22 thoughts on “BIKING: Do you bike? How would you improve facilities?”
I would feel much more comfortable bicycling across the Locust Street bridge on my commute to campus if automobiles traveled at the speed limit (30 mph). I’m guessing that the average car travels at 40 mph when crossing the bridge, and possibly faster during rush hour.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
As was discussed during Master Plan discussions by the PEC, we need a comprehensive bike plan that would involve a heated indoor facility where bikes would be able to be parked, at the terminus of a linked path that connects to the other nearby city trails.
At this facility or hub, there would need to be showers and changing facilities for long bike commuters. If we had that option, it would enable some of us to make the choice to pedal to work.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Could we get regular patching of the potholes on Edgewood? It is a real challenge to dodge all of them while negotiating car and bus traffic and the turn into or out of campus.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
As someone who has no problem riding in the cold as long as streets are dry, I have been dismayed to find that all of the bike racks outside of my building have been plowed in with snow all winter. We are not allowed to secure our bike to other things such as railings, so how am I supposed to lock my bike when the racks are inaccessible? For the meantime, I have given up on finding a rack not plowed in and have been walking to work. This is a frustrating situation.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Roads around campus are dangerous for two reasons: (1) potholes are terrible and unexpected, often causing swerving into traffic lines (see above comment about Edgewood….I ride in Maryland and adrenaline pumps every time). (2) cars do not yield to bikes when traffic laws dictate they should. I have been nearly hit many times because cars especially west of campus to the river blow through stop signs or decide to scream around me and then slam their brakes at the next stop sign. Also, the roundabouts are ignored: many drivers will take left hand turns and ignore the rules if the roundabout, coming into my lane. I have had friends hit near campus and figure it is only a matter if time before the same happens to me.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
The new south side bike trail passing the School of Freshwater Sciences at Harbor Campus does not reach down to street level at Greenfield Avenue resulting in having to detour out and around on a very busy South 1st Street.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
I agree with the comments about the shoddy condition of the roads near and around campus. By far, that is the biggest challenge of my daily bike commute. I take shortcuts between buildings wherever I can to avoid the enormous cracks and potholes in the streets. The bike lanes, unfortunately, do not offer much refuge.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
My ride from KK and Oklahoma to the architecture building has several major issues, some of which can only be solved on a city-wide planning scale. North Water street at the north end of the KK River trail is badly in need of resurfacing or restructuring. A clear trail through the Third Ward would be helpful, although by no means a pressing issue. The Michigan Street/Lincoln Memorial Drive intersection could use safe bike/pedestrian crossings, as the current intersection is completely automobile-dominated. The Oak Leaf trail is excellent in summer, but is useless in winter. I exit the Oak Leaf to the north of campus just to avoid crossing Locust St, in spite of the distance it adds to my ride. Overall, though, I feel the least safe in the several blocks surrounding campus. I’m not exaggerating when I say that student drivers around campus are the least aware and least safety conscious I encounter anywhere in the city. I have only narrowly avoided being hit on campus several times each year. The architecture building is badly in need of covered bike parking at the very least, and indoor bike parking would be preferable. The architecture building’s locker/shower facilities are clearly inadequate, as the doors cannot be closed or locked and the whole environment comes across as a janitorial facility. My ranked suggestions are therefore as follows:
1) Educate students in safe campus driving habits, and account for safe biking lanes in future campus street development plans
2) Campaign for proper maintenance of the Oak Leaf Trail. It is easily the safest and fastest method of biking to campus from the south, but it is effectively useless in winter (much of the school year).
3) Update bike parking and locker facilities throughout campus.
4) Continue participating in planning for safe biking lanes through the inner harbor, third ward, and downtown.
5) Marsupial bridge on the Hoan. It’s a pipe dream, but it would be a tremendously safe and nice way to connect campus to the inner harbor and Bayview.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
UWM Parking and Transportation Study 
I would feel much more comfortable bicycling across the Locust Street bridge on my commute to campus if automobiles traveled at the speed limit (30 mph). I’m guessing that the average car travels at 40 mph when crossing the bridge, and possibly faster during rush hour.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Covered bike parking please! Thanks!
