Lake Drive residents are tired of living in a construction zone. It’s been more than a year of frustrations about detours and noise as crews rebuild a 1-mile stretch of one of Milwaukee’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
The city, though, says the project is on schedule and its two-year timeline is not unusual. A joint effort between the Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, construction began on July 22, 2024, after the Republican National Convention. The work rebuilds the northernmost mile of Lake Drive in the city limits, from Newberry Boulevard to Edgewood Avenue and – a critical objection for some residents – adds protected bike lanes to the street.
While the project may feel drawn out to those living amongst the orange barrels, a two-year timeline is typical for a project of this scope, according to DPW spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd. It’s on schedule, set to complete at the end of construction season this fall.
The big bugaboo for the project has been the bike lanes, which protect cyclists with 8-inch tall, 6-inch wide concrete barriers on either side of the street. Protected bike lanes, Shepherd says, are becoming the norm in Milwaukee – but Lake Drive residents expressed frustration about reduced space for traffic and limited parking for guests, delivery drivers and utility workers.
Another gripe: The lanes are intended to make biking safer, but some Lake Drivers believe they’ll have the opposite effect. “If a car comes out of a driveway, bikers will have nowhere to go,” says Lake Drive resident Chris Hitler. “We were also told we could blow our leaves into the bike lane as part of fall cleanup, so if the lanes are filled with leaves, bikers will go back into the street and inhibit traffic.”
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The protected bike lanes, in addition to concrete barriers, include plastic posts, which residents feel is a stark contrast to the street’s historic feel. “It’s a cool thing to drive down, but it looks like North Avenue now,” says Lake Drive resident Joe Goode.
To fight the project, a faction of residents – including Goode and Hitler – formed a membership organization called Guardians of Historic North Lake Drive. The group sued the city in June 2024 but dropped the case after a county circuit judge moved the case to federal court. “It’s not about the road, it’s about good governance,” says Goode. “What bothers me as someone who pays a lot of money [in] property taxes, don’t you think you should listen to your constituents’ concerns?”
While residents still feel the city hasn’t considered its opinions about the street’s aesthetic, Shepherd says DPW has clearly communicated its plans to residents and considered data from parking and traffic studies along with resident feedback. The DPW also hosts regular public meetings about the project, and residents can check engage.Milwaukee.gov for a construction overview, designs and project timeline updates.
“We factor aesthetics in to preserve historic features along the roadway, but you have to balance that with safety,” she says. “We care about the residents who live on that street, but that’s a major street, and you have to consider the rest of the public who don’t live there.”
Not everyone in the construction zone is up in arms; some say they understand the disruptions are par for the course. “There’s no question that it’s a little inconvenient,” says Lake Drive resident Steve Chernof. “But it’s far better in my view to have a little inconvenience and get our infrastructure upgraded.”
