Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Around the Block

Milwaukee Forges Ahead With Its First Bike Boulevards

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
false

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 New York City

NYPD’s Push To Criminalize Cycling Spells Trouble For Immigrant Workers

Safety for the community? Great. But aren't delivery workers part of the community, too?

May 9, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Habemus Knicksum Edition

It was a big day yesterday, but we're not on the sports or the religion desk, so let's get to our news.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Who Ruined Outdoor Dining?

We sent our own video team to find out.

May 9, 2025

Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss E-Bikes … With Joy and Concern

E-bikes are a vital tool for delivery workers and for people seeking to reduce their use of private cars. What would you do to both expand e-bike use and make streets safer? And the answers are...

Live from Albany: Hochul’s ‘Safety’ Measures Stripped from Budget

Lawmakers dropped three initiatives that Gov. Hochul said would have made roadways safer (though, as we'll see, that's very much in question). Let's review them.

May 9, 2025
See all posts