City Advancing 26-Station Bublr Bikes Expansion

Milwaukee’s bike-sharing system will add 26 new stations in 2021.

The Department of Public Works announced the final locations for the non-profit Bublr Bikes‘ expansion Thursday afternoon.

The new stations will stretch from the Downtown station cluster west between W. North Ave. and W. Historic Mitchell St. to reach Wauwatosa and West Allis, where stations are already installed. Stations will also be installed in Riverwest and Harambee adding to the handful of the stations already in each neighborhood and enhancing the connection with stations in Shorewood.

The density of the stations has been found in other markets to be a key driver of system use. Dock-based systems like Milwaukee’s rely on users taking trips, often just a couple miles, from dock to dock.

The new stations, for which installation will begin in spring 2021, will push Bublr Bikes over its goal of having 100 stations. The system currently has 81 stations. A map, showing bicycle availability and station locations, is available on Bublr’s website.

The expansion is being funded through a federal grant that will have the city own the infrastructure and lease it to Bublr Bikes for operation.

The city held multiple public meetings in 2019 to identify the station locations.

The new stations will be funded by a $1.9 million federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant for which the city must provide a 20 percent match. The Common Council authorized the funds in 2019.

Many of the capital costs for stations within the city have been funded by the CMAQ program, with additional stations funded by tax-incremental financing, philanthropic giving and corporate sponsors. Shorewood, Wauwatosa and West Allis also have stations that have been funded by state grants and local funds.

Site Maps

Locations

Station name followed by cross streets

1. Riverworks – N. Holton St. and E. Townsend St.
2. Martin Luther King Library – N. Martin Luther King Dr. and W. Locust St.
3. Gordon Park – N. Humboldt Blvd. and E. Hadley St.
4. MLK/Clarke – N. Martin Luther King Dr. and W. Clarke St.
5. Reservoir Park – N. Fratney St. and E. Meinecke Ave.
6. MLK/North – N. Martin Luther King Dr. and W. North Ave.
7. East Library – N. Oakland Ave. and E. North Ave.
8. Lafayette/Prospect – N. Prospect Ave. and E. Lafayette Pl.
9. King Park – N. 17th St. and W. Vliet St.
10. US Post Office – N. Jackson St. and E. Juneau Ave.
11. Juneau Park – N. Prospect Ave. and E. Mason St.
12. 27th/State – N. 27th St. and W. State St.
13. Tiefenthaler Park – N. 27th St. and W. Cherry St.
14. Washington Park – N. 40th St. and W. Vliet St.
15. Washington Park Library – N. Sherman Blvd. and W. Lisbon Ave.
16. 22nd/Wells – N. 22nd St. and W. Wells St.
17. Urban Ecology Center – S. 37th St. and W. Pierce St.
18. Mitchell Park Domes – S. Layton Blvd. and W. Pierce St.
19. Clarke Square – S. 23rd St. and W. Mineral St.
20. Merrill Park – N. 35th St. and W. Clybourn Ave.
21. 14th/National – S. 14th St. and W. National Ave.
22. 9th/National – S. 9th St. and W. National Ave.
23. 8th/Greenfield – S. 8th St. and W. Greenfield Ave.
24. Wick Field – W. Vliet St. and N. 51st St.
25. MCTS Transfer – S. 1st St. and E. Mitchell St.
26. Mitchell Library – S. 10th St. and W. Historic Mitchell St.

Alternate sites

• Holton/Meinecke – N. Holton St. and E. Meinecke Ave.
• Mitchell Park – S. 22nd St. and W. Pierce St.