Shorewood Earns "Bicycle Friendly Community" Designation

The League of American Bicyclists designated Shorewood as a Bicycle Friendly Community Wednesday, lighting a spark of encouragement under local cyclists.

Shorewood is the first village in Wisconsin to receive the designation, in an effort spearheaded by the Greater Shorewood Bikers. The other Bicycle Friendly Communities in the state are Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Sheboygan County.

James Harris, chair of the village Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee, credited the new bridge on the Oak Leaf Bike Trail over East Capitol Drive, and bike lanes on North Oakland Avenue and Capitol Drive for earning Shorewood the award.

“It’s recognition that the village is very forward thinking in developing infrastructure for biking and walking,” Harris, who is also the associate director of the urban studies programs at UW-Milwaukee, said. “People are healthier and communities tend to flourish when people are out and active.”

One of 11 communities to earn the designation this fall, Shorewood joined a total of 190 communities nationwide. According to the League of American Bicyclists, 490 communities have applied.

Shorewood earned the bronze-level designation, behind 50 communities that earned platinum, gold and silver awards.

Harris said he sees the bronze level as a jumping off point for more improvements to cycling infrastructure in the village.

“We now have a baseline that we’ll work to improve,” he said. “In a small way, we are moving toward the environment of places like Seattle and the twin cities.”

The Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee is currently drafting a comprehensive bike plan for the village, including a village route map, that they hope to unveil in the spring or summer.

The map will illustrate paths between the Oak Leaf Trail and popular destinations that the committee identifies as the safest for bike travel. Harris said there could be a kiosk on Oak Leaf Trail with maps to invite cyclists into the village.

The committee also plans to install signage along bike-friendly roads to create clear spaces for cyclists.

Harris said they are considering expanding bike lanes from the metro area — like on North Downer Avene and North Lake Drive — through Shorewood to make a more comprehensive “bicycle grid.”  

Milwaukee also has a bronze designation. According to the League of American Bicyclists, Wisconsin ranks as the third most bike friendly state in the U.S., behind Washington and Maine.