Bublr Bikes’ Ted Chisholm Speaks on Connecting Neighborhoods and Workplaces

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Photo by Tom Jenz

Ted Chisholm - Bublr Bikes

Bublr Bikes Executive Director Ted Chisholm

If you are someone who gets around town, you’ve probably noticed the sky-blue Bublr Bikes lined up in orderly rows at street corners or along busy sidewalks. The white logo stands out against the frame, simple and recognizable. You may have rented a Bublr bike for a trip through a neighborhood community, to a place of work, or a downtown destination. A practical way to travel without the complications of bicycle ownership, Bublr Bikes has become a familiar part of the city landscape. 

Bublr Bikes is designed for short-distance, point-to-point travel. The idea is straightforward. A rider can rent a bicycle from one station, travel across town at their own pace, and return the bike to another nearby station. There is no need to worry about storage, maintenance, or long-term commitment. The system meets people where they are, even visitors exploring the city for the first time. The rider is not separated from the surroundings but instead becomes part of the streetscape, taking in the neighborhoods and people along the way.

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Photo courtesy of Bublr Bikes

Bublr Bikes Station in Milwaukee

A Bublr Bikes Station outside the Intermodal Station in Milwaukee

The Bublr system features over 100 stations across Milwaukee, Wauwatosa and West Allis. It reflects a shift in how cities think about mobility and access. Not everyone owns a car, and not every trip requires one. For some people, a short ride across town can replace a longer, more complicated commute. For others, it offers an opportunity to experience the city in a slower, more connected avenue to the places in between.

To find out more, I set up a meeting with Bublr Bikes’ executive director, Ted Chisholm. It was a gray day when I arrived at the long brick building on Vienna Avenue, a long-ago blue-collar neighborhood in the factory district. Currently, this old industrial building hosts disparate businesses including a fitness gym and a craft brewery. I entered Bublr Bikes through a narrow door, then into a busy office where I encountered a man as tall as his enthusiasm. Chisholm struck me as a guy who likes to be around people. His positive attitude is catching. 

Guiding me through a door into the rear room, Chisholm introduced the maintenance operation where the bikes are given tuneups. Bublr works with Bicycle Transit Systems (BTS), a Philadelphia-based operator specializing in launching and managing docked bike share systems across North America. Resting here and there, the bikes waited for revival. A lineup of spoked bicycle wheels hovered overhead. A few men sat before wide desks, working with bicycle parts. 

“We get our bikes through the Trek,” Chisholm explained. “They have been traditional pedal bikes, but in the last few years, we have integrated electric bikes, e-bikes, into our fleet. It’s a great option for older people and commuters going to work. 

I was interested in comprehending this new transportation system growing out of an old form of transportation. 

Tell me about your background, your parents, neighborhood and your schooling. 

I am a Milwaukee native. I grew up in Bay View in a household of public servants. My father, now retired, was for many years the district attorney for Milwaukee County, and my mother is a long time public school teacher. I went to Marquette High School and then onto Macalester College in St Paul, Minn. I worked extensively in politics during this time, including on Earnell Lucas’ campaign for Milwaukee county sheriff.

When Lucas took office in 2019, I left Macalester and came back here for good, becoming the sheriff’s chief of staff for three years. I worked to reform the sheriff’s office to bring better service to the public. After that, I served as the senior administrator for management, finance, and strategy for the Milwaukee county clerk of circuit court’s office. In 2024, I ran for public office, the county treasurer job, but I was not successful. However, I loved the campaign experience, connecting with folks throughout the community. Then, I worked as a policy adviser in Governor Tony Evers’ administration in Madison. I always like to be in a job where I can help others.

Not long ago, you took the job as executive director at Bublr Bikes. What drew you to this role? 

I see my role as helping provide a reliable form of transportation for connecting neighborhoods and workplaces. I view Bublr as a team effort. That includes our board of directors and our staff along with community partners who support Bublr and rely on our form of transportation system to get around.

I believe Bublr Bikes is a nonprofit business, right?

Yes, we operate this nonprofit bikeshare system throughout the general Milwaukee area.

If I want to rent a bike, how do I go about it?

The best way is to go online and download our Bublr App to arrange a bike rental. Or you can visit one of our kiosks and input your payment via credit card. 

What is the cost to rent a bike?

