Santa Rampage Ride 2023! Don't Miss It!

By Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton

President, Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc.

The Bike Fed is holding its annual  Santa Cycling Rampage Ride on Saturday, December 2nd, and you’re invited! 

Click on the above video, to be amazed and put in to a holly jolly mood.

If you’ve never participated in the Santa Ride, I highly recommend it.  See the above video and the article “Why Ride in the Santa Cycle Rampage,” 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). 

The Santa Ride is a joyous and silly way to get in the holiday mood, and it’s the gateway drug of winter biking. It also helps raise money for the Bike Fed, so it can continue to do its crucial and important work. Riders are encouraged to dress as Santa, or to wear some other creative holiday-themed costume (complete Santa costumes start as low as about $16 on Amazon). 

Those of you who are doing the Ride from Shorewood, Glendale, Whitefish Bay or other points North, are invited to gather at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday December 2nd at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood on Oakland Avenue (they are expecting us, and they are an official sponsor of the Ride this year). 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 10:30). 

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 a lot more Santas than our segment will.)  

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.     

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 at this link.  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.  

Three Lions serves wonderful breakfast food, has a wide selection of beers, and they are offering drink specials to all riders that day.  Convince yourself and your friends this is the year you are all going to ride a part of the Rampage. Hope to see you at Three Lions on the 3rd.  Cheers!     

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:

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.

Let's Talk About Rethinking I-794

Is there any place sadder in Milwaukee than Pompeii Square?

  
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.

President Eisenhower never wanted interstate roads to go through cities, and certainly not through dense residential neighborhoods. According to the Federal Highway Administration's website, President Eisenhower said this at a high level meeting in April 1960: "[President Eisenhower] went on to say that the matter of running Interstate routes through the congested parts of the cities was entirely against his original concept and wishes; that he never anticipated that the program would turn out this way." (Emphasis added.) 

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 between states, and between cities, 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).  

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.

   
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.  

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.

 
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 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. 

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.

Removing the Park East Freeway led to over one billion dollars in private investment in that neighborhood, and "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.

 
I urge you to explore Rethink 794's website 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.

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.

  
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). Would 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.

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). 

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.

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 visit the Rethink I-794 website, scroll down, and learn about:

• The history of interstate highway proposals and construction in downtown Milwaukee; and

• The options that are currently proposed by the DOT. 

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.

  
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--a decision that was hugely controversial at the time--has been a huge success for that city.  

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 (e.g., 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).

 

We can have nice, beautiful, vibrant streets in Milwaukee. Or at least, as indicated by the above 1909 drawing, prior city planners thought so.

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.

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? 

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 are at this link. Or, if you can't attend in person, the link tells you how you can submit written comments. 

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.     

Your Next Minivan -- a Cargo Bike?

By Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton

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.”

What’s a Cargo Bike?

Cargo bikes come in various shapes and sizes, but the three most popular are box bikes, box trikes, and longtail bikes.

Above, a box bike and a box trike.

 

Above, a longtail bike.

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.

Are Box Bikes Easy to Ride?

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.

Above, Eric Seeger takes his three children for a spin on Downer Avenue in the Seegers’ cargo trike.

e-Bikes Make It Even Easier

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.

How Affordable is a Cargo Bike, Compared to a Car?

Average new car prices reached a record high in the U.S. last year. According to Kelly Blue Book, the average new electric vehicle costs $65,041, the average “luxury” gas-powered vehicle costs $67,050, and the average non-luxury gas-powered vehicle costs $44,584.

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 record high last year: $10,728 per year (or $894 per month).

In contrast, non-electric cargo bikes start at about $1200 (longtails) or $2100 (box bikes). Electric cargo bikes start at $2000 (e-longtails) or $8,000 (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) $10,728 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).

Are Cargo Bikes Good for the Environment?

