Bike the Hoan?

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation released its draft feasibility study Oct. 27 evaluating five alternative bike-and-pedestrian pathways that could be added to the Hoan Bridge when its reconstruction begins in 2013.

Two options would remove one northbound traffic lane for a bike path. Three options would retain all six existing traffic lanes. In all cases, the new shared-use bike/ped path would be separated from traffic or the edge of the bridge by concrete barriers and fencing.

WisDOT’s alternatives 1A and 1B would make use of the existing bridge surface, 1A taking up the right shoulder, 1B running down the center of the bridge between the north- and southbound lanes.

Alternative 2A would extend the bridge deck 16 feet to the east to accommodate the shared-use path, which would bend outside the iconic arch. This would involve the construction of additional structural support beneath.

Alternative 3B imagines an elevated structure running between and above north- and southbound lanes. Alternative 4 separates the bike/ped facility from the bridge itself, constructing a separate bridge parallel to the Hoan span to the east.

WisDOT’s Five Feasible Alternatives

Alt. Cost Shared-Use Path Description

1A   $9,447,000 On east side of existing structure, loss of one northbound lane

1B $27,487,000 In center of existing structure, loss of one northbound lane

2A $76,382,000 On east side of structure which is extended by 16 feet, no loss of lanes

3B $95,482,000 Elevated above center of bridge deck, no loss of lanes

4 $84,369,000 On separate bridge structure to east, no loss of lanes

WisDOT’s report was greeted with enthusiasm from bike advocates.

“It’s great that the feasibility study is finally out and, of course, each one of these scenarios has the path going over the Hoan Bridge itself, so we’re very excited about that,” said Kevin Hardman, executive director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect a trail network essentially from Chicago to Sheboygan.”

Bill Sell, Bay View resident and longtime bike-the-Hoan advocate, called the report “encouraging.”

“The [alternative] that is the least expensive and the one I think the bicyclists would prefer has the fewest concerns [1A].”

Sell was involved in WisDOT’s earlier Bay View-to-Downtown study, which spanned from 1996 to 2002.

“That study was an attempt to avoid and turn down the issue,” Sell said. “They took six years to do it because everything looked so good. They had to come up with some excuse not to [recommend a Hoan bike option].”

In the 2011 report, Sell said alternatives 1B or 2A would both be attractive if they were less expensive. “I’m not attracted to the other options [3B or 4],” he said.

Public meeting Nov. 14

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting on the Hoan Bridge bike/ped options from 5 to 7pm on Monday, Nov. 14 at its 1001 W. St. Paul Ave. offices. Public comments on the alternatives are sought prior to the finalization of the report in December. See the draft report at bayviewcompass.com.

Eighth District Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik said the Hoan trail could be “Milwaukee’s millennium project,” attracting tourism and spurring a revitalization of the south shore.

Jursik favored one of three more expensive options [2A, 3B, or 4] because they maintain all lanes of traffic.

“I believe the loss of a lane is a non-starter and should not be considered,” she said, adding that if the Lake Parkway is extended south she expects traffic volume on the Hoan to increase.

The WisDOT report argues that the current average annual weekday traffic volume on the Hoan Bridge is 48,200 vehicles per day. The report predicts an average of between 54,650 and 58,500 vehicles per weekday in 2035, depending on whether a 0.8 or 0.5 growth rate is assumed. It also predicts that extending the Lake Parkway south to Highway 100 would result in a 10-percent increase in Hoan traffic.

However, it does note that the Lake Parkway’s four-lane footprint limits traffic flows on the six-lane Hoan.

Connections to the various bike path alternatives would vary. For 1B and 3B, an additional bike path bridge could carry riders up and over 794 to the center of the freeway, connecting to Superior Street. The other paths would run alongside the Carferry Drive on-ramp and be routed to S. Lincoln Memorial Drive to avoid disrupting the on-ramp traffic.

Each of WisDOT’s top five options were considered structurally feasible but varied in cost and conferred different advantages and disadvantages. 1B would make it easier for bridge repair crews to lean over the side to conduct inspections. An MMSD building could be in the way of Alternative 4. Snow removal is anticipated to be a challenge for all, especially the three alternatives that segregate the trail from the existing road deck.

The report ruled out an option suspended beneath the bridge due to insufficient clearance. It ruled out more exotic on/off-ramps near the Summerfest grounds because of the steepness of the grade and tightness of their curves.

A bike/ped option must be considered along with the project to replace the Hoan Bridge deck as directed by federal and state law.

The next step is a public meeting hosted by WisDOT from 5 to 7pm at 1001 W. St. Paul Ave. on Monday, Nov. 14.

“We want to make sure folks know we want this to be done in the $275-$350 million scope of the whole Hoan re-do project,” said Seventh District state Senator Chris Larson. “We want a safe option for everyone and we want to hear from the public.”

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