There are several options. One option is 25 cents per minute. Then, there are day passes which cost $24 for 24 hours. A monthly pass costs $30. We also offer an annual pass for about $130. I will also add that you can return the bike to any of our area kiosks. We do have a 60-minute time limit per bike. That allows us to keep our fleet in good condition.

What areas of the city does your service cover?

We have kiosk stations where folks can check out bikes on the North Side, East Side, Downtown, part of the South Side, Wauwatosa and West Allis, There might be as high as 12 bikes in a kiosk, and many have six or nine bikes, sometimes three bikes. We have about 150 stations throughout the community. But we are going through a two-year expansion process after which we will have 226 stations. We are expanding into the near South Side, the near West Side, and the area around Marquette University. You can find a map of our stations on our website, bublrbikes.org.

How many bikes do you have in your system currently?

We have about 750 bikes, but we are adding 800 e-bikes through this year and 2027. Our expansion has happened thanks to federal grant funding through the city of Milwaukee. 

Can you give me a history of Bublr Bikes?

Bublr was founded as a nonprofit in 2013 by three Milwaukee civic leaders, Bruce Keyes, Barry Mainwood and Juli Kaufmann. They put together a pilot system and hired some staff, then slowly put together the funding. In 2024, we saw over 100,000 rides on our bikes.

As you explained, Bublr Bikes is a nonprofit. How is it funded?

We have a tri-part funding structure. One, operating revenue from users of the system. Two, private support through donations and private grants. Three, institutional partners like the cities of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, West Allis and the State of Wisconsin. We get help from civic organizations like Visit Milwaukee, and we have partnerships with corporate entities and even hospital systems like the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center or Aurora Healthcare. Help from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has been crucial. UWM has been a big supporter, too. UWM partners with Bublr on a subsidized pass program for students and helps underwrite the Bublr stations on their campus. In fact, three of our highest usage stations are on the UWM campus.

What are some of the other high usage stations?

The stations by Summerfest, near the festival grounds, and the station in front of Discovery World. When the streets are congested with traffic, Bublr offers a good option. We do get a lot of rentals in residential neighborhoods because we want folks to access our system without going to a major thoroughfare. 

How do you determine what areas of the city to place the Bublr stations?

We work with the city department of public works. They study transportation and analysis. They can tell us where there are needs for congestion alleviation. We also look at locations where there are new housing and business developments and residential complexes. Some folks use Bublr to get to a bus station, so we try to co-locate our stations by the Milwaukee County Transit stations.

How did you end up as the executive director of Bublr Bikes?

I love biking myself. I think biking is great for a person’s health. I was drawn to Bublr as a nonprofit. We have close relationships with municipal governments where I have a lot of experience. I applied for the job last fall, and I was hired.

What is your responsibility as the head of Bublr Bikes?

In part, it’s being an advocate for the system, including community events and attending meetings with our municipal partners and private funders. I also do public relations meetings like our conversation today. And, of course, I am the Bublr manager, leading our team on a day-to-day basis. I also try to help grow the system. Mayor Johnson’s goal is to increase the Milwaukee population. We are increasing our number of bikes and stations to be a resource for people who will be moving to the city. 

You have become kind of a sage, a spokesman for Bublr Bikes.

(laughing) Well, I like communicating with folks and building relationships. 

How many employees do you have?

We have 12 employees in a mixture of full time and part time roles including hourly technicians.

Are there any other benefits to using the Bublr system?

We emphasize being an accessible form of transportation. For example, we provide an access pass that is free of charge for an entire year. That access pass has a code and is available to anyone who is on either federal or state aid. We believe this is a good service for the community. 

Is your service available year-round?

Yes, year-round service is available for our pedal bikes. But the e-bikes are only available from spring to fall.

Bublr Bikes is involved in a major system expansion. What is the expansion, where is it happening, and how does it work?

The expansion began with my predecessor Laura Bolger, who did a lot of planning. The goal is to expand our service beyond commercial corridors and into city neighborhoods not currently in our purview. This includes the Marquette University neighborhoods and also Layton Boulevard, 27th Street and National, and Clark Square on the South Side. For the expansion, we are getting help from a few federal grants that deal with improving air quality and public health. Biking helps reduce carbon emissions. We also work with community development nonprofits to raise awareness regarding our expansion. We will be doing door to door canvassing to get the word out. One of our bigger collaborators is the Wisconsin Bike Fed, who helps educate the public regarding safe bike lanes. We are excited about our future.