City of Milwaukee North Avenue, East Side Streetscape and Vision Zero

GRAEF + TKWA created a conceptual streetscape design for the North Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) and the City of Milwaukee with the goal of implementing vision zero. The project spanned from the Milwaukee River east along East North Avenue to North Lake Drive and Lake Michigan. The plan recommends creative solutions to emphasize the street as a safe place for all to live, work, and visit. The recommendations are broken into interim and long-term solutions and are aligned with the City’s Pedestrian Plan.

North Avenue is recognized as one of the Top 10 Crash Hot Spots and Top 10 Most Dangerous Corridors on the Pedestrian High Injury Network in the 2019 City of Milwaukee Pedestrian Plan. Safety improvements were paramount to the visioning process, with key attention paid to shortening pedestrian crossings and making safer, protected connections for cyclists to access the two Oak Leaf Trail bike ramps onto North Avenue. Partial pedestrianization of streets, managed streets, and parking improvements were all included in the vision. The recommendations were broken into two parts: Interim and Long Term improvements. The Interim recommendations were designed in such a way as to avoid curb reconstruction so they may be implemented within one year, while the Long Term vision includes recommendations for breaking ground as funds become available and the results of the pilot improvements are determined.

GRAEF is continuing to work with the BID and the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works and Department of City Development to implement the recommendations of the streetscape design as funds become available. As the City implements the design, GRAEF is providing materials to support community engagement and outreach to set up the City and local officials for success moving forward.