The Milwaukee Department of Public Works has received more than 5,000 pothole reports this year, creating dangerous conditions and costly repairs for local cyclists.
The department prioritizes higher-speed and higher-volume streets, but also responds to requests in bike lanes. However, response times are currently longer due to the high volume of requests.
For cyclists like Ammar Nsoroma, riding down streets like 16th and Lloyd can be risky.
"I have to navigate around the potholes and at the same time, I’m watching for oncoming traffic," Nsoroma said.
If cyclists cannot avoid the divots, it can mean damage to their bicycles.
"It’s possible it could give you a flat or bend your spokes in your rim or just bend your rims in general," Nsoroma said.
That damage often ends up at local repair shops like Ben's Cycle.
"A customer dropped off their wheel because they hit a pothole, and their wheel is toast, sadly," Alex Zacher said.
Zacher noted that what is a fairly minor issue for a car can end up being dangerous for a cyclist.
"Concussions or broken collarbones, people being hit by cars. The scope and scale of what can happen on a bike is fast," Zacher said.
To stay safe, Zacher recommends cyclists plan safer routes, practice bike handling skills, and carry a flat repair kit.
"I would like to ask people driving their cars to watch out for cyclists and make sure pedestrians can cross the street safely," Nsoroma said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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