Cream Citizen

The City of Milwaukee is planning to repave 2nd Street in 2010 from St. Paul north to National Avenue south. A group of concerned residents and business owners along 2nd Street have been attempting to organize to capitalize on this repaving project as an opportunity to really "remake" the street. A Business Improvement District is being organized to bring ideas like lighting, flowers, graffiti removal and such to the mix. In concert, we have been pressing the city to consider reducing the street to one lane in each direction (traffic calming), to add a bike lane (its actually part of the Oak Leaf Trail), and enhance sidewalks and other pedestrian improvements. Essentially, we think this project offers us an opportunity to think in broad terms about economic development and the power of a street as a community builder - much more than simply a paved space for motor vehicles. All suggestions to date have been completely shot down. The only victory has been the agreement to include 50 trees, which is terrific.

The City DPW staffers are opposed to any plan changes and they site restrictive state requirements about traffic counts and parking needs that prevent any modifications. The project is 80% state funded so they claim there is no latitude. The small group of citizen volunteers that have met repeatedly with the City on this are now at our wits end. We feel we are almost out of options and are seeking ideas and support from others in our fine city. Isn't there something we can do? We need folks other than traffic engineers to be dictating urban policy. Shouldn't the Department of City Development, the Mayor, our elected officials be able to provide better leadership on this issue? I did meet with the State Senator and the State Rep on this issue and both are willing to support the ideas we citizens desire. So, how can we get momentum? Drive the street - you will see how it screams for more than just repaving. I have a ton more on the subject, but just wanted to start a discussion for now. All of us volunteers lack time and resources to organize. Input welcome!!! - Juli

Nathaniel Holton

Profile

How much of a presence have the businesses who are organizing the BID have in all of this?

Having a product to sell would help things. An artist rendering could help gain attention and traction (maybe J Willow here has connections?). Better yet, multiple concepts, with one winner voted on by as large of a group of local citizens as possible would be helpful. I don't think you'll get anywhere if you guys don't have the time to organize though. At least get some signatures and build numbers that way.

Narrowing streets and beautifying the street can lead to measureable economic gain and other immeasureable benefits, as you know. Things like this have been quantified in various situations and I bet Dave Reid would have good resources on this type of thing. A nice fact sheet of the benefits that the design change could/would bring would carry weight.

Traffic count and parking needs? Sounds suspect. What is your alderman saying? Is your alderman doing anything at all? Have you seen these state requirements? I can't imagine that there are actually that many situations where there's "no latitude." It's disappointing to hear that that's what they said. Have you looked into WisDOT for explanation on these requirements and whether they'd be willing to work with you at all?

You guys have a great idea and it's warming to see you fight the good fight. Congrats on getting the trees and I hope you all keep working to get a better deal.

Nathaniel Holton 361 days ago

Dan Knauss

How's the alderman feel about it?

Dan Knauss 360 days ago

Juli Kaufmann

Hi All,

Thanks for commenting. The Alderman is Jim Witkowiak. He is supportive in words to the efforts we are undertaking. Specifically, he thinks a BID is a good idea, although frankly its really hard to argue against a bid. Gee, let's have the private sector tax itself to pay for public improvements. NO kidding. The Alderman is also supportive of taking the street down to one lane, and all of the other sustainability issues we raise.

Our challenge is not getting him to say he is supportive, our challeng is getting him to follow-through and lead. He sends his assistant to most meetings. His assistant does not serve as an effective stand-in nor as an effective advocate most of the time, in my own opinion. Furthermore, the Alderman says he will follow-up with key business people and key city leadership, but then he does not follow-through. When I call him on this, he denies it or gets defense, and frankly, calling your alderman on lack of response does not tend to get you better results. We don't like truth speaking as an effective tool in our diplomacy toolbox, apparently.

All of the suggestions you all have given are on target, but come back to our own lack of time to do everything we want in a resistive environment that lacks resouces. If Alex Runner is willing to rally some folks, that would be huge. I am able to get the State politics in our favor, I believe, I just need people with more time than I have and preferrably those who have this as their fulltime job to help out. So far, I have not had much luck.

I have mentioned all of this to Dave Reid, but so far he has not run with any of it. I have also tried to link in the Bike Federation, but they have been nonresponsive. Its all just frustrating. Keep the ideas coming. Maybe I should contact Alex Runner direct next? Its not Hines district, so I am not sure how much they want to take this up.

Juli Kaufmann 357 days ago

Dan Knauss

Why are you assuming it is necessary to stop the resurfacing to get other streetscape changes? The main obstacle must be the street narrowing, and that could be done later anyway, right?

If you are assuming the resurfacing somehow locks the street form further work, like narrowing, is that really true?

Does the DPW care about digging up and generally messing with recently resurfaced streets? My guess is no, not unless it affects their funding and jobs. Tearing up and repaving streets means jobs and funding.

On the narrowing, is this the one thing 2nd St. folks really, really want? Because the DPW really, really doesn't want it. If DPW draws State funding for roadwork based on measures like parking and traffic, then doing things to cut down parking and traffic means some funding death for them.

