The City of Milwaukee is planning a major redesign for an eight-block stretch of North Water Street downtown, hoping to decrease traffic accidents and enhance the pedestrian experience through the Water Street entertainment and nightlife district.
The project would include the portion of Water Street between Kilbourn Avenue and Pleasant Street, which is where the Fresh Thyme Market store is.
Currently the street has two lanes for car traffic in each direction, plus two parking lanes, two unprotected bike lanes, a landscaped median and 10-foot sidewalks.
The city’s Department of Public Works has proposed three redesign options, all of which include reducing the number of lanes dedicated solely to car traffic and increase the space dedicated to transit, bicycles and pedestrians.
Design option no. 1:
- Reduce traffic lanes to one in each direction with left turning lanes at some intersections
- Designate one bus lane in each direction to the right of car traffic
- Provide one lane of parking on each side of the road
- Add 6-foot protected bike lanes in each direction
- Nearly double sidewalk width to 19 feet
Design option no. 2:
- Reduce traffic lanes to one in each direction with left turning lanes at some intersections
- Designate one bus lane in each direction in the center of the road
- One parking lane on each side of the road
- Add 5-foot protected bike lanes in each direction
- Widen the sidewalks to 14 feet
- Add a 14-foot landscaped median
Design option no. 3:
- Reduce traffic lanes to one in each direction with left turning lanes at some intersections
- One parking lane on each side of the road
- Add an 8-foot median sidewalk on each side of the road to separate bus lanes from other traffic
- Widen sidewalks to 15 feet
There were 341 car crashes along the corridor between 2018 and 2023, according to city data, two of which were fatal. That’s higher than other similar roads in the city, the city says, and pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly vulnerable on this stretch of road, placing the road on the city’s list of bicyclist and pedestrian high injury networks.
All redesign options would reduce traffic lanes from 12 feet to 11 feet, which can help reduce speeding. North Water Street has a posted speed limit of 30 mph, though more than 50% of drivers drive above 30 mph and more than 20% drive above 40 mph.
This corridor typically handles about 17,800 vehicles per day. Two-lane streets (one lane in each direction) can typically handle 18,000 to 20,000 vehicles, the city says.
The project was included in the city’s downtown 2040 plan.
The city is currently in the public engagement and design development phase of the project, with the first public meeting held Thursday, which was attended by hundreds of people, many of whom expressed concerns about reckless driving and lack of protections for bicyclists on the corridor.
Two more meetings are scheduled to be held in November and December before selecting a preferred alternative this winter, according to city documents.
There is no estimated construction start and a funding source is yet to be identified.
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