Already highly visible around the Milwaukee area, Bublr Bikes is about to get a whole lot bigger thanks to a multimillion-dollar investment.
A Federal Transportation Alternatives grant and match from the City of Milwaukee will bring $4.15 million to the nonprofit bikeshare system — the largest investment in its infrastructure to date.
"This investment of federal and local funds will increase access to affordable, reliable and sustainable transportation options throughout the city," Bublr Bikes executive director Laura Bolger said in a release.
"Bublr has worked with the City of Milwaukee to determine the locations of these new stations, strategically identifying areas that will help us to connect communities through biking. Today, we announce those plans and invite feedback from our neighbors to ensure the community has a voice in the process."
Those voices will be heard through the Bublr 2.0 feedback survey, which allows residents to have a say on the locations of the new bikeshare stations. The project will need plenty of ideas, too, because the upgrade will add 800 new docks to the system and 500 e-bikes. In the weeks ahead, yard signs will start to pop up at potential locations around the city with QR codes you can scan to provide even more feedback.
The city’s part in this ties back to its goal of developing 50 miles of protected bikeways by 2026. The new stations will aim to complement those lanes and help residents — especially those using existing mass-transit options — cover the final leg of their commute to home or work.
"Bikeshare is a great option for residents and visitors in Milwaukee, and I am so pleased Bublr is growing with this grant," Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in the release. "Increasingly, our city has wonderful transportation choices. Bublr Bikes is one of the best examples of that."
You can add your input to the survey by visiting Engage MKE and find more information about Bublr Bikes on the nonprofit’s website.