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
As was discussed during Master Plan discussions by the PEC, we need a comprehensive bike plan that would involve a heated indoor facility where bikes would be able to be parked, at the terminus of a linked path that connects to the other nearby city trails.
At this facility or hub, there would need to be showers and changing facilities for long bike commuters. If we had that option, it would enable some of us to make the choice to pedal to work.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Could we get regular patching of the potholes on Edgewood? It is a real challenge to dodge all of them while negotiating car and bus traffic and the turn into or out of campus.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
As someone who has no problem riding in the cold as long as streets are dry, I have been dismayed to find that all of the bike racks outside of my building have been plowed in with snow all winter. We are not allowed to secure our bike to other things such as railings, so how am I supposed to lock my bike when the racks are inaccessible? For the meantime, I have given up on finding a rack not plowed in and have been walking to work. This is a frustrating situation.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
What could encourage biking to and on campus? An incentive program with rewards?! Maybe a punch card?
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Roads around campus are dangerous for two reasons: (1) potholes are terrible and unexpected, often causing swerving into traffic lines (see above comment about Edgewood….I ride in Maryland and adrenaline pumps every time). (2) cars do not yield to bikes when traffic laws dictate they should. I have been nearly hit many times because cars especially west of campus to the river blow through stop signs or decide to scream around me and then slam their brakes at the next stop sign. Also, the roundabouts are ignored: many drivers will take left hand turns and ignore the rules if the roundabout, coming into my lane. I have had friends hit near campus and figure it is only a matter if time before the same happens to me.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
The new south side bike trail passing the School of Freshwater Sciences at Harbor Campus does not reach down to street level at Greenfield Avenue resulting in having to detour out and around on a very busy South 1st Street.
Greg
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
Pothole patching on Cramer would be lovely — tough to bike home at night from late teaching when you can’t see the potholes!
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
I agree with the comments about the shoddy condition of the roads near and around campus. By far, that is the biggest challenge of my daily bike commute. I take shortcuts between buildings wherever I can to avoid the enormous cracks and potholes in the streets. The bike lanes, unfortunately, do not offer much refuge.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/
My ride from KK and Oklahoma to the architecture building has several major issues, some of which can only be solved on a city-wide planning scale. North Water street at the north end of the KK River trail is badly in need of resurfacing or restructuring. A clear trail through the Third Ward would be helpful, although by no means a pressing issue. The Michigan Street/Lincoln Memorial Drive intersection could use safe bike/pedestrian crossings, as the current intersection is completely automobile-dominated. The Oak Leaf trail is excellent in summer, but is useless in winter. I exit the Oak Leaf to the north of campus just to avoid crossing Locust St, in spite of the distance it adds to my ride. Overall, though, I feel the least safe in the several blocks surrounding campus. I’m not exaggerating when I say that student drivers around campus are the least aware and least safety conscious I encounter anywhere in the city. I have only narrowly avoided being hit on campus several times each year. The architecture building is badly in need of covered bike parking at the very least, and indoor bike parking would be preferable. The architecture building’s locker/shower facilities are clearly inadequate, as the doors cannot be closed or locked and the whole environment comes across as a janitorial facility. My ranked suggestions are therefore as follows:
1) Educate students in safe campus driving habits, and account for safe biking lanes in future campus street development plans
2) Campaign for proper maintenance of the Oak Leaf Trail. It is easily the safest and fastest method of biking to campus from the south, but it is effectively useless in winter (much of the school year).
3) Update bike parking and locker facilities throughout campus.
4) Continue participating in planning for safe biking lanes through the inner harbor, third ward, and downtown.
5) Marsupial bridge on the Hoan. It’s a pipe dream, but it would be a tremendously safe and nice way to connect campus to the inner harbor and Bayview.
Thanks for your comments! Please stop by the Open Forum on Wednesday April 2 at 2 PM (Golda Meir Library East Wing) to voice your concerns. This is a great opportunity to directly share your opinions and interact with folks at many campus and Milwaukee area transportation agencies. For a full list of attending organizations, check out https://uwmmoves.wordpress.com/