The city of Milwaukee could be experimenting with new types of barriers for protected bike lanes.
Last spring, the city put up white, slim lane delineators to block off the bike lane on the Locust and North Avenue bridges, but some of them were hit by drivers. They have been replaced with orange construction cones and now the city is looking at more permanent barriers.
Milwaukee Department of Public Works says, "While we are exploring alternatives for the delineators on the North and Locust Street bridges, we consider both projects a success as evidenced by our data that shows increased bicycling along with a reduction in motor vehicle speeds. DPW is dedicated to helping ensure safe, enjoyable modes of transportation for the City of Milwaukee’s residents and visitors."
Cyclists we talked to said they appreciate the effort to keep them safe.
"I think cars realize that there is a bike lane there which sometimes it's hard to tell otherwise. But it makes the bikers feel safe as well" Lydia Marcus said.
The city of Milwaukee says while vehicle and bicycle traffic has increased on the routes, the barriers have slowed down traffic. Take a look at their data here.
