Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Around the Block

Milwaukee Forges Ahead With Its First Bike Boulevards

A diverter that shunts car traffic away from a bike boulevard in Palo Alto, California. Photo: Richard Masoner

Milwaukee will be getting its first bike boulevards, the city announced this week, the beginning of what should eventually be a citywide network of low-traffic, low-stress streets for cycling.

The city has identified two intersecting streets, totaling about two miles, to start out with. Details are still in development, but typically, bike boulevards involve diverting motor vehicle through traffic away from streets and implementing measures to further slow down cars and make cycling more convenient and safe.

Graham Kilmer at Urban Milwaukee reports:

When it comes to managing speed on a bike boulevard, anything from simple speed limit reductions to speed humps and curb build outs can be employed.

But for Milwaukee’s first bike boulevards, which are in the early planning stages, planners are looking at upgrading signalized intersections in order to “quickly and consistently pick up bicyclists on the corridor waiting to cross,” Hannig said. Also, there’s the possibility of replacing some four-way stops with neighborhood-scale traffic circles or, “similar traffic calming treatments to keep people on bicycles moving while maintaining neighborhood-appropriate travel speeds and discouraging cut-through traffic.”

Bike boulevards are another citywide infrastructure investment called for in the 2010 planning document, Milwaukee by Bike, which calls for the creation of 54 miles of bike boulevards.

Here's a look at where the first two segments will go:

Map: http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/07/12/riverwest-will-get-first-bike-boulevards/
Map: Graham Kilmer/Urban Milwaukee
Map: http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/07/12/riverwest-will-get-first-bike-boulevards/

More recommended reading today: Wash Cycle reports that D.C.'s Department of Transportation is hosting trainings for construction managers about how to manage bike facilities in work zones. And modacity gives an overview of the case against bike licensing.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts