$12M is being spent to reconstruct a dangerous road, but the result could be even worse. Why we have significant concerns about a project that affects many in the North Shore and Milwaukee.
Note: This is the first Spotlight that focuses on a neighboring community. We'll do this periodically because the success or failure of these designs sets an example for how other projects in the region might go. Also, we bike there too and our federal tax dollars are paying for it! We're working together with Strong Towns Glendale who you can see on Twitter, or by sending an email to strongtownsglendale@gmail.com if you'd like to get more involved! Strong Towns promotes "productive, safe and livable cities of all sizes" and street design is a key component of these goals.
What Happened
In a recent Glendale meeting we got the first glimpses of what the redesign of Silver Spring would look like. All summer, we've been getting excited as it was paired with the prospects of CN2 (our second Bus Rapid Transit line) which would share a section of SS, basically the current Purple Line. The connection of Bayshore where numerous bus lines intersect, and improvements to this corridor could provide new mobility connections for the Northern side of MKE and the County (via bus, and the Oak Leaf Trail) that would be truly transformative. For anyone who has walked, biked, or driven Silver Spring, you know that it's quite unpleasant for everyone. We have a once in a generation chance to fix that. Funding all started coming together, but then we were hit with the news that CN2 was being indefinitely postponed. We lost a major force for improvement.
Then the engineering plans were released. Our worst fears were confirmed. Now, it's not all bad because of course we got a significant focus on bike facilities which SS does not currently have. It says a lot about the current general awareness of the need for better biking access both for those who need it, but also for those who want the option. Glendale could have just resurfaced the road and called it a day. But frankly, it's hard to imagine them not being smarter about all street users when they have people being hit and killed or injured by reckless drivers at an alarming rate. Here's the crashes on Silver Spring in 2024 alone:
And here's crashes since 2020 - every one of these was a significant injury (there's too many to display the crashes without major injury):
None of this is surprising to probably anyone. The posted speed is 30mph but anecdotally, speeds are probably closer to 40mph or more. The wide lanes, with sparsely parked shoulders means there's nothing to deter speeding, and dangerous passing on the right is practically begged for.
Now, let's dig into the designs, keeping in mind that the public has never seen them to this day, and we are told that they are final and pending the approval of MKE and Wisconsin DOT and no more changes can be implemented.
Don't Give Up at the Intersection
There's lots to dislike about these designs, but probably the most egregious and likely to get people killed is the intersections. There's even a saying from the preeminent safe street designing body for this: "Don't Give Up at the Intersection". This design didn't even make an attempt, it entirely ignore them, and in some ways, adds design elements that make the intersections even more deadly.
Almost every corner has serious issues, but one of the worst is the Green Bay crossing. Highlighted are the areas where there are no protected bike facilities, and bicyclists are expected to ride directly in that 40+ mph traffic with no shoulder even:
For all intents and purposes, these areas are absolutely off-limits for all but the most daring bicyclists. Even a strong rider is going to have vehicles approaching from behind with a 20+ mph difference in speeds. That's plenty to kill. This is to say nothing of kids, older folks, or disabled people who might otherwise find a protected bike lane very comfortable to ride, and a vital link to various places along SS.
Another example of giving up is intersections like this:
These corners violate all good judgement and have prioritized high-speed turns. For reference, the NACTO guide recommends turns this large for a typical city bus. It's exacerbated by the street parking that will make it hard to see a bicyclist or other person already in the intersection.
Another deadly decision is how these crosswalks are structured. The crossing distance here near the car dealerships is perhaps 70' or more, without a single protected place for a pedestrian to stand if they either can't make it across, or oncoming traffic doesn't appear to be stopping. Pedestrians walk perhaps 3 ft/second, so to cross 70' will take 25 seconds. That's a very long time to be completely exposed and vulnerable.
Here's just one suggestion for where concrete curbs should be extended to protect pedestrians from the inevitable driver who either runs a light, or takes turns too fast to see someone. Note how the individual distances to cross are drastically reduced, and every intermediate point is protected by a concrete curb - even better would be to place steel bollards here to protect them further. None of this impinges on the vehicle travel lanes.
Every intersection has issues like this, and everywhere you look, maintaining high vehicle speed has been the primary consideration. It's hard to identify a single point where someone considered a disabled person, child, or caretaker juggling a stroller and multiple kids and said "how can we make sure they get to their destination safely?" However, the designers have patted themselves on the back for ADA improvements which, yes, some areas have been made _usable_ in a wheelchair, but they haven't been made safe. It's like saying we gave you a ramp up into City Hall, but it's not bolted down and has no handrails. Just doing the bare minimum. This is not an actual photo of the design, but it shows that not for one second did someone question the thinking. There is nothing stopping a driver from plowing clear over this entire intersection, and the example landing pad on the other side is barely large enough for a wheelchair (not even considering the caretaker that might be accompanying them!).
Just look at the possible conflict zones created near Green Bay - if a driver were to depart the roadway, perhaps because it's snowy and they're going too fast, their paths lead directly to where pedestrians are waiting. The conflict zones for bikers are completely unprotected and drivers will be crossing their path at a high rate of speed because of the freeway on-ramp style configuration they chose to use.
