GSB Launches "Go By Bike" Campaign

In celebration of National Bike Month, and to promote National Bike to Work Week, GSB has launched its "Go by Bike" campaign.  If you drive on Capitol Drive, you'll  see the large 14' x 6' banner we've erected just west of the OLT/Capitol Drive Bridge, which says "Join the Movement, Go by Bike".  This is part of our mission, to encourage folks (as they are able) to leave their cars at home, and instead use their bikes to get to work, to get to stores, and for exercise and pleasure.  Thanks very much to our local business sponsors on this project:  Alterra Coffee, Rainbow Jersey Bicycles, PNC Bank, The Three Lions Pub, The City Market, North Star American Bistro, Design Group Three, CYGA cycling & yoga.  When you're in one of those fine establishments this month, mention you saw the banner with their name on it, and thank them.

Why is more biking in Shorewood and the surrounding area a good thing?  Because: 

Biking helps:


• to promote healthier kids;
• to contribute to adult physical fitness;
• to promote strong families;
• to get kids outdoors;
• to increase kids’ independence and levels of self-reliance;
• to decrease traffic congestion;
• to reduce pollution;
• to reduce demand for foreign oil;
• to save money;
• to reduce demand for motor vehicle parking spaces;
• to lower stress;
• to reduce depression;
• to decrease obesity;
• to fight heart disease;
• to fight cancer;
• to fight stroke;
• to fight the growing diabetes epidemic;
• to decrease rates of smoking;
• to raise property values; and
• to decrease crime.  (See websites like www.bikesbelong.org or www.1world2wheels.org for more details and full citations to the numerous research studies that show the benefits that bicycles provide to individuals, kids, families and communities.) 


Being designated and known as a Bicycle Friendly Community ("BFC") helps Shorewood publicize what a wonderful, vibrant, healthy place Shorewood is to live, play, work and locate a business. Being such a place, and convincing others that Shorewood is such a place, helps us to retain and attract residents, employers and businesses. Educated, creative and talented people theses days tend to seek out communities where there is more biking, that have good bike infrastructure, and that are bicycle friendly.
1. Bike-wise, Shorewood already has a lot going for it already:
• Geographically, situated as it is between Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River and with a relatively flat terrain, Shorewood is one of the best places to bike in Wisconsin, if not the World (and we're modest too);
• Little Shorewood (roughly only a mile square in area) has 5.7 miles of paved bike paths total (2.3 miles of bike/pedestrian trails, and 3.4 miles of marked on-road bike paths), plus roughly 1 mile of unpaved informal single track bike paths along the river – an extraordinary number of miles of bike paths for a village of our size;
• Shorewood has recently made an important investment in improving its bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure through the construction of a new and popular bicycle and pedestrian bridge across Capitol Drive;
• Over 2 miles of the beautiful Oak Leaf Trail—one of the World’s best bike paths (did we mention we're modest?)—travels through Shorewood;
• The Oak Leaf Trail and Lake Drive, coupled with the Village’s close proximity to downtown Milwaukee, makes Shorewood an ideal place to locate one’s family, if one wants easy access to great schools/neighborhoods, yet still to work in downtown Milwaukee;
• The Village borders the campus of a major world class university (we're with you on this Chancelor Lovell), which makes Shorewood a highly convenient place for students, employees and faculty of the University to live, and then bike to UWM. 
• The Village’s intelligent design and compact size make it possible to bike with relative ease to schools, grocery stores, bars, coffee shops, restaurants, bike shops, flower stores, houses-of-worship, gyms, pools, beaches, parks, places-of-employment and just about anyplace one wants or needs to go in the Village; and
• Shorewood has the densest population level of any municipality in Wisconsin, and that density is both a blessing (you're never far from where you need to go), and a challenge (parking can sometimes be hard to find)—bicycling fits very well into the Shorewood environment.
• Shorewood is the home to some great bike-related events, including the June 21st  Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic Race, the June 16th  “Shorewood First Ride” Program, the annual Estabrook Park Cyclocross Tournament, and our Fourth of July Parade (which prominently features cyclists and future cyclists of all ages).

We know the above and the banner is probably not going to result in Capitol Drive tomorrow suddenly becoming a bike boulevard.  But we do hope the banner and the above will move the needle a little, and encourage more people, more of the time, to leave their cars at home, and get on their wonderful, trusty bikes instead.  Join the Movement, Go by Bike!  (Kahuna)

Further Progress

The following eight Shorewood businesses have agreed to be sponsors of our "Go by Bike" banner (see below post for detail):

• Alterra Coffee
• Rainbow Jersey Bicycles
• PNC Bank
• Three Lions Pub
• CYGA Cycling & Yoga
• North Star American Bistro
• Design Group Three
• The City Market

We are expecting to get the banner up by May 6th, ahead of Bike to Work Week. 

