Riding for Fun, Not for My Life.

April 13, 2012 8:08 AM

Going to be bicycling around downtown Milwaukee, WI for an entire day, on a weekday, alone, just killing time. But, I am from out of town and I don't want to ride into trouble. I want to be smart about it.

I am going to have an entire weekday to kill time, during business hours, in downtown Milwaukee. I plan to spend my time biking around the city that day, rain or shine. I am from out of town, though, and I know nothing about Milwaukee.

My background: I am an experienced urban cyclist with over 10,000 miles of riding in downtown Minneapolis and surrounding areas without a single incident over the past 20 years or so.

I am smart enough to know that Minneapolis isn't Milwaukee, though, so I don't want to ride into trouble. I have researched all of the Milwaukee cycling sites, crime sites, etc, but that isn't the same as asking real people who know how things really work.

Therefore, I have a few questions which are not exactly cycling related, aside from the fact that being in a car is different safety-wise than being on a bicycle. Oh, and I look like a lanky, very Caucasian, nerdy suburbanite in plain clothes, though my bicycle looks quite urban/utilitarian (hybrid with fenders, racks, panniers, etc).

1) Can I ride all around downtown Milwaukee without any trouble, culturally speaking? In Minneapolis, I always take a lane (as allowed under MN state law) and can ride near the speed of traffic for the most part (27-34mph). Mpls is the "3rd best" cycling city, but is Milwaukee going to treat me the same? I am not one of those guys who rides in the lane on a busy main street just because I can. I have never been honked at in the past 10 years...

2) Oak Leaf Trail along the Lake: If I head north on this trail, how far can I go before I run into trouble? I "hear" that the north/northwest areas are horribly scary, any day, any time. Will the trail take me into those areas?

3) If I head south on Oak Leaf (South Shore Park and beyond), will I have any worries?

4) How about heading west from downtown on the Hank Aaron Trail? It looks kinda industrial/dirty via Google Earth, but I don't know anything about it.

5) Is there anywhere an outsider should really try to ride? Anywhere an outsider should really, really avoid?

6) When you turn on "bicycling" in Google Maps for Milwaukee, are the bike lanes and "bicycle friendly" routes really accurate? In Minneapolis they are not accurate, for example.

7) Does Milwaukee have any obscure cycling laws? I didn't see any on the websites; the laws seem to be the same as Minneapolis.

Any insight beyond my six questions is welcome. I have never biked outside of Minneapolis before, so I want to make my ~9 hours of riding somewhere different to be spectacular. I just want to be alive after those 9 hours...And I am an obsessive planner, if you haven't already noticed, but that is a separate issue.

posted by TinWhistle to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total)

I'm a nerdy Caucasian female.

1. I've ridden all over downtown without issue. It's actually really pretty.

2. The Oak Leaf Trail is pretty safe. The trail itself will end before you run into any sketchy neighborhoods (it actually ends in the Shorewood/Whitefish Bay area, which are suburban-ish). My husband has taken the trail and though it's been a few years, it was fine when he rode it.

3. Going south, you're fine as long as you stick by the lake. I wouldn't go any farther than Oak Creek though, because once you get into Racine it does get sketchy.

4. The Hand Aaron trail is awesome! I used to ride it to and from Brewers night games.

I can't answer the others. I think you'll be fine if you're riding during daylight hours. The segment of the Oak Leaf Trail that runs along the lake near Veteran's Park and Bradford Beach is quite pretty.

Milwaukee isn't that bad. You'll have a good time.
posted by christinetheslp at 8:19 AM on April 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I've ridden most of the posted Milwaukee bike trails and they're mostly along green lanes and through rail frontage. If you ride them during the off hours I gather they can be a little worrisome, but there's enough bike traffic on them during the days to discourage the bad elements.

Now, looking at maps, if you see bike lanes on straight roads? Those may or may not be painted lanes, and they're generally fairly decent, but the neighborhoods they traverse can be better and worse. Pretty much anything that meanders along a parkway isn't that bad.

And yeah, the Hank Aaron Trail runs through an ex-industrial zone, but it's really quite nice. When summer hits, it's basically my regular workout route. I take the Oak leaf connector to Hank Aaron to the lake, then I get back on the oak leaf and head north or south depending on how the whim hits me. There's a little bit of non-trail riding through the blocks closest to the neighborhood, but then you reconnect with the oak leaf and you have miles of trails again.

Heading north on the oak leaf trail from veteran's park is really quite nice - it's tucked into a valley, so you really don't feel like you're in a city, it's a nice little greenspace.

And usually when people talk about the north/northwest side, they're.. Meh. I dunno, maybe I'm more inner-city than most. I wouldn't want to live there, but I've never been hassled going through, either.
posted by Kyol at 9:05 AM on April 13, 2012

Best answer: I can tell you that Milwaukee is safe, anywhere you ride. Especially downtown and tue bike trails. I recommend the Hank Aaron state trail as it goes from the Harley Davidson museum, through Miller Valley, to Miller Park. I recommend the Oak Leaf trail as it heads north from approximately Marshall and the lake.

I recommend meandering through the East Side, the area north of Juneau, south of Locust, and east of the Milwaukee river. There are lots of great old houses and magical nooks.

I'd also recommend riding north on Holton from where it starts right after the river. From Holton to Capitol, everything either east or west of you is just classic Milwaukee urban homes and little stores and lots of diversity.

It's really not dangerous anywhere you bike in Milwaukee. There's of poverty in Milwaukee so some areas can be a little sketchy at night.

I've noticed that the entitled biker attitude does not fly in Milwaukee at all. So, try not to make faces if you get cut off, be modest, etc. In the lower SES neighborhoods especially, bike humbly and defensively.
posted by qivip at 9:56 AM on April 13, 2012

Best answer: 1) You can ride in downtown without any trouble. Other than during winter, I commute to work through downtown on my bike. Usually, it's fine. Maybe about twice a year someone in a car has a problem with the fact that I'm on the road. I wouldn't be concerned if I were you.

2)-3) Anywhere on the Oak Leaf Trail during the day, north or south, is perfectly safe, in my opinion. I wouldn't be concerned at all. I've taken the trail as far north and as far south as it goes, and I've never had concerns about the neighborhoods. Note that the Oak Leaf Trail is not all off-street paths. It uses streets in areas. I only mention this so that you don't think that the trail ends at a certain place when really it doesn't. The trail is actually a giant loop around the county, so it technically never ends.

4) Hank Aaron trail is totally safe.

5) South on Oak Leaf is pretty nice starting from South Shore Park and going to Oak Creek. Really nice views of the lake. North on Oak Leaf starting from downtown is also nice, but if I'm just out for a leisurely ride I think I'd prefer south from South Shore Park. (Note that getting to South Shore Park from downtown on a bike can be a challenge because you need to use busy streets. I have no problem using the streets, but it's not the most pleasant part of the ride--lots of potholes and you're basically riding through an industrial zone.)

6) I've never used Google Maps for cycling in Milwaukee, so I can't answer this.

7) None that I'm aware of.

Have fun, and let me know if you need any more details.
posted by crLLC at 12:53 PM on April 13, 2012

Response by poster: crLLC, according to Google Maps, I can get from downtown Milwaukee to South Shore Park entirely via painted bike lanes if I take:

2nd/Maple/Kinnickinnic/Bay St/and then Raymond without bike lanes.

When I check Google's satellite view or Street View, there are little or no bike lanes showing up--can I assume that the views are completely outdated and there are, in fact, bike lanes on those roads? (I read a blip about Bay St getting raised bike lanes; are they done?)

Thanks again.
posted by TinWhistle at 1:30 PM on April 13, 2012

Response by poster: *Russell, not Raymond...
posted by TinWhistle at 1:33 PM on April 13, 2012

Best answer: That's the route I take (or have taken -- it's probably been more than a year since I've gone that way). It's all part of the official Oak Leaf Trail, and I think it does have painted bike lanes almost the whole way. I've heard about the plan to put raised bike lanes on Bay, but again, I haven't gone that way in awhile so I don't know the status. Bay Street is fine either way. I don't think it gets that busy. Last time I was on it, the only things that bothered me were the potholes and the lack of scenery.

I actually regret using the word "challenge," now that I think about it. It's really more of an aesthetic thing than a safety thing.
posted by crLLC at 1:58 PM on April 13, 2012

I live one block from South Shore Park. It is completely safe here. I'm a petite white female.

