Photo credit: Wisconsin Bike Fed
It may get easier to navigate Milwaukee on two wheels in the near future, thanks to assistance from non-profit organization City Thread.
The organization recently announced that their Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) technical assistance program has chosen a diverse group of cities, including Milwaukee, to participate in a program designed to speed up the development of bike lanes amongst their mobility networks. The chosen cities, which also include Bainbridge Island, WA; Syracuse, NY; Gulfport, MS; Cleveland, OH; Tucson, AZ; Santa Rosa, CA; Petaluma, CA; and Indianapolis, IN, will each receive $50,000 in AMP technical assistance from the nonprofit consultancy, led by national mobility experts Zoe Kircos, Sara Studdard, and Kyle Wagenschutz. This assistance will include a community-specific mobility audit of the city's current state of transportation and an action plan for improved implementation and partnerships going forward. While specific plans for the city’s bike lane development have not been developed yet, the organization shared the importance of transparency in developing a road map for Milwaukee’s bike lanes.
“Without clear and consistent communication, people feel disconnected from public planning processes, even when they support the intended outcomes,” Kircos said via statement. “We help community, city and elected leaders identify a shared goal, and then keep everyone moving toward it while ensuring that folks stay informed, engaged and committed. The trust and goodwill these communities build is essential to getting things done.”
Transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and improving mobility networks and increasing transportation options can help cities combat the climate crisis. Building on the success of City Thread’s “The Final Mile” program, which helped five cities build 335 miles of bike lanes in just two years, the AMP program provides a roadmap for speeding up project delivery, completing network-focused implementation plans, and engaging with the community. The selected cities will receive a comprehensive assessment to help them accelerate their local mobility goals and bring their implementation plans forward.
For more information about City Thread and their transportation plans, visit the organization’s website.
