MILWAUKEE — This week is Wisconsin Bike Week, a way to promote exercise and community.
While the roads and interstates across Milwaukee may see backups due to incidents and construction, the trails across the city are open and clear.
Taking the family out to get some fresh air is one of the reasons why Phillip Warren and his son were out on the trail on Tuesday. Warren said they bike every other day when the weather permits.
"It gets out of traffic. It’s better for the environment, better for health, and it makes us feel better," said Warren.
Carolyn Morse also bikes for exercise using her adaptive recumbent bike.
"For me, the recumbent is the most comfortable that I can be. Walking is a little difficult for me and biking on a regular bike is not that comfortable, but this one is," said Morse.
On her long rides, she travels about 13 miles from her home as a way to uplift her mood.
"I have a circuit that goes through Estabrook Park," said Morse.
If you’re biking on the city roads, chances are you’ll run into construction.
There are projects on Locust Street, West Hampton Avenue, Howard Ave, Lake Drive, and Van Buren, just to name a few. Jake Newborn from the Wisconsin Bike Fed says, for those traveling on city streets, consider roads that have already undergone traffic calming measures, like Walnut Street, which now has new protected bike lanes.
"Going east to west taking Walnut or Highland is a great bike route....but streets all over the city are being made better with traffic calming efforts," said Newborn.
If you are looking to travel north to south, the Oak Leaf Trail has 135 miles of trails. The Hank Aaron Trail runs east to west from Elm Grove over to the lakefront. Newborn said utilizing the roads and trail systems is a great way to get around the city, especially with the warmer temps.
"When 30% of our residents don't have access to cars, it's something we want to encourage people to do as an option," said Newborn.
While biking for your commute might take a little bit of extra time and planning, locals say at the end of the day, it’s worth it.
On Thursday is the Milwaukee Mayor's Bike Ride at 8:30 a.m.
To view more events, click here.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