I drive down Russell and Bay and Kinnickinnic on my way to work. Bay Street has a brand new wide, raised bike lane that doesn't appear on Google. The whole street's new, no potholes. There's very little traffic. Russell is a bit tight, no bike lane, parked cars, but you're only going to be on that for a couple blocks. If you have panniers stop at Groppi's and get some fancy snacks. Just take Russell towards the lake and take a right instead of a left before you hit the water. After that you'll be car-free except for the marina parking lot (which isn't busy this time of year).

There are a lot of dog walkers on that trail, but I've never had a problem when walking/biking. Kids on the playground, runners on the trail. No big deal.

I used to live on the east side of town (i.e. the northern end of the Oak Leaf trail). I wouldn't hesitate to ride the trail during daylight, and again I'm a petite white female.

I don't know much about the Hank Aaron trail, but I wouldn't sweat its safety.

Downtown? I'm a scaredy cat, but I think you'll be okay. I can't vouch for bike lanes, but I'd avoid Wisconsin Avenue like the plague.

Please feel free to memail me with any questions, especially about the south side of the Oak Leaf trail. (Note: the area around South Shore park is called Bay View; residents will get confused if you call it the south side, as that refers to the areas farther west and south.)
posted by desjardins at 3:09 PM on April 13, 2012

here's a quick map I made for another question where someone was looking to move here. I'd avoid the North side/Riverwest if you're alone on a bike. They're fine in a car. Don't worry about the near south side during the day, the very eastern edge (which is where you'll be) is perfectly fine, I'm there every single day.
posted by desjardins at 3:15 PM on April 13, 2012

I'm going to suggest that you be cautious and stick to the trails; there are plenty of questionable areas that I would probably not consider to be "dangerous" but also not safe, and without a lot of experience in the area, it isn't always easy to tell exactly where the neighborhood changes, and some of the changes are rapid. For example, along the shore north of Milwaukee is a nice area pretty much all the way up, but if you're on North Avenue, in what's considered the "East Side", and you start traveling west, you rapidly get into dodgy territory once you go across the bridge and around the reservoir, and then into areas I would actually consider to be unsafe, especially as you get to around 35th. You can be up in the (nice!) Bayshore area, headed south on Port Road, and there's a sudden shift in things as you pass Capitol Ave... one moment you're passing office buildings, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, and suddenly you're in board-up central. On the south side, Kinnickinnic and the area by the lake is generally safe, but on the other side of I-94/43, well, there seem to be a lot of gang-related shootings.

If you can get out towards the suburbs, there are all sorts of fantastic biking opportunities. Lots of other excellent advice in this thread.
posted by jgreco at 3:32 PM on April 13, 2012

Speaking of the suburbs, the Oak Leaf Trail through Wauwatosa is nice and perfectly safe.
posted by desjardins at 4:19 PM on April 13, 2012

Best answer: I've biked through downtown Milwaukee pretty frequently in the past and it's usually pretty safe as long as you watch out for the few sections of "cobblestone" street (IIRC, Old World Third Street and Broadway have it).
posted by drezdn at 10:28 PM on April 13, 2012

Response by poster: Well, after having a chance to ride the town, it is interesting how I interpret the advice above.

1) Downtown riding was a piece of cake--easiest and safest downtown riding I had ever done. The cobblestones on Old 3rd almost did get me, even after being warned.

2) Hank Aaron was safe, smooth, and okay, but boring as all heck. It still seemed extremely industrial to me, even when riding through trees. It was neat to see the cops patrolling it, as well.

3) The way to Oak Leaf (South Shore) seemed kinda sketchy to me, actually, and I rode down 2nd and KK as quickly as I could. The Oak Leaf Trail South of South Shore Park was hideous after passing the condos along the lake (St. Francis?). The trail was really, really rough and completely unrideable, in my opinion, so I turned around after only a mile or so.

4) The best part of my 60 miles of riding was Oak Leaf heading north from Michigan St. downtown. It was smooth, pleasant, extremely safe, wonderful people, beautiful scenery, and the wind was screened by the trees. I went all the way to Lincoln Park, but had to turn back due to lack of time to keep riding.
posted by TinWhistle at 8:36 AM on April 25, 2012