Wisconsin Bike Fed’s push for more bike- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods | WUWM 89.7 FM

It is bike week here in Wisconsin and with the increase of fuel price ranges, biking to get the job done is getting a extra beautiful commute alternative. Continue to, sharing the road with autos can be frightening as reckless driving incidents are on the increase in Milwaukee. There’s even a unsafe driving move known as “The Milwaukee Slide,” which is when a driver takes advantage of the bike lane to cut as a result of visitors.

Kirsten Finn is the executive director and Jake New child is the assistant director of the Wisconsin Bike Fed. They share much more about biking stress and their function in battling for a lot more bicycle- and pedestrian-welcoming neighborhoods.

Newborn commences by addressing biking with the rise of reckless driving. He clarifies, “I imagine performing your finest to comply with the procedures of the highway, trip in a safe position, becoming inform and aware as you happen to be using, just knowing what is actually all-around you. The identical with I feel anybody you know, if you are in a car or bicycle, we all received to share the road and make guaranteed all people gets household harmless. It truly is on every person to perform to be safer there.”

Wisconsin Bike Fed partnered with the town of Milwaukee in 2018 to move a Comprehensive Streets policy. And given that then, Newborn says the group has been performing with the town to make positive they are scheduling for and building facilities to secure susceptible bike riders.

You will find been some improvement, but infrastructure takes time, he says. And if Milwaukeeans have website traffic worries, Newborn implies achieving out to elected officials. Finn notes that a risk-free bicycle infrastructure is a superb indicator of a vivid neighborhood as perfectly.

Finn details out that Wisconsin made use of to be the second most bike-helpful condition and now, the point out has slipped to range 29.

“We really need to have to improve our financial investment mainly because it really is not just useful for security, but it is really also a excellent financial driver, we know that it draws in a various workforce when there are active transportation selections in a town,” she says.

A community that definitely emphasizes that streets are for people, and not only automobiles, Finn claims they are far more stunning because folks want to be out on those people streets much more.

As for persons thinking of biking for the to start with time, New child suggests attempting it with pals and approach out scenic routes to ride. A good put to start out is this weekend at the Fifth Road Bicycle Fest on Saturday, June 11.