The future of The Hop MKE is sparking some worry for Milwaukee cyclists. The Hop is about four months away and bike riders in the community say they have safety concerns with the tracks.
Amanda Pozorski says her back tire slipped and caught in The Hop tracks near Ogden Ave when she was riding home from Jazz in the Park in June.
"The next thing I know I was sliding out and had an accident," she said.
Pozorski dislocated a joint in her thumb, a ligament detached and she scraped her knee.
"I was a little embarrassed, to be honest after this happened and the more people I talk to the more I hear oh my friend went through this, or my friend had an accident too," Pozorski said.
Tristan Klein, co-owner of Coast In Bikes says he even had to sell a bike with wider tires because a customer was nervous about riding his bike with skinnier tires on the track.
“Lots, I get people that come in all the time to tell me they've fallen on the tracks," Klein said.
Mayor Tom Barrett understands and says this is a matter of education for cyclists.
"Clearly bike safety is a major issue when it comes to the streetcar and I think it's an education process and people are going to have to learn, you don't want to be riding parallel to the track and try to sort of scoot over that way," Barrett said.
Pozorski says this won't stop her from riding after she fully heals.
"No, lifelong rider, I may just avoid them all together on my bike," she said,
The biking community is hoping that alternative routes will be offered so that there will be no more issues in the future.