As to the trailer project, we are making progress on that too, with Harleys for Men agreeing to buy at least one trailer.  Stay tune for further details.  (Kahuna)

Progress on the Banner Project and the Trailer Project

We are making progress on our two major projects for 2012, the Banner Project and the Trailer Project.  But of these projects' goal is to get more Shorewood residents biking more this year, and doing more of their short errands using a bike (or bike and trailer), rather than a car. 

As to the Banner Project, we are ordering a 14' x 6' banner that promotes biking.  The current design has a rather dynamic stick figure cyclist, and the words "Join the Movement; >>>>>> Go by Bike>>>>>>".  At the bottom of the banner, appears our organization name, and the names of the local businesses that have signed on as sponsors. The current businesses that have agreed to be sponsors are Alterra  Coffee, Rainbow Jersey and PNC Bank.  Other "almost there" businesses are City Market, Northshore Wheels, Harry's Bar and the Three Lions.  Businesses we have contacted, but which we have not heard back from include:  Harley's, Cyga, Pick n' Save, Sendik's and Oak Crest.  We'll post the banner at the corner of Capitol Drive and Estabrook Parkway in May, to promote National Bike Month, and Bike to Work Week.  We'll also have the banner for use at future events (like the Shorewood Criterium, and the Shorewood First Ride Event, and Tour de Fat at the Lakefront). 

So if you are in Alterra Coffee, thank them (Paul & Pam Miller, Ward Fowler), or if you are in Rainbow Jersey, thank them (specifically Jerry Pearce), and if you are in PNC Bank (Stephen Chitwood, Manager), thank them as well.  If you are in some of the other businesses that have not committed yet, encourage them to support the GSB Banner Project. 

As to the Trailer Project, this involves us lining up sponsors who will give us money so we can buy Burley Trailers, and then sell or rent those trailers (on a rent to own basis) to Shorewood residents. In return for the money the sponsors provide to us, they get their names displayed prominently on the trailers.  On the back of each trailer, there will also be a pro biking message, something like "Bike Shorewood!", or "Life's Better Biking Short Trips."

We'd like to launch the Trailer Project with 12 trailers.  So far, Shorewood Business Improvement District has agreed to buy two trailers.  (We are asking each sponsor to provide us $265 for each Burley Bee trailer.)  Also, Alterra Coffee has strong interest in the program as well.  So again, to the extent any GSB members reading this have particularly good connections with owners or managers at Shorewood businesses, if you can discuss or encourage such businesses to support one or both of these projects, please do. 

Enjoy the good riding weather  --  April and May are about as good as it gets around here!

The First Bike Cops of Spring

With the nice weather we've been having, recently I took a nice long evening ride, right after work.  My route was a long loop, from my office on Hampton, down the Oak Leaf Trail to the Art Center, then out the Hank Aaron Trail to the Pettit Ice Center, then up the Honey Creek Parkway to North Avenue, North Avenue back to the OLT, then the OLT to Shorewood. Overall, it was absolutely great to see so many bikers out.  A few observations:
1. On the OLT it was a steady stream of cyclists headed North, most of whom seemed like bike commuters on their way home from work (including several GSB members).  I estimate I passed 100 cyclists headed North on the OLT between Capitol Drive and the Art Museum.  Shorewood, White Fish Bay and the Eastside seem like fertile ground for GSB's message of encouraging more folks to bike to and from work.  The safety and ease-of-use that the OLT offers (along with record high gas prices), should help to attract this year a record number of people on the Eastside to try the bike commuting lifestyle. 
2. As to the Hank Aaron Trail, the East end of the HAT is rather difficult to follow, as it winds its way from the Summerfest Grounds through the Third Ward to Canal Street.  I even managed to make a couple of wrong turns, and the whole time it felt like I was not following a natural route.  The Friends of the HAT should be encouraged to either better mark the trail in that area (more and/or larger signs?), come up with a better way to mark the trail in that area (how about a series of blue dots every 10 to 20 feet on the road?), or come up with a different route for the trail through that area.
3. I was really surprised as to the difference in bike traffic levels between the OLT and the HAT.  Bike traffic (and pedestrian traffic) on the HAT was very light.  The low level of traffic I observed on a nice warm spring dayon the HAT, was comparable to what one would see on a cold or snowy winter day on the OLT.  Don't get me wrong, once you get out to near Miller Park, it’s a great beautiful trail  -- but based on what I saw yesterday, there is work to be done in surrounding neighborhoods to encourage use of the trail. 
4. As to North Avenue, I saw very few (less than 10) bikers in my long ride East on North Avenue.  Those few I did see were high schoolers or college age guys on stunt bikes.  Such bikes probably make a lot of sense around there (given the poor condition of the roads, and given how high speed on a bike there is generally not a great idea, because I was getting cut off several times by turning drivers or drivers leaving driveways).  Such made me all the more appreciate the OLT, the HAT, and being able to bike North along Lake Drive.  I greatly appreciated, however, the bike lanes that are on North Avenue, and they did seem like they were serving their intended purpose.  There’s work to be done in the neighborhoods around North Avenue to educate drivers or to deter bad/unsafe driving, and there’s work to be done to ensure there are more safe routes for cyclists in that area.
5. I saw the first bike cops of spring along North Avenue– always a welcome and good sign.  Welcome back guys, and best wishes for a safe biking season.  (Kahuna)

