Rachel Quednau
Intersection

Water St. and Humboldt Ave.

Can the city upgrade and improve its design? First story in a new series.

By - Oct 23rd, 2014 02:04 pm

Can the city upgrade and improve its design? First story in a new series. Back to the full article.

Photos - Page 2

8 thoughts on “Intersection: Water St. and Humboldt Ave.”

  1. Rory Bellows says:

    That stretch of huge, single-use, condos along Water St is one of the most lifeless places on the east side. With the construction on Pleasant St under way and plans for a new construction across the street (in place of the Curve), I expect to see more of the same.

    A missed opportunity, for sure.

  2. David says:

    I agree with most of your comments. I do love the density and most everything that comes wit it. However, cars drive too fast, I think, mostly due to the wide open stretches of road on Humboldt coming from the north and south. I still think we need 20 mph buffer zones and they need to be enforced. Also, Atlantic Realty bought the Galun site and has plans for apartments there. I looked at the old city plans for the riverfront along that site and it calls for a large pedestrian sitting area. Much like the underutilized terraced area just west of the PAC along the river. You know the crumbling section that the County maintains. What a waste. Anyway, hopefully the developer is still required to build it. It would provide great access to the river. Also, rather than one large building, I believe the developer has plans for four smaller buildings.

  3. Erik Granum says:

    Fantastic idea for a recurring column! There are so many interesting places to explore in the city and many could definitely use more thoughtful design and better function. I’d also be interested to learn more on the history of how these intersections came to be in the first place – what was originally there, if not the current use, and how maybe we could learn from those beginnings. As it happens, I’m looking at 1st and Pittsburgh now; I’d love to see you tackle that one some time.

  4. Rich says:

    As a nearby resident, I’d love to see some traffic calming on Humboldt north of this location. Most four-lane wide areas need physical reminders that only two are for moving cars. Lane markings are a start, but raised bike lanes would go a step farther. That being said, key intersections should still maintain dedicated left-turn lanes, as a “surprise” left-turner is often the cause for “passing on the right” (and staying there passing everyone else too).

    As for the intersection itself, the northeast corner is pretty dilapidated and could benefit from a new mixed-use building with Riverwalk component and hidden or underground parking. There are “off-limits” condos just north of that site, however, so public access on the south side of the river to the dam is unlikely. There’s enough area density to support a few more food options.

  5. John says:

    I also agree with other commenters: drivers of cars are traveling too fast for conditions in the area, and in many cases these drivers travel in excess of the legal speed limit.

    More can be done to improve pedestrian safety and comfort at that particular intersection: provide more walk-light time and calm traffic as it enters that intersection.

    The Humboldt Bride is very wide — perhaps diagonal, metered parking on the bridge would narrow the roadway and calm traffic to legal limits.

    Also, the police could enforce speed laws in this area more.

  6. John says:

    Oops – my previous post: “The Humboldt Bride is very wide…” I meant “The Humboldt BRIDGE is very wide…” 😉

  7. Alba says:

    I used to really like the Tasting Room, although it was a dive bar for sure. Something very cool could replace it with a cliff side deck and possibly a dock and dining area on the river.

  8. Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad to see everyone jumping in with their own ideas for this place too. As a new resident in Milwaukee, I don’t have all the historic knowledge of these places that you all may possess. @Erik Granum, it just so happens that 1st and Pittsburgh is the focus of the next column in this series. You’re a mind-reader.

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