This past summer, all Milwaukee County Transit System buses were equipped with bike racks. Each rack holds two bikes and is located on the front of the bus.
This is great news for Mike Schmidt, an engineer who lives in Riverwest and works Downtown.
"I always took the bus to work, but then came home, changed and went out on my bike," says Schmidt. "Now, I can change at work and go riding right after work. It’s great to already be Downtown, with my bike."
Use of the bike racks are included in the cost of bus fare. For a person 12 or older, the fare is $2. Children 6-11 are $1 and anyone under 6 is free, but must be accompanied by someone at least 12. Adult 10-packs are available for $16.50.
The bike rack installation process started on June 4, 2009, and 470 racks were installed during the course of the summer. The cost to install the bikes was $650,000, most of which was paid for by a federal grant.
The racks are common in many cities in the United States such as Chicago and Minnepolis. Twelve other cities in Wisconsin have bike racks on buses, including Sheboygan, Green Bay and Madison.
Riders who use the racks need to remember a few safety tips, most importantly to tell the driver they are loading or unloading a bike from the rack. The driver may not be able to see the biker mount or dismount his or her bike -- for some drivers the front of the bus has blind spots -- so it is crucial that there’s communication.
Before putting a bike on a bus rack, remove any items attached to the bike, such as water bottles, pouches, bike locks, etc. It's not possible to lock the bike to the rack, but the front wheel and frame can be locked together.
And like all property on the bus, the Milwaukee County Transit System does not assume liability for damage or injury occurred to bikes, personal property or riders.
Because the racks accommodate only two bikes at a time, they are first-come, first-serve, and bikes are not permitted inside the bus if the rack is full. The racks support bikes that have at least a 16-inch wheel frame, and cannot accommodate tandem bikes, three-wheeled bikes or recumbent bikes.
Using the rack is easy. Squeeze the release handle (this is an obvious feature) and lower the rack. Then, lift the bike onto the rack and fit the wheels into the slots. Then, to claim the bike, lower the handle, take the bike and raise the rack.
The Milwaukee County Transit System suggests a variety of destinations for bike riders that are accessible via the bus, such as Grant Park (Route 15), Hank Aaron State Trail (Route 80), Greenfield Park (Routes 18, 53), Brown Deer Park (Route 12), Underwood Creek Parkway (Route 10), Hoyt Park (Routes 21, 31), Crystal Ridge (Route 76) and Lake Shore Park (Routes 12, 14 23 and 31.)
"It’s another green effort in Milwaukee," says Schmidt. "And it’s more convenient than I thought it would be."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