Using a cargo bike for transportation, even part-time, instead of a car is one thing an individual can do to help reduce global warming, and improve the environment. According 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 (CO2)—contributing to global climate change.” Amazingly, each gallon of gasoline a Shorewood resident burns “creates 20 pounds of GHG . . . [t]hat's roughly 5 to 9 tons of GHG each year for a typical vehicle.” A whitepaper published by the Portland State University found that cars in the Portland area emit about 55 times as much CO2 per person mile, compared to e-bikes (rates vary city to city, depending on how electricity is generated in the area).   

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).

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.

 

 

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. 

Cargo Bikes in Europe

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 Dan Boehm. 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 (in the Netherlands and London), and in North American (in NYC, Seattle and Toronto).”  (Highlighted text contains hyperlinks.)

Above, a "bike share” Cargoroo™ box bike in Amsterdam (photo credit, Dan Boehm)

But What If I Need to Move Something Big Someday?

But, you say "I need to 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 (highly expensive) car you might buy may be sitting unused more than 95% of the time you own it. Is that a good investment of your family's limited resources?

Shorewood Families Using Cargo Bikes

The Seegers in Shorewood bought their box trike over five years ago. According to Hanna Seegers, “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.” 

“We absolutely loved our longtail cargo bike the seven years we had it, and once our daughter outgrew it, we sold it to another Shorewood family,” said Shorewood resident Katie Gnau. 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.”

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 "The Car-Replacement Bicycle: the Bakfiet." This is something of an aside, but I cannot recommend enough Jason's educational-and-highly-entertaining YouTube Series "Not Just Bikes", for those interested in learning about how we might together make our community more healthy, pleasant and prosperous.

Tax Credits for e-Bikes?

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.

Other Lower-Cost Bike Kid/Cargo Transport Options

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 new bike trailer runs from about $200 to $400 (depending on the brand and options), and used 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 easily hung out of the way in the garage rafters, or easily folded-up for storage.

Conclusion

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.

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”?

The author can be reached at sandiependleton@gmail.com, or at 414.418.4469.

Koningsdag 2023!

King's Day returns! Koningsdag this year is Thursday, April 27^th. Join us! 

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. 

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^th, those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood starting at 4:00. After that, leaving about 5:30 for a leisurely ride to Cafe Hollander (and, after celebrating there) a leisurely ride to Cafe Benelux (for a bit more). 

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 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!

These gatherings are being organized to bring greater awareness to the Netherlands’ leadership in making their communities over the last 50 years much more bike friendly, and less car dependent. (If you are interested in the multiple people and factors that led to that happening, see this excellent podcast episode posted just this last week "de fiets is niets"--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. 

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.

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).  Proost!

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

(If You Drink, Drink Responsibly. Hartelijk dank!)  

Koningsdag Returns! Ja! Ja! Ja!

 

SAVE THE DATE. Thursday, April 27^th 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. 

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^th, those celebrating King’s Day are gathering at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood starting at 4, and then riding to other participating establishments (more details regarding other participating bars coming soon to come soon).

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!

These gatherings are being organized to bring greater awareness to the Netherlands’ leadership in making their communities over the last 50 years much more bike friendly, and less car dependent. 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, 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 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.

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!  

 

Prtoected vs. Non-Protected Bike Lanes on Lake Drive -- DOT to Hold Public Information Meeting on Jan. 26th

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).  

I plan on attending the meeting on 26th, and hope other folks who are in favor of "Safe Streets for All" can as well.  

Unfortunately, unless the DOT’s current position changes between now and then, on the 26th the DOT will indicate its “preferred alternative” is not to add any protected bike lanes (“PBLs”) on Lake Drive 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):

As I’ve said before, conventional "just paint" bike lanes are better than no bike lanes, but protected bike lanes are substantially better.

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.

The DOT’s position in Shorewood is substantially different from its position in Milwaukee. 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.e., 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).

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.

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.

The DOT is correct that on part of Lake Drive in Shorewood, 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). 

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.  

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. 

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.

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?    

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 no one is talking about building any bike lanes (conventional or protected) in the "Atwater Park Segment" (i.e., 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.  

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. 

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.   

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.  

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.