MILWAUKEE — More bicyclists were killed in Milwaukee in 2022 than in any other year going back at least two decades, according to UW-Madison traffic safety research.
Milwaukee’s biggest traffic calming project of the year from 12th to 20th Street on West Walnut takes a unique approach to protect those on two wheels.
For a Milwaukee man named Miller, riding a bike is a simple way to save money.
"I've been riding around the city for like 5 years on bikes,” he said. "You actually save more money riding a bike than having to put gas into a car, having to pay for a vehicle."
But Miller says biking in Milwaukee comes at the cost of his safety.
"You've always got to look for somebody making a turn,” he said.
He’s used to riding in unprotected bike lanes feet away from drivers.
"Whenever somebody's making a turn, that's probably one of the most deadliest times when you're riding a bike down the street,” he said.
This week, he came across a designated path off the street with his own dedicated space.
"I ain't gonna lie, I've never seen that before,” he said.
It’s part of an $8.1 million project to transform eight blocks of West Walnut Street. City engineer Kevin Muhs considers it the city’s signature traffic-calming project of the year.
"We had a project where we knew we didn't need those two lanes in each direction anymore,” Muhs said. “The traffic volumes were just low enough that we went to one in each direction."
Muhs says removing one lane both ways makes room for bike paths next to both sides of the street. They’re protected by a curb and grass — and raised to the same height as the sidewalk.
"The main benefit is safety,” Muhs said.
He says the city’s goal is to create a safer and calmer experience for all users of the road. Drivers will have to go at a slower pace in one lane of traffic, walkers will notice shorter crossing distances at intersections, and bicyclists will get more protection away from traffic.
“This protected bike lane really feels like a trail. Is that by design?” TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan asked.
"It is,” Muhs replied. “We know from all sorts of data and research surveys that people on bikes feel most comfortable, people feel most comfortable being on a bike in a trail-type environment."
Muhs says it’s an example of what bike lanes will look like in many future road reconstruction projects and a big first step as the city seeks to create a protected bike lane network in the years to come.
Is it practical for main corridors?” Jordan asked.
"Yeah, it is,” Muhs replied. “There's always a tension between prioritizing different users but we think a real focus on people walking, on people biking, on people taking transit is exactly where the city is and wants to go with the future."
As someone who’s had plenty of close calls while riding on the streets, Miller says the fresh asphalt off the road gives him hope for a safer future.
"I didn't have to worry about looking whether or not a car was going to hit me, whether or not they wasn't paying attention driving or any of that stuff,” he said.
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