Note that in this area, there is no bike lane! Bicyclists who prefer to go slower and stay a bit safer will be trying to navigate these wandering sidewalks as well. The 90 degree angles that the upper sidewalk meets the roadway at is extremely difficult to do safely while also attempting to press the button that activates the flashing beacon here. People using wheelchairs may be susceptible to rolling into the roadway because of how tight the ramp is, and how close the button is to the roadway.
One of the most befuddling choices is these "lateral lane splits" which are incredibly rare. It has all the feels of "we know speeds are going to be really bad here, so rather than fix the design we're going to randomly stick and obstruction in the roadway." Completely baffling what these are intended to achieve when far better safety features have existed for decades.
Bike Lanes
Another feature that just does not make any sense (maybe it would if the City had ever let the community provide feedback) is how they settled on street level bike lanes that are curb protected.
These are more expensive than a simple asphalt raised path because they typically require 4 extra curbs to be poured, which is one of the most expensive components of street design. They also are harder to keep clear of snow and debris and make it impossible for most riders to switch to the sidewalk when the need arises. Glendale will absolutely need to utilize special equipment here to keep snow out, especially since snow plowed from the roadway will be deposited here. Typically this chosen design is used when the road isn't being fully rebuilt as a cost-savings measure, but it's unclear how it would be cost-effective here. However, a likely culprit is that they wanted to give up at the intersections, and this design made that very easy to do. Milwaukee learned years ago that these sidewalk level paths are much better and it's considered the best way to keep cars and bicyclists separate:
Relying on parking as a buffer to keep cyclists safe is also problematic because if no one is parked, there's no protection. And drivers will inevitably park in the bike lanes anyways. It's a constant battle to keep drivers from doing dangerous and illegal things, and this proposed design does very little to mitigate that.
What Can Be Done?
Bidding is scheduled to begin in February of 2025, with bids being received no sooner than March. This needs to be immediately paused, and a task force created to find areas the design can be improved without changing the cost and figure out what time we realistically have left. Glendale does not have a Bike and Pedestrian Committee, but perhaps it's time to form one, so as to prevent this in the future.
It seems entirely possible that the design is so inefficient in its use of curbs that money might be saved! Experts in bike and pedestrian facilities should be brought in, perhaps people in MKE who have been doing this for years already, or disability advocates who understand how badly infrastructure has failed them for so long. Open a public comment period to let the public provide their concerns for the design, and what aspects might make them very unlikely to use it. Have the designers explain to us how this will be used from 8-80 years old, with any range of likely capabilities. It's unacceptable to pick a narrow slice of society and say this only works for them.
Perhaps much of the design is driven by external constraints like utilities or sewer placement - fine! But, Glendale should have communicated those restrictions, and been up front with the public about whether other tradeoffs could be made to make it safer overall. Even so, there are components to this design that don't appear to be about money, just default choices in a car-centric world. Dropping nearly final designs is bound to catch everyone by surprise, and end up with frustration and confusion.
Imagine if streets were only safe for an average man driving a particular style of vehicle!
Who Do I Contact?
This project is sprawling, so depending on your relationship to it, your decision might vary. Most people North of Cudahy in Milwaukee and into Brown Deer/Bayside are represented by Gwen Moore, and Federal dollars are being used on the project. We all have a say in how Federal money is used, and whether it should be used in designs that could harm people. If you're a Glendale resident, business owner, or someone who frequents the area, please let the Mayor know, and the relevant Alderperson if they represent you or your various travels in the area. You might also contact the DPW or City Administrator Warwick as he is thus far the point person on the project.
Simply tell them you want us to use our funds in a smarter way, and that it would be a catastrophic mistake to not pause to get experts a chance to fix the worst problems. We cannot keep treating biking, walking, rolling as second-class transportation methods. Some people don't have a choice, and others simply enjoy the freedom to choose whatever is best for them at that time. These designs make all transport options but driving particularly dangerous, but will throw drivers into scary interactions where they might be the one who hits someone - they don't want that either!
- MKE Alderwoman Pratt, District 1
- Mayor and Common Council
- City Administrator Warwick
- Public Works Director Imig
- US Representative Gwen Moore
Links
- Glendale Project Update Page - Oct 2024
- Presentation - Given in Sept 2024
- Lane Widths
- Easier to Read Design Plan
- Engineering Drawings
- MCTS Route Map
Timeline
- 2024-04-22 - Gwen Moore Officially Requests funding for "improved travel safety and access"
- 2024-02-21 - Public Information Meeting
- 2024-10-01 - Final Engineering Docs Published
- 2024-11-01 - Final Plans, Specs, and Environmental Docs
- 2025-02-04 - Advertise for Bidding
- 2025-03-11 - Open for Bids
- Two year construction process, single lane in each direction remain open
Funding
- $4M Congressional Community Project Funding via Rep. Gwen Moore
- $3.95M STP-Discretionary Funding through SEWRPC
- $4M local funding from Glendale ($2.8M) and MKE ($1.2M)
- Total Budget - $12M