In San Francisco, thