vulnerable road users like pedestrians. And because drivers choosing to use large SUVs and large pickup trucks cannot stop as rapidly (compared to regular-sized cars), and because such super-sized vehicles are far more likely to seriously injure or kill pedestrians they strike (compared to regular-sized cars), the drivers of such vehicles have a heightened obligation to drive in such a manner as to not endanger pedestrians.

And having the legal right of way never gives a driver the right to drive above the speed limit, drive without headlights on, text, drive while impaired, or hit a pedestrian. And no driver ever has the right to drive a vehicle with tinted windows that do not comply with Wisconsin law relating to such windows (see Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 305.32(4)-(5), probably one of these most violated laws in Milwaukee).

With the above baseline understanding of the law, let’s turn to the subject of how pedestrians and drivers can better communicate with each other, and share the road, so as to lessen the chances that collisions occur.

HOW WE AS PEDESTRIANS CAN COMMUNICATE AND SHARE BETTER WITH DRIVERS     

We can become better pedestrians. Here's how.

If you or I want to cross a street at a crosswalk, as indicated above, a car approaching has an obligation to yield to you or me in the crosswalk (provided we don’t “suddenly” step into the street into the path of a near approaching vehicle). But of course, you or I cannot just assume all drivers are going to automatically stop or slow down. So as to increase the chances such will occur, we want to establish a dialog with approaching drivers, as we negotiate our way onto and across a street.   

So first, we do not “suddenly leave” the curb abruptly and step into the path of a car that is too close to us to be able to avoid hitting us. (Duh.)  

Instead, when you or I want to cross a street, and we can step off the curb or sidewalk into the street without placing ourselves in danger, we should do so. Once we have stepped off the curb or sidewalk on to the street at what the law considers a “crosswalk” (see above), we are now “in the crosswalk.”

Once a foot or two away from the curb, if a car is approaching, we raise our hands high, to get the driver’s attention. (The first couple times you do this, it may feel weird to you; but trust me, I do it all the time, and it makes such a huge difference in the way drivers respond to my presence on the street.) Once we have raised a hand high, we look closely to see if the car approaching sees us and is reacting to our presence in the street (i.e., slowing down). If you look online, you will see that children in Taiwan (and other countries) are taught to “raise your hand high” anytime they cross a street. Many adults (like me) have adopted this practice as well. Other states promote this practice; for example, Connecticut promtes this practice, and even changed its laws, so that drivers have an obligation to stop if a pdestrian raises his or her hand, even before the pedestrian steps off the curb (see New Connecticut law requires vehicles to stop when pedestrians at a crosswalk raise their hand). We are entering into a non-verbal dialog with drivers; we are using a sort of "sign language" in this dialog, whereby we use our hands, our arms, and how we move the rest of our bodies to send a clear message to drivers about our desires and intentions. 

If the driver does respond to our raised hand by slowing, we proceed to walk further into the street (and if there is a second lane for traffic traveling in the same direction, we ensure any vehicle in that lane also sees us, responds to our raised hand, and is slowing down).

Increasing our visibility

There are of course several things we can do to increase our visibility to drivers. For example, avoiding wearing dark clothing, especially at low-light times of day. Something that works well for me and others is to acquire and wear a pair of “construction worker gloves,” that are high viz and reflective.

Above, one of my pairs of High Viz Kinco® Brand “Construction Gloves”

There are affordable winter versions of such gloves (e.g., these $25 Kinco Gloves), or summer versions, all of which are available on the websites of Amazon, Fleet Farm or running stores. Not only do the colors (or in low light, the reflective strip) really stand out, the movement of your hands with these gloves makes you substantially more visible and conspicuous to drivers. Trust me, these gloves really get drivers’ attention, and make it far more likely that the driver will respond by slowing, and "allowing" you to safely cross the street. (That, and they are great, affordable biking gloves for everyday bike commuting or riding around town.) In the non-verbal dialog that we are having with approaching drivers, what we wear on our hands (and our bodies), helps us "to  shout clearly" our message to drivers. And that makes it more likely that drivers will "hear" our message, understand our message, and respond appropriately to our message.

“Don’t be stupid,” but don’t be tentative

Once a driver responds to you, don’t be stupid (continue to be alert), but also do not be tentative. Bike riders are often advised to “ride assertively” or “take the lane” so that the rider’s intentions are clearly communicated to drivers. To the extent you as a pedestrian have established communication with an approaching driver, you too should walk “assertively” and “take the crosswalk” or "take the street" in front of you. As said above, every pedestrian has just as much right to be on and use Shorewood streets, as any vehicle driver. Being a tentative pedestrian will likely lead to a driver not being sure if you are going “to go or not go,” or frustrate the driver because you are taking longer to cross the road than you might otherwise.

Watch out for the “Milwaukee Slide”

Of course, when we decide we want to cross a street and as we are doing that, we remain alert as to any vehicles that may try to “slide around” the cars that are slowing to allow us to cross. If we see such a car, again, we raise our hand to increase our visibility; and if the “slider” does not appear to be slowing down, we are prepared to retreat or otherwise get out of the slider’s way (or to put that in a more fitting manner, that “jerk’s way”).

Try not to unduly delay drivers -- “keep ‘er moving”  

As we are able (and as is safe), as we cross a street it is generally a good idea for us to increase our walking pace. Doing that communicates to the drivers that we are making an effort not to take an unreasonably long time to cross the street. Our intention should be to make our use of the road, not unreasonably burdensome to the driver’s use of the road. As we said above: “Streets are public spaces, which everyone has a right to be on and use, as long as their use does not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable use of other users.” (That applies to all users, be they vehicle drivers, pedestrians, bike riders, runners, skateboarders, inline-skaters, scooter-users, delivery-vehicle operators, or even horse-drawn buggy drivers.)

Our objective is not “to win”

Of course, there are unfortunately some drivers out there who are not going to be willing to enter into a dialogue with us as pedestrians, and are not going to be willing to yield to us. That could be because they are oblivious to us as pedestrians, because they don’t know the law, because they are impaired ddrivers, or because they are just plain jerks. We must as pedestrians be on the lookout for such drivers and protect ourselves from them. We as pedestrians should never be looking to “win an argument” with the driver of a 6000 pound vehicle. Be assertive, but don’t be stupid.   

Consider reporting serious law-breaking drivers (they’re not hard to find)

If a driver fails to yield when the driver has an obligation to do so, don’t be afraid to note the driver’s license plate, and report the driver to the Shorewood Police. Especially if that driver’s vehicle comes into contact with you, barely misses you, or is otherwise driving in a reckless manner. Where it is safe to do so, consider taking a photo of the vehicle, so you can provide that to the police. Even if the police decide not to try to ticket the driver, they still collect such reports, and may use that data to shape the focus of their enforcement efforts, or advocate for changes in the road design at the location in question. 

Express courtesy to courteous drivers

Finally, if we are going to create a culture of courtesy and shared use in Shorewood, this is important: when a driver has “been a real mensch” and slowed to let you or me cross, we are sure to acknowledge the courtesy shown to us by that driver, with some type of appropriate and clear gesture (e.g., a friendly wave, a thumbs up, a blown kiss, etc.). (Assuming, of course, we are able to do so safely). In Japan, children are actually taught not only to raise a hand high when they cross the street, but also—once they’ve crossed—to give “a little bow” to the nice driver who yielded. Showing gratitude is going to increase the chances that the driver will perceive that the driver’s courteous behavior has been noticed, and is appreciated. And that makes it more likely that the driver will choose to be courteous to other pedestrians in the future. There, we've created a virtuous circle.

HOW WE AS DRIVERS CAN DO BETTER

No driver wants to hit a pedestrian. We all know that would be awful. To help prevent that, there are some things we can do when we drive in Shorewood that will help prevent that, and also make our drives more pleasant (and likely make us feel better about ourselves overall).

Streets are shared spaces

First, understand that when we are driving, we do not own the road. The road belongs just as much to pedestrians—and pedestrians have just as much a right to use, be on, and cross a street—as any of us drivers. That means everywhere in Shorewood (whether we are driving down an alley, or the quietest residential street, or rushing down Capitol Drive to get to Walmart before it closes). We do not own the street, any more than any pedestrian in Shorewood owns the street.

Understand that even if a pedestrian is engaging in what others might call “jaywalking,” we as drivers have an obligation to do everything reasonable—to slow our vehicles or turn the steering wheel—so as to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Again, that includes on Capitol and Oakland, and no matter where we are on those streets.

Also, understand that if a pedestrian is in a “crosswalk” (a marked or unmarked crosswalk as indicated above), we drivers have a duty to yield to the pedestrian.

The "perception problem": we drivers often fail to “perceive” pedestrians

When driving, we should obviously be on the lookout for pedestrians, and understand that as we increase the speed we are driving, it becomes more difficult for us to see (and avoid hitting) pedestrians. Why is that?  Studies indicate that this is because as we drive faster, we tend to “see” less of the world around us. That's because as we increase our speed, our eyes naturally start focusing further down the street, and we develop a sort of “tunnel vision” that sees or focuses on things farther away, but may not see or become conscious of things (like a pedestrian or child) outside of the narrow tunnel that our eyes are focused on. The following graphic shows this phenomenon: 

The above image helps to explain how after hitting a pedestrian, a driver might honestly say and believe that the driver didn’t see the pedestrian before the impact occurred, or that the pedestrian “appeared out of nowhere.” (Of course, this statement doesn’t make sense: someone who appears is always coming from somewhere.) The point is, when we are driving, and we know there are pedestrians who use the street we are driving on, we should always be prepared to stop, and we should ensure that we are not driving at a speed that makes it less likely that we are going to see (and react to) pedestrians the street. (Here’s looking at you, drivers on Oakland and Capitol.)

Speed kills, higher speeds kill more

Know too that as we as drivers choose to increase our vehicle speed, if we hit a pedestrian, the chances that the pedestrian dies increase substantially as our speed increases. When hit at 20 mph, on average 9 out of 10 pedestrians will survive. But when hit at 30 mph, on average only 5 out of 10 pedestrians will survive, and at 40 mph, on average only 1 out of 10 pedestrians will survive. And those survival numbers go down, when the pedestrians are minors or elderly.

The above shows the probability of a pedestrian surviving being hit by a car at 20, 30 and 40 mph.

Think about the next time you see drivers choosing to drive 35 mph down Capitol during “rush hour,” when students are walking (or biking) to and from the high school or the middle school.

Check cultural biases

Know that we as drivers need to think about (conscious or unconscious) cultural biases we may have. Studies indicate that White drivers, are less likely to yield to African American pedestrians, than White pedestrians. That may be (or may not be) one of the reasons why (according to a study by the Wisconsin Bike Fed) Black Milwaukeeans are disproportionately represented among pedestrian fatalities. Though they make up only 39.4% of the city’s population, Black Milwaukeeans have been 59% of the pedestrians killed in the city in the past 5 years. Black Milwaukeeans are the only racial group to be over-represented in pedestrian fatalities. The cause is unclear; maybe it’s cultural bias, maybe it’s that Black pedestrians are somehow harder to see in low light conditions, maybe it’s due to the poor design of streets in African American Neighborhoods or maybe its due to higher speed rates or rates of reckless driving engaged in by drivers using the streets in those neighborhoods. We just don’t know. Whatever the cause, if you are driving, look for African American pedestrians (no matter what the light conditions), and don’t discount that pedestrian’s right to use the streets just like everybody else.   

Good citizenship driving -- how drivers can communicate and share better with pedestrians

With all of the above in mind, if we see a pedestrian who is stepping off the curb (a pedestrian of any age, gender or ethnicity), and we can slow safely and not “suddenly” (especially if there is a car tailgating behind us), we should let the pedestrian know we have seen him or her, and that we are going to slow or stop our vehicle, until the pedestrian passes out of our way.

There are several ways we communicate that. We can raise our hand and give a small wave. We can flick our lights or brights (a behavior that is commonly seen in Boston and in Europe). But the most important thing (and the clearest thing we can do) is to slow our vehicle. Make sure you are communicating with the drivers behind you. One way to do that (when safe) is to tap the brake pedal; that causes our rear brake lights to flash, which is more likely to get a driver’s attention (compared to just applying our brakes in a steady fashion).    

Expressing gratitude to pedestrians

If the pedestrian expresses gratitude to us, we make a gesture of gratitude back to the pedestrian.

There. In such a situation, aren’t we glad we’ve been able to enter into a non-verbal dialog with the pedestrian? Aren’t we glad we’ve been able to make the pedestrian safer, a little less stressed, and probably a little happier? Doesn’t our doing such make our day a little brighter, and us at least a little bit happier about our lives and ourselves?

We want more people in Shorewood to more often choose active means of transportation (walking, biking, etc.) to get around in Shorewood. That not only decreases traffic congestion, and is good for local businesses, it also has multiple other benefits (for individual’s personal health, for public health in general, and for the environment). We can help make that happen.

Making walking and biking less-stressful, and more pleasant

If we want to encourage more active transportation, we need to pay attention to how people feel when they use Shorewood streets to walk or bike. Do they feel like trying to cross Capitol or Oakland is like trying to cross “a hellscape highway” out of the movie Mad Max? Is riding in Shorewood stressful for students, and riders of all ages? More stress (and more concerns about safety) will cause less use of active transport methods here. In contrast, the less stressful (and more pleasant) it is for people to ride or walk on Shorewood streets, the more likely it is that more people will choose to walk and bike more, and choose to drive a bit less.

It’s often said that “cars are socially isolating.” But they don’t have to be. We can make our use of cars less so (especially as we drive around a community like Shorewood, which has a lot of pedestrian activity). We can choose to be less socially isolated, and engage in positive dialogs with our fellow street users.      

Conclusion: Creating a Community Culture

We’ve all experienced the fact that in some communities there is a tradition and culture where the streets are shared, and there is a tradition of drivers showing deference and courtesy to pedestrians. I’ve personally seen this in cities where one wouldn’t expect that would be the culture (for example, in Las Vegas, or in very “red conservative” town or cities out West). And we have all also experienced some communities, and some streets, where that is definitely not the tradition and culture.

We can build in Shorewood and the overall Milwaukee area—one block, one street, one neighborhood and one community at a time—a new tradition, and a new culture one that is not only safer for pedestrians, but in the end, one where we feel good about our streets and our interactions with our fellow road users.

Sandie Pendleton is the President of Greater Shorewood Bikers, an organizer of the Shorewood Complete Streets Coalition, and an attorney.  He can be reached at sandiependleton@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Updating the Shorewood Ped/Bike Master Plan

 April, 4, 2024

Improvements that We Would Like to See Made in the Next Ten Years


As the Village goes through the process of reviewing and updating its 2015 Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan, it is seeking suggestions from the public. Any changes that citizens would like to see made to our streets any time in the next ten years—so as to make them better and safer for all users—should be suggested now. Everyone wants better and safer streets, but to get to that goal, specific changes have to be suggested, and later funded and made. With this in mind, here is a preliminary list of specific suggestions that users may want to make (and fight for) as part of the process the Village will be following over the next few months as it updates the 2015 Plan. This approximately thirty-item list will strike some (or maybe most) as too long, or too detailed, but if we want things to change, we have to make specific suggestions, and advocate for their inclusion in the updated Master Plan.   

Here is GSB’s current list:    

  1. CSP:  The Village should adopt a Complete Streets Policy in 2024. [1]


    [1] A “complete streets policy” (“CSP”) is a transportation policy that is adopted by a political jurisdiction (city, town, village, county or state), that seeks to make streets better and safer for all users. It is a design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. A CSP seeks to enable safe and efficient travel by those walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, moving goods, or delivering goods.

  2. Twenty is Plenty: The Village should become a “20 is Plenty” Community, whereby the default speed limit on residential streets is 20 mph (arterial or collector streets would or could still have a higher “as posted” designated speed limit). This would involve Shorewood joining the many communities in the U.S. and around the world that have implemented a “20 is Plenty” program (including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and several areas in Madison).
  3. A Connected Network of “Bike Routes”: Too many Shorewood residents are scared to allow their kids to bike on Shorewood streets, or themselves to bike on many of those streets. To help address this problem, the Village should plan now a connected network of high-quality “bike routes.” That term here means streets configured to be safe and less stressful for bike riders, no matter what their ages. The Village should develop now a “bike routes map” for Shorewood, designating which streets in Shorewood are going to be developed over time to be part of the connected network. As streets in that network are re-designed over time, they should be designed to have high-quality spaces for bikes, and world-class design. Then, as streets on the new map are re-constructed over time in Shorewood, those streets should be upgraded, and the network built out and completed. Not all streets in the network will ultimately have buffered or protected bike lanes,  (the “world-class” standard for safe, comfortable, efficient and pleasant bike riding), but those should be the first choice as new street designs are prepared.[2]  


    [2] Milwaukee has built miles of protected bikes lanes, while Shorewood--which promotes itself as “bike friendly”--has no protected bike lanes. 
  4. Neighborhood Greenways: The Village should designate, redesign and eventually reconstruct Murray, Kensington and Edgewood as “neighborhood greenways” (i.e., making improvements to the intersection and street designs, to encourage traffic calming, to add more/better pedestrian curb extensions and crosswalks, to add more green landscaping at intersections, and to make those streets more bike friendly). Note, if the Village designates and re-designs Murray as a neighborhood greenway, the Village should not use that as an excuse to fail to create high-quality bike lanes on Oakland, or otherwise forgo pedestrian-and-bike friendly improvements on Oakland. As to Edgewood, average vehicles speeds on Edgewood would be reduced by the placement of mini-traffic circles where Edgewood intersects with Summit, Prospect and Murray; adding such would help to break up the “long, clear straightaway” street view that drivers currently perceive when driving on Edgewood. The Village, the City and UWM should work together, so as to create an “Edgewood Avenue Corridor,” along which bike riders can safely travel from Lake Drive to the Oak Leaf Trail (the “OLT”). Almost all on-street parking on the Shorewood side of Edgewood, consists of UWM students parking for free on Shorewood streets. When Edgewood is ultimately redesigned and reconstructed, the Village of Shorewood should work with UWM and the City to eliminate on-street parking on one or both sides of Edgewood, so that protected bike lanes can be built on one or both sides all along the “Edgewood Avenue” Corridor (from Lake Drive, to the OLT). 
  5. Capitol Drive: The western half of Capitol Drive has been allowed to become a “stroad.”  When that stretch of street is redesigned and reconstructed, the Village (working with the State) should adopt a street design that makes Capitol drive less of a “stroad,” and more of a street.[3]


    [3] A stroad is a type of thoroughfare that is a mix between a street and a road, which often or usually works poorly as either. If you are unfamiliar with the term “stroad,” see the article regarding stroads on Wikipedia or at the Strong Towns’ website, or search for stroad videos on YouTube (such as the one in the “Not Just Bikes” YouTube series).  Note that because Capitol Drive is part of the State Highway System, almost any proposed modification to Capitol Drive mentioned in this document would need State approval.
    As part of redsigning and reconstructing Capitol, the following should be done:  (a) Eliminate the dedicated right turn lane at the southwest corner of Capitol and Oakland (as such “slip lanes” prioritize fast vehicle movement, over pedestrian safety); (b) Implement a “road diet” program on the western half of Capitol Drive, so as to generally reduce the vehicle travel lanes from two lanes to one lane each direction; (c) Add pedestrian bump outs at the intersection of Capitol and Morris, especially at the southwest. corner of that intersection (to further deter illegal right turns on red at that intersection, and to reduce the volume of “cut thru” vehicle traffic on Morris and Menlo); (d) Add bike lanes on or next to Capitol Drive (as part of such, consider adding a bi-directional, protected bike lane on the south side of the street; or consider redesigning the “sidewalk area” on the south side of Capitol so there would be a sidewalk, and a separate multiuse path); (e) Work to “activate-and-humanize the streetscape” on Capitol, so as to promote traffic calming, more pedestrian use, and more pedestrian-focused businesses. Consider adding on-street parklets along Capitol, and on-sidewalk and on-street dining, to facilitate the above; and (f) In conjunction with Culver’s, develop a plan to slow-down vehicles seeking to exit Culver’s driveway, and to otherwise make it more likely that drivers will watch for, see, and yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk, and bike riders on the street.[4]


    [4] Note that because Capitol Drive is part of the State Highway System, almost any proposed modification to Capitol Drive mentioned in this document would need State approval.  

  6. Oakland Avenue: When the southern half of Oakland Avenue is redesigned and reconstructed, the Village should adopt a street design that makes Oakland Avenue less of a stroad, and more of a street.  Many other communities have done wonderfulthings for their communities, by redesigning stroads to streets. (Unlike Capitol Drive, which is part of the State Highway system, Oakland Avenue is not, so the Village would not need State approval to make improvements to Oakland, except at the intersection of Capitol & Oakland.) 
  7. Reduce the Number of Stop Signs: The Village should eliminate one or more four-way stop sign intersections in Shorewood, by redesigning and reconstructing those intersections with attractive, landscaped mini-roundabouts in the center of those intersections instead.
  8. Greater Parking Setbacks: At intersections where such is a problem (e.g., at the intersection of Menlo & Frederick), the Village should increase parking setbacks from the intersection, so as to enable all street users to better see approaching vehicles or crossing pedestrians, thus enhancing  driver, pedestrian and rider safety at such intersections. Alternatively, at Menlo & Frederick, at the southwest and southeast corners, curb extensions should be constructed, so as to enhance driver, rider and pedestrian safety (so that all users can see each other better, so that pedestrians are in the path of vehicles for a shorter distance, and so that traffic turning onto Frederick Avenue is slightly slowed). 
  9. Prohibit New Drive-Thrus: The Village should continue its ban on permitting new drive-thru businesses in Shorewood (as such are not conducive to the ped/bike culture the Village has, and seeks to enhance). (This proposal would not eliminate any existing drive-through windows/lanes, such as currently exist at Culver’s, the Corner Bakery, or Walgreens.) 
  10. Roundabouts: The Village should consider replacing one or more of the signalized intersections on Oakland or Capitol with a well-designed (ped/bike friendly) lower-speed roundabout (with the goal at those intersections of reducing the number and severity of vehicle crashes, improving ped and bike-rider safety, bringing down average vehicle speeds on Capitol and Oakland, improving the steadiness of traffic flow, bringing down vehicle corridor travel times, decreasing engine idling, increasing driver alertness, and decreasing green-house-gas emissions).[5]


    [5] While there would be initial costs to replacing signalized intersections in Shorewood, the 2015 Master Plan indicated that each signal costs between $35,000 and $150,000, and annual maintenance costs are approximately $2000 to $4000 each signal. Those prices have only gone up since 2015. 
  11. Re-Imagine Shorewood’s Main Intersection: Redesign and redevelop the intersection of Capitol and Oakland, so that intersection and area becomes less car-centric in its design, and becomes much more the “heart” of Shorewood, or a “gate-way” attribute of Shorewood (i.e., Shorewood’s Columbus Circle or Champs-Élysées). Work with the Shorewood Public Art Committee and potential local donors to create a beautiful green space within the roundabout that would help to calm traffic, brand Shorewood, and beautify it.[6]


    [6] Obviously, making such a roundabout at that intersection would be a significant project, with significant costs. Other small communities that have significantly redesigned their “main” intersections, have seen spectacular results. As for one example, see the short video at this link, regarding such a project in Poynton, England

  12. Protected Intersections: Where it is decided not to replace signalized intersections with roundabouts, the Village should create “protected intersections” (sometimes called “Dutch-style” intersections).[7]


    [7] See this short video to understand how such intersections are much better for all street users, compared to traditionally-configured signalized intersections. 
  13. Re-Imagine the River Park Area: The Village should work to redesign and reconstruct the streets, intersections, and paths in and adjacent to River Park, and the commercial district around the intersection of Edgewood & Oakland.  As part of that: (a) The street and walkway design there should be re-designed, so that it is much less car-centric than it currently is; specifically, the safety and desires of non-vehicle traffic should be prioritized. Vehicle traffic (on the one hand) and pedestrians and non-car traffic (bike, scooter and skateboard riders) should be better separated (in the park itself, in the parking lots, and in the approaches to the park); (b) Ensure that bike riders (and other-human-powered-wheeled-modes of transportation) have a safe and direct way to get from the intersection of Oakland and Edgewood, to and through the Park, and the OLT (as part of that, consider creating a protected multiuse trail from the Oakland & Edgewood intersection, to the OLT, one which would run mostly along the southern edge of the park (c) Consider reducing the currently “overbuilt and often-unused” surface parking lots in River Park, so that there is more green space in the park, or so that pickleball courts could be added at the northwest corner of the intersection; (d) Add a playground structure in the park, so families with younger kids have a destination to go to in the park (other than the baseball and soccer fields); locate that playground area either in the southwest corner of the park, or in a “new green space” to be created southeast of Spector Field (that is, replace some of the “excess” surface parking lot located southeast of Spector Field, with a younger-child-play-and-playground space, with an innovative playground structure); (e) Encourage and incentivize neighborhood businesses in the River Park commercial area to create more on-sidewalk dining, and on-street dining areas, so as to activate and humanize the streetscape; (f) Long term, re-develop the commercial space located at 3510 N. Oakland (currently occupied by a Sherwin Williams Paint store), to become a bar, restaurant or coffee shop, with (in warmer months) outdoor on-street or on-sidewalk dining or tables, and/or some outdoor seating (as leased to the new business by the Village) in Humble Park (the very small, and currently rather-underutilized public park, which is located just to the south of the above address).   [8]


    [8] There is high demand for and a shortage of pickle ball courts in the Village. The southeast corner of the intersection of Oakland & Edgewood might be an ideal location for such courts, because: (1) given the mostly-commercial nature of the street there, and the high volume of traffic noise at that intersection, the sounds or noise levels associated with a pickleball court might be less objectionable there, than at other quieter places in the Village; (2) locating pickleball courts there would help to “humanize” that streetscape at that intersection, and thereby contribute to traffic calming.  

  14. Brand-Enhancing Bike Racks: The Village should allow and install “artistic” bike racks in Shorewood, so that riding is encouraged, and the message is better conveyed that Shorewood is cool, fun, stylish, and bike-friendly.
  15. A “Gold” Bicycle Friendly Community: The Village should formally adopt a goal that it will take those steps necessary so that the Village moves from being designated as a “Silver Level” Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists (“LAB”), to a “Gold Level” BFC.  Related to that, the Village should encourage one or more Shorewood businesses to apply to become designated as a LAB Bicycle Friendly Business.
  16. More Students Walking and Biking to School: The Village should promote more active transportation by students and their families; as part of that: (a) Create a real-and-robust campaign to encourage more families to walk or bike to school, so as to actively work to create a new generation of families and citizens who naturally want to and choose to use active means of transportation in their daily lives, throughout their lives; (b) Make biking a part of the Shorewood Middle School and High School physical education curriculum; and (c) The Village should work to create a practice facility for the Shorewood Mountain Bike Team, either in Shorewood, or nearby.  
  17. Use NACTO Guidelines: The Village should use the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide as a template for redeveloping Shorewood streets over time, as they are redesigned and reconstructed.
  18. Residential Shared Streets: As to “Residential Shared Streets” (a/k/a “Yield Streets” or “Yard Streets”), the Village should: (a) Choose one of Shorewood’s “stub” streets (i.e., a quiet residential street that is a dead-end street, or which is only one block in length) and do a shared street demonstration project on that street in the summer of 2025, or 2026; and (b) After the demonstration project is completed, develop a Village-wide policy, which would enable the residents on other stub streets to petition the Village to have their street designated by the Village, and configured, as a shared street (on a temporary, seasonal or longer-term basis).
  19. More Pedestrian Street Life: To enhance traffic calming and to activate-and-humanize our streets, the Village should create on-street parklets, and permit/encourage seasonal outdoor dining (i.e., more on-sidewalk and on-street dining areas).
  20. LPIs: The Village should ensure that our signalized intersections we have appropriate "leading pedestrian intervals”  (“LPIs”), so as to enhance safety for students, the elderly and other pedestrians.[9]


    [9] An LPI gives pedestrians the opportunity to enter the crosswalk at an intersection 3-7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. This allows pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles have priority to turn right or left.

  21. Bike Boxes and Bike Signals: At intersections that have a high volume of bike riders (Oakland & Menlo, Capitol & Oakland, Oakland & Shorewood, Oakland & Edgewood, and Lake & Capitol), the Village should: (a) Create “Bike Boxes,”  so as to increase rider safety and visibility;[10]


    [10] A “bike box” is a designated area (usually painted green) at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase, and then wait in that box for the light to change. Such boxes help to prevent “right-hook” collisions, i.e., collision that occur when drivers fail to see a rider in the area to the right of the driver’s vehicle, and turns in front of (“cuts off”) and collides with the rider. 

    and (b) Install “bike signals” (that would indicate that bikes may proceed to cross an intersection at the same time as pedestrians can), or support the State of Wisconsin amending the Wisconsin Traffic Code, so that Wisconsin allows signs at intersections indicating “Bikes Use Pedestrian Signals”.[11]