If 2nd St. pursues the narrowing, they ought to figure out what the actual State conditions are and how much money is in play relative to DPW funding.

(Where is this stuff in writing?)

It may be that the DPW folks have not bothered to examine the State rules with an eye to finding workarounds and ways to accommodate you. They may simply be looking at your street narrowing request as a move that threatens their institutional survival. Maybe they have reacted over what is actually not very much of a potential funding loss.

Those are all possible arguing/selling points, if you can do the research.

It would help to have someone familiar with these things as an advocate or ally. That should be your alderman, but maybe he will turn on to the issue if 2nd St. people do the research.

What if they do it with us, here?

What say?

Dan Knauss 355 days ago

Nathaniel Holton

I can take a look at WisDot and the State code this weekend and see if I can dig anything up, I've been meaning to dig around the State code anyways as nerdy as that sounds. Faster yet, if you've talked to anyone at WisDot, they could at least direct us to the relevant regulations so we can start digging in.

As for Witkowiak, it kind of boggles my mind that he hasn't done more, if even just a few quick phone calls to some people to learn more about the issue and any possible options to educate himself and to let you know that he's doing more than nothing. One idea to consider, especially once you have better information, is to have everyone write a letter to the JS editor. Kindly discuss the benefits of the redevelopment, maybe tying the stimulus and putting people to work into it as well. It's a good longterm investment and it could help bring customers to the businesses. Mention how thankful you would be if Witkowiak helped on this important issue. I'm sure seeing his name in the paper couldn't hurt. The letter might help get a couple of others in the district involved as well, especially if you can attach the name of a neighborhood association or something.

Nathaniel Holton 355 days ago

Juli Kaufmann

Here is the email I just sent to State Representative Pedro Colon- I would like to first get a better handle on the State issues we need to address. If I get any contacts or clarification on DOT, will let you know. I would prefer to have more ducks in a row and make more concerted effort at diplomacy, before engaging media, although there may be a time soon:

Hi Pedro-

Thanks for taking time to meet with me last week. It was such a pleasure to get to talk directly with my Representative and a wide range of issues we mutually care about. I wanted to follow-up on one of the items - 2nd Street.

As we discussed, the City of Milwaukee will be undertaking a "repaving" of the Street in 2010. They are currently in the process of developing the street design for submission to the state for approval. The state is providing the majority of the funding so, as I understand it, this creates a number of requirements and constraints tied to funding. As the businesses and neighbors on the street, we have been trying to influence the plan in a few ways. First, we are in the process of forming a Business Improvement District to self-tax ourselves so that we can invest in improvements in the public right-of-way - lighting, planters, etc. We are also trying to persuade the City to consider traffic-calming measures as part of the design - by making the street one way in each direction (it is currently two lanes), by including a bike land (it is part of a recognized local bike trail, but currently does not have a pathway), and offering improved pedestrian amenities (sidewalk enlargement, if possible, better signage, crosswalks, etc.). The City has balked at any effort to modify their approach, largely deferring to strict state requirments related to traffic counts that dictate design. They also suggest costs would increase.

You offered to help us in our cause. What other information can I share with you to help you pursue this? We imagine we will need support from the governing agency, presumable the State DOT. Are their contacts you can make our connections you can provide for us? We don't think there need to be any budget impact from this, but certainly if we could include additional resources we would welcome that. Obviously, we are trying to not have a financial impact with these changes to make them easier to accept.

Please let me know your advice on how we can continue to press for the right leadership and support. Second Street is poised to be a catalytic project that could exert positive pressure on the economic development and vitality of an underutilized section of our city that is ripe with potential.

I look forward to hearing from you - and to a glass of wine in the district soon! Thanks neighbor...

Juli
Juli Kaufmann
Co-Owner, Pragmatic Construction
255 W. Bruce Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 221-9548 - office
(414) 628-2346 - mobile
www.pragmaticconstruction.com

Juli Kaufmann 354 days ago

Nathaniel Holton

Hey, thanking your do-nothing alderman for his potential assistance in public seems pretty diplomatic to me! I understand wanting to have a handle on the facts before engaging in that sort of thing though, it would just be nice if your alderman was actually helping you get those facts.

Anyways, I did peak around the State code a little and didn't find much of anything directly relevant, but the search was relatively haphazard. A closer look at the WisDOT website turned up some interesting things though, most notably the Local Transportation Enhancements Program. It gives money to local governments to fund things like "provision of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles" and "landscaping and other scenic beautification." Check out a little more detail here.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program now seems to fall under the LTE program. I looked up "street narrowing" on the WisDOT website for fun, and the first document that showed up (here) is the list of projects that have been funded under the BPFP program from 1993-2007. It includes a variety of projects in Milwaukee, large and small, and actually contained a street narrowing project in Green Bay in 2000.

So, going in the future, this program could very well be an option for 2nd Street. Meanwhile, I'm interested in seeing the program that the current rebuild falls under and what it actually says about street narrowing and such. It just seems like DPW is your real problem, and that your alderman is the important piece.

Nathaniel Holton 351 days ago