Bike Party!

Greater Shorewood Bikers are hosting a gathering to celebrate Shorewood’s winning the coveted Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists.  The party is on Tuesday, September 27th, starting at 8:00 pm at the Three Lions Pub (4515 North Oakland Avenue).  At the event:

·         See the unveiling of the Village’s new BFC Signs (scheduled to appear)!

·         Talk with the guy who is drafting the Village’s new master bike plan (and give your input)!

·         Meet Village Officials behind recent Shorewood bike improvements!

·         Hobnob with fellow bikers!

·         Meet (and buy beer for) the leaders of Greater Shorewood Bikers!

·         Drink tasty beverages!

All this and more, next Tuesday!  All bikers welcome.  (Black shorts optional, racing medals may be worn).  (Sandie)

Shorewood Wins Bicycle Friendly Community Designation

The League of American Bicyclists announced today that Shorewood has been designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community. 

Shorewood is the first and only village in the State of Wisconsin to earn the BFC award.  All other Wisconsin BFCs (Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and newcomer-this-year Sheboygan County) are all much larger than Shorewood.  Only a few communities nationwide with comparably-small populations have earned this recognition. 

Almost 500 communities nationwide have applied for BFC recognition, and of those, currently only 190 are designated as BFCs.  With this award, Shorewood joins such other BFCs across the country as New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Boulder, Vail, Breckenridge, San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Getting Shorewood designated as a BFC was the first project GSB took on, and we are pleased that we have been successful, with your help, in achieving this goal.  Achieving this goal helps us advance GSB's overall mission.  A worthy goal acheived is a milestone worth commemorating, so watch here for details of the celebratory event which we are currently planning. 

We acknowledge that there is still work to do to improve Shorewood as a BFC (for instance, getting the current-existing flood-damage on the bike trail repaired).  We look forward to discussing with you at the party the ideas you have for other tasks that should be addressed to make Shorewood an even better place to bike and live.  (Sandie) 

VICTORY!

Good news!  On Wednesday, September 14th the League of American Bicyclists will announce that Shorewood has been designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community!  Thanks to everyone who helped make the application and designation possible.  We will follow-up with further details, once we know more.  Watch this space too for details relating to a GSB Celebration (probably at Alterra or the Three Lions), that will be organizing in the next few weeks to mark the announcement.  (Sandie)

Hoan Bridge Public Meeting Heavily Attended

For details regarding the well attended Hoan Bridge Town Hall Meeting, see this article, from Wednesday's Journal Sentinel. 

Thanks much to Senator Chris Larson and Representative John Richards for organizing the meeting, and giving folks an opportunity to learn more about the issue, and a chance to address the issues. 

The crowd at the meeting was very much in favor of a pedestrian and bike trail addition to the Hoan, as part of the reconstruction project that is scheduled to start in 2013.  Many persons from Shorewood attended—including GSB Co-Peloton Leader Dr. Dave Waters, along with Alan & Sheila Freysinger, Tom Kuhlman, and Jerry Pearce.  This despite the meetings inconvenient location and time. 

The meeting was not perfect.  The format was not designed to provide a substantive discussion of trail design options, or fiscal issues.  Much speculation is occurring on the issue, until WisDOT issues the results of its study later this fall.  The room too was way too small for the meeting (there was adequate space for about 50 people, rather than the roughly 250 who showed up). 

Because of this, GSB is considering organizing a follow-up meeting on the northside of town at the issue.  Stay tuned for future updates on this issue.

Fyi, on the Bicycle Friendly Community application, we have not heard anything yet.  We expect that the results of the League’s review will be released sometime in September.  --  Sandie

Support Bikes and Pedestrians on the Hoan Bridge!

Hey kids, do you believe the slogan "Bikes Belong"?  If so, today's a good day to give voice to that sentiment.   The WisDOT on August 23rd is participating in a town hall meeting with several Milwaukee Senators and Assemblymen to discuss the feasibility and desirability of creating a bicycle/pedestrian lane over the Hoan Bridge.  Including a safe and well-designed bike/pedestrian lane as part of the reconstruction of the Hoan will give ordinary folks an exciting and spectacularly-beautiful way to get from Downtown Milwaukee to Southshore Milwaukee.  If you've ever biked or run across one of the major bridges in N.Y. or San Francisco, you know what I'm talking about.  The Hoan is a major symbol of Milwaukee, and it sends the wrong message for bikes and pedestrians to be excluded from it.  For further information about the project/study, see this link:  http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/seregion/794hoan/index.htm. For details regarding the meeting and how you can submit a comment via email to express support for a new bike/pedestrian lane on the Hoan, see this link:  http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/seregion/794hoan/public.htm.  I hope to see you there, or if not, that you can submit a comment.  --  Sandie

Bicycle Friendly Community Application Submitted

Working in cooperation with Ericka Lang at the Village, we got the BFC application finalized and submitted to the League of American Bicyclists on time on Friday, July 22nd.  We should hear the results of the judging/review in September.  Thanks to all who have helped to advance this project.   

Village Board Comes Through

On Monday, July 11th, the Shorewood Village Board unanimously passed a motion approving our proposal to have the Village apply to be designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community.  The application will be finalized and submitted by July 22nd.  The League of American Bicyclists reviews the hundreds of applications it recieves over the next few months, engages in follow-up interviews, and issues its decision in September.  Thanks to all who contacted Village officials to express support.