    [11] This is what is referred to by NACTO in its Urban Streets Design Guide as a “leading bike interval & lagging left turn” approach. 
  22. Re-Vitalize Village “Dead Zones”: There are several stretches of streetscape along Oakland and Capitol that have been allowed to become “pedestrian dead zones.” A few examples of such areas would be the vacant lot at the northeast corner of the intersection of Oakland & Marion, the “public market stall” space located between the Metro Market parking lot and Oakland Avenue, the northwest corner of the intersection of Oakland & Kenmore, and the northwest corner of the intersection of Oakland & Edgewood (for more examples, see the complete list that the Village’s Other Public Spaces Sub-Committee has developed). The Village should develop a plan to re-vitalize those areas, so there is a reason for pedestrians to use those spaces, and those spaces become an asset to the Village. 
  23. Greener Deliveries: Encourage or incentivize delivery services (e.g., UPS, FedEx, Prime, etc.) to use greener vehicles (either electric vehicles, or e-cargo-delivery bikes). 
  24. Metro Market 2.0: Encourage or incentivize Metro Market to activate-and-humanize the streetscape better around the store, including by re-opening the “mid-block” entrance/exit (which has been closed since the pandemic started), and creating an entrance/exit at the intersection of Oakland & Kenmore, and as part of that, create an “outdoor café area” or “outdoor beer garden” at that corner during summer months.
  25. Menlo & Morris: Although the Village has made significant progress as to calming traffic on Menlo and Morris, and discouraging “cut-through traffic” between Capitol and Oakland, more could be done. The Village should consider the installation in that area of such “horizontal” traffic-calming measures as chicanes, and center islands (as opposed to installing “vertical” traffic-calming measures, a/k/a speed bumps, speed humps, speed tables, and/or speed pillows). 
  26. DPW Yard Easement: When the Village retires the DPW yard, it should retain an “alley” or “breezeway” easement through that property, so as to better enable students, pedestrians, families and bike riders to safely and comfortably travel between Morris Boulevard and the OLT.
  27. “Gateway” Art on the OLT: The Village (in conjunction with Milwaukee County, the City of Milwaukee, the Shorewood Public Arts Committee, Whitefish Bay, and private donors), should create “gateway” art structures or new landscaping installations alongside or over the OLT, at the Shorewood/Milwaukee border and the Shorewood/WFB border. 
  28. e-Scooters: Although controversial, the Village should study, and then consider allowing, businesses offering seasonal short-term app-enabled e-scooters to operate in Shorewood, (e.g., the same businesses that are allowed to operate in Milwaukee, such as Lime, Veo and Spin). Those should be allowed generally the same terms as they are permitted in Milwaukee, provided those services (like they do in Milwaukee) generate revenue for Village coffers. Such would provide Shorewood residents, UWM students and others a low-cost, green, non-car way of getting around in Shorewood, and to and from Shorewood bars, restaurants and shops. Although e-scooters are not without their risks and dangers, neither is the use of other, more familiar ways of getting around in Shorewood. As part of that project, update Chapter 207 of the Village Code, to fix some of the outdated provisions therein relating to micromobility transport methods.
  29. Detering & Punishing Reckless Driving: As reckless driving poses a threat to all street users, develop a concrete plan to deter and punish reckless driving in Shorewood (for specific suggestions as to what can be done, see this GSB blog article: Discouraging Reckless Driving in Shorewood). 
  30. Enhance Ped/Bike Safety and Comfort on Estabrook Parkway in the Summer Months: The Village (in conjunction with the County), during summer months should designate the Parkway as a “non-thru traffic street” (similar to what the University of Wisconsin did many years ago with the street that goes through the UW Arboretum). This could be done at a very low cost each summer, by just posting at the park entrances temporary “no thru traffic” signs, and closing one of the already existing gates/barriers (most likely the one near the beer garden). This would still enable folks who want to take a “sightseeing drive” in the park to do so, but would not enable drivers (at least during summer months) to use the Parkway as a shortcut to get from Capitol to Hampton (or vice versa). Reducing the volume-of-traffic and lowering average-vehicle-speeds on the Parkway during the summer months would make the Parkway safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and bike riders of all ages during those months.
  31. Adopt an “All Streets Policy”: Shorewood should adopt an “All Streets Policy,” that is, one whereby: (a) There are no longer any streets in Shorewood, about which parents say “I would never allow my teenage child to bike alone on that street, it’s just too dangerous”; and (b) There are no longer any streets in Shorewood where parents feel it is just too dangerous to bike with their kids. 
  32. Improve Traffic-Calming and Street Safety on the East Side of the High School. The Village should revisit the idea of a “vehicle-parking-lot diet” at the high school.  Such a diet would enable the Village to raise some revenue by selling a small strip of land fronting on Oakland (the eastern-most portion of the high school parking lot) to a developer. The developer would then develop the land so there are a few new shops on the west side of Oakland.  Such shops would help to “activate-and-humanize” the streetscape there, especially if the shops had on-sidewalk seating/dining.