North Avenue has redesigned bike lanes. Drivers keep parking in them

In a city plagued with reckless driving , Milwaukee leaders set out to build a bike lane network spanning more than 50 miles by 2026.

Last year, the city installed protected bike lanes on North Avenue on Milwaukee's East Side from Cambridge to Prospect avenues.

Since its implementation, bike riders have voiced concerns about drivers illegally parking in the North Avenue bike lanes, and even plowing into the cement planters intended to separate the bike lane from car traffic.

"People have blocked them on every single stretch with their cars, not caring at all," said Yankee Hill resident Sam Mattson, who frequently has used the bike lane to commute to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In Milwaukee, reckless driving has become one of the city's top public safety concerns over the past decade. So far this year, 32 pedestrians and 1 bicyclist have been killed in Wisconsin, according to state data . Nationally, bicyclist deaths are up 75% since 2010, and a total of 1,084 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2022, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety .

Over the past year, Milwaukee bike riders have emphasized the importance of improving the North Avenue bike lanes. "I have been a regular cyclist on North Avenue over the past decade, and I would say it's worse with the bike lane," wrote east side resident Lydia Ravenwood. "I wouldn't want to see the bike lane removed, but the current version of it isn't working."

A year after the temporary infrastructure was completed, city leaders are set to improve the North Avenue bike lanes this fall to include more permanent concert barriers.

Here's a look at the changes:

North Avenue bike lanes will be improved this fall to include permanent barriers

This fall, planters on the North Avenue bike lane will be replaced with more permanent infrastructure, said Dan Casanova, a Department of City Development economic development specialist.

The city will be repaving North Avenue from North Humboldt Boulevard to North Prospect Avenue. In addition to new asphalt and lane striping, sidewalk curb ramps will be made ADA-complaint and concrete barriers will be added for permanent bike lane protection. Bus boarding islands will also be installed to make transit more efficient.

"We believe this will help solve the issues of vehicles parking in the bike lane, in part by replacing the planters with concrete curbing, which will make it more difficult for vehicles to get into the bike lane," said Casanova.

How does the city enforce drivers obstructing the bike lane?

The City of Milwaukee receives a parking related complaint every ten to 15 minutes and on average gets 4,000 to 5,000 complaints per month. At full staff, the city now has 58 parking enforcement officers across three shifts patrolling 24/7, said spokesperson Tiffany Shepard.

"They can't be everywhere all the time," said Shepard. "They do try to equitably patrol the city."

So far this year, the city has issued 72 parking citations for obstructing the North Avenue bike lane east of the river, according to a records request from the Department of Public Works . No parking citations were issued for cars blocking the bike lane on North Avenue west of the river.

This data doesn't include citations issued to drivers parked in the bus stop, where the bike lane and car traffic merge. In the 2000 block of East North Avenue, near Ian's Pizza, parking enforcement has issued 45 citations.

What is the fine for parking in a bike lane in Milwaukee?

Drivers aren't allowed to drive or park in bike lanes, except to enter a driveway, to merge into a bicycle lane before turning at an intersection, or to enter or leave a parking space located adjacent to the bicycle lane, according to state law .

If you've parked in a bike lane , you may be fined between $20 to $40 for the first offense, and between $50 and $100 for the second or subsequent conviction within the year.

How to use Milwaukee-area bike lanes:

Milwaukee has over 160 miles of bike lanes , including protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, and bike boulevards. Here's a breakdown of bike infrastructure in the city.

• Bike boulevards: Bike boulevards are lower-traffic neighborhood streets where various methods are used to slow vehicles and discourage drivers from cutting through the area, making it more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Trails: These off-street paths include the city's Beerline and KK River trails, Milwaukee County's Oak Leaf Trail and the state's Hank Aaron Trail.
• Bike lanes: These are areas in the street designated for bikes, including through pavement markings.
• Buffered bike lanes: Similar to a regular painted bike lane, a buffered bike lane includes an extra painted buffer lane between the bike lane and traffic. (The city is not installing many of these at this point because they don't tend to get more people out biking, Amsden said.)
• Shared lane markings (sharrows): These road markings indicate a shared lane for bicyclists and vehicles.

When do drivers have to yield for pedestrians in Wisconsin?

Operators of a vehicle are required to reduce speed or stop if necessary to avoid endangering or interfering with pedestrians , according to state law.

At an intersection without traffic control signals, drivers should safety yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a street within a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Pedestrians crossing the street at any point other than within a marked or unmarked crosswalk are required to yield the right-of-way to all vehicles.

When a vehicle is stopped at an intersection or crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross the street, any vehicles who are approaching are not allowed to pass the stopped vehicle.

For more information on the North Avenue construction project:

There will be an open house to review the North Avenue construction plans on Sept. 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Milwaukee Public Library East Branch, 2320 N Cramer Street. For more information on the project, you can visit the city's website here .

For a list of the most recent construction projects across the city, you can visit the DPW dashboard here .

RELATED: What rights do you have as a pedestrian or bicyclist on Wisconsin roads?

RELATED: This Wisconsin city is the sixth-best in the world for biking, according to PeopleForBikes

Alison Dirr contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: North Avenue has redesigned bike lanes. Drivers keep parking in them