It’s become a huge hit and the 16th annual ride is on December 3rd.
It’s become a huge hit and the 16th annual ride is on December 3rd. Back to the full article.
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Did the selection of this route have anything to do with the recent painting of bike lanes on North Ave between 8th and Fond Du Lac (or vice versa)? If so, awesome, it’s about time that stretch got some attention.
Now, if only we could get drivers to stop using that as a high-speed passing lane, we’d be all set….bollards, anyone?
Hi Rich, the route was mostly because we wanted to start from a bike-friendly bakery, and Cranky Al’s has been a start location for lots Santas for many years. The fact that Wauwatosa did so much to improve North Avenue for bicycling with the green lanes, bike boxes and reconstructed curb extensions also played a factor in us choosing to start the official ride in East Tosa.
As for cars driving in them, that really only happens in sections without much on-street parking and without curb extensions. Milwaukee didn’t install green lanes, but they have had curb extensions on North all the way east to HWY 175. And we will have a police escort for this ride again, so no worries on the Rampage.
Using their High Impact Paving Program, the City of Milwaukee has recently added a number of regular and buffered bike lanes on streets where the roadways had more travel lanes than needed by current traffic volumes (Roosevelt is one example). I have definitely witnessed people in cars speeding down the bike lanes to pass on the right in those situations. The Wisconsin Bike Fed would like to see those buffered lanes turned into protected lanes using simple flexible bollards, like is being done in many major cities. Everywhere protected lanes are installed, cycling goes way up. Since they added the protected lane on Kinzie in Chicago, bike ridership increased 55% and bicyclists can now account for over 50% of eastbound traffic in the morning peak hour.
People this is great idea. Doubtful that there will be more bike lanes along the busy hi ways as the fund is broke. Unless the bikers, our family included put up money for them.
However one thing that we did in the 80’s that everyone really appreciated was to open them Milwaukee Mile at stake fairi park for riders to race, workout train for various sports on Safe sites. Hopefully we can do that agin cause it is fun and safe. Meet fellow cyclists.
Actually, the City of Milwaukee and most other communities around the state have added a lot of new bike lanes this year with paving projects and there are many more planned for next year. While paint is cheap, we agree that our transportation fund is broken and needs more money just to maintain what we have. That is a conversation for a different blog post though. This is about the Santa Cycle Rampage, just a fun holiday ride not a policy post.
What did it cost to open the Milwaukee Mile? Did the riders pay to ride? Who organized and insured the riding? It is certainly an interesting idea. There have been a number of bicycle road races on the track in recent years, but it has not been opened for casual riding to my knowledge.
My feed back has been tha the Tosa deal is not good and will be killed in future.
The Milwuakee Mile was the greatest thing for bike racing. We did it through he West Allis Rec. Dept. It cos us $50 per day and we charged $1. It was great fun for 10 years but then the Juniors all grew up. Dede won the Junior World Championship. Kuspa was on national team.
My son and daughter won 29 state championships, our team: Team West Allis won 45 medal in state competition one year. We used it for “Wheelin Weekend” the three day competition we had over labor Day that drew 1800 entries from 82 thru 90.
Our family loves cycling but have lost 4 friends killed in accidents on these busy streets. We had for too many trying accidents till e got people off any busy streetts.
I believe that the State Fair Mile sits empty and could use some PR. Open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 4 till dark and it would pay for tislef. You need insurance. I have tried to get the Pettit center to do it.
You want to talk some day, come over or call. 414-258-1719
We are big cycling enthusiasts and have been for 40 years.
We got an awful lot of people into the sport, and won national Championships, World championships, 2 of them, tons of state champions ships, Olympic medals ,but have not backed the effort to put these lanes on busy streets: North ave etc. Too dangers.
Bike trials, she applies to ride, safety above all else. Losing friends is really tough.
if I wish to ride around Milwaukee, I have all kinds of ways to go, without endangering my self on Bluemoind, Norh Ave, Burleigh etc.
Rode my bike to work for years. Still ride the bike trails almost every day around the calendar.
Work on that.