The Vulnerable Highway Users Bill, SB 431

One of the issues the Wisconsin Bike Summit in Madison focused on last week was lobbying state representatives to support and pass 2011 Senate Bill 431 (SB 431), the “Vulnerable Highway Users Bill."  Here is a link to the text of SB 431, and the Legislative Reference Bureau's analysis of the Bill.

While Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc. does not itself engage in lobbying activities, there is nothing wrong with our members contacting their representatives.  So if you agree that it would be a good idea for the the Wisconsin legislature to pass the Vulnerable Highway Users Bill, and you agree that the Bike Fed's support for the Bill is worthy, you may be asking yourself, “How can I, as a mere Shorewood cyclists, help?”

Simple.  You can write to your state representatives, and ask them to sponsor and support SB 431.

As you may be aware, currently there is a lawsuit regarding redistricting, and which representatives currently represent Shorewood is unresolved.  So you might as well write to two Senators, and two Representatives.  Here are their names and email addresses: 

Senator Alberta Darling                Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsn.gov

Senator Lena Taylor                      Sen.Taylor@legis.wisconsn.gov

Representative Sandy Pasch         Rep.Pasch@legis.wisconsn.gov

Representative Elizabeth Coggs   Rep.Coggs@legis.wisconsn.gov

Below is a sample letter that we've seen on this issue; if you decide to write to your legislators, feel free to cut and paste and edit as you see fit: 

Re:  SB 431, the Vulnerable Highway Users Bill 

Dear Senators & Representatives:   

I am a current or future constituent of yours, and I am writing to you to urge you to support SB 431, the “Vulnerable Highway Users Bill.” 

This bill was recently introduced by a bi-partisan group of senators and representatives. This bill creates penalty enhancements for certain traffic violations that result in injury or death to certain “vulnerable” road users. Several types of persons are defined as "vulnerable” users but the main ones are:

•                    A law enforcement officer, traffic officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical technician, while performing his or her official duties;

•                    A person who is rendering medical or emergency assistance to another person;

•                    Pedestrians;

•                    Bicyclists;

•                    Motorcyclists;

•                    Operators or passengers on horse drawn vehicles;

•                    Operators or passengers on tractors and certain other slow-moving farm vehicles.

The penalty enhancements are designed to send the message to road users that when they see the above road-users, they should use caution around them. The penalty enhancements are like the penalty enhancements that were created to encourage motorists to use extra caution when they see highway workers in constructions zones. 

One of the reasons I support SB 431 is because I am a cyclist, and as a cyclist I am concerned regarding the current inadequacy of Wisconsin law when it comes to motorists hitting cyclists. There have been too many instances in the last few years in which motorists driving recklessly have struck and killed innocent cyclists, yet the motorists have either been charged with no crime, and received no traffic citation, or at most received a small traffic citation (such as a $200 fine). The primary problem is that prosecutors are currently faced with a difficult choice:  (1) charge a motorist with a serious felony (such as vehicular homicide), which often has a very difficult burden of proof; or (2) charge the motorist with a basic traffic infraction (a “slap on the wrist”). SB 431 fixes this problem.   

SB 431, however, should not be thought of as a “cyclist bill.”  SB 431 is fair, in that if passed, the new law would apply to both motorists and cyclists (as under the bill and Wisconsin law, both drivers and bike riders are “operators of a vehicle”). In other words, if a cyclist violates the traffic rules specified in SB 431, and in the process harms a pedestrian or other “vulnerable highway user,” the cyclist would be subject to the same enhanced penalties that a motorist would under the new law. SB 431 logically and reasonably encourages greater care by all users of the road, when they are around “vulnerable users.” 

So in short, I hope that each of you will support the passage of the SB 431. If you or one of your staff members could get back to me on your position on the above, I would appreciate it. Thanks. 

If you write to your legislators, make sure you add at the end of your email your full name, address and phone number. Given the current state of gridlock in Madison, it may be difficult to get anything done this legislative session or before the recall elections. Feel free to pass the above along to other cyclists who you think would have an interest in this issue.  Thanks!  (Kahuna)

Absotively, Posilutely!

Steve Weinstein, Mara Kuhlman, Sandie Pendleton, Nelson Lopez and Greg Wyder enjoying Harry's awesome new outdoor fire bar.  (Photo credit Tom Kuhlman)

GSB Co-Peloton Leader Sandie Pendleton and Greg "The Patriarch" Wyder prepare for the upcoming Birkie the best way they know how without snow.  (Photo credit Tom Kuhlman)

Here's a quick report on the Greater Shorewood Bikers Winter Bike Gathering.  All the bike racks and then some were full outside of Harry's Bar on Wednesday, February 15th.  A hearty crew of more than 25 turned out for our winter gathering, and enjoyed the fire outdoors on Harry's deck. Among those there that night were two Bike Fed directors (Dr. Dave Waters and Steve Weinstein), local Village "Bike Czar" Tom Kuhlman, and local bike shop impresario Jerry Pearce.

Reminder:  The 2012 Bike Summit is in Madison on Tuesday, February 21st.  If you can make it to the event, we recommend it.  You can register at the door, and the day is filled with lots of inspiration and education, for the bike minded.  A big part of the event too, is attendees meeting with state politicians, so they know that cyclists are serious about wanting the state to spend the state's scarce transportation dollars on infrastructure that is sustainable, environmentally-responsible, community-building and health-enhancing, i.e., build roads and trails that encourage more biking, and enhance safe biking!  Your GSB leaders (Sandie Pendleton and Dave Waters) will be at the Bike Summit, along with other Shorewood residents.  Hope to see you there. 

Along the lines of "more biking, more winter biking and less reliance on oil from repressive regimes," see the below video clip from our friends at Miller Brewing (note, thanks to Dave Schlabowske at the Bike Fed for posting this clip on his blog): 

If for some reason your browser does not let you see or play the above video, see the clip at this link on youtube.  Bike on.  (Kahuna)

Winter Bike Gathering!

On Wednesday, February 15th from 8-10 pm, we are gathering at Harry's Bar & Grill to celebrate Winter Bike Week!

Winter Bike Week is Feb. 12th – 18th, and this has certainly been a great winter for biking, one worth celebrating.  Because there is practically no weather that deters the dedicated winter GSB cyclist from enjoying the fresh air, the stars and the great outdoors, we doing this party al fresco, outdoors on Harry's new deck.  Booyah!   

There are a lot of biking events that week, but we hope you can join with your fellow Northshore and Eastside cyclists at Harry's to have a drink, and enjoy the big fire pit on the new outdoor deck at Harry’s.  While there, you can find out the status of the draft Shorewood Village Bike Plan, and find out what GSB is working on to promote cycling in Shorewood specifically, and on the Northshore/Eastside in general.  Also, if if you are not already aware of it, you can learn that evening from experienced cyclists and commuters how exciting and satisfying it is to bike in the Winter.  Winter bike commuting (especially this year) is practical, enjoyable, economical and satisfying, and a great way to avoid those "dark-cold-cabin-fever-blues".

Come dressed for an outdoor party (women dressed in fur welcome; note, if it’s really bad, we can always bail on the deck and move the party indoors).  Harry's Bar & Grill is located at 3549 Oakland Avenue (that's a half block north of the Shorewood-Milwaukee border, conveniently located for bikers just a half block East of the Oak Leaf Trail).  Harry's is a bike-friendly place, and a great place to turn off the OLT at on a sunny day, and have a drink, or catch a bite to eat. 

Hope to see you on Wednesday evening; bike there or be square!  (Kahuna)

Whether the weather be cold,

        or whether the weather be hot,

We will be biking whatever the weather,

        whether there’s snow or there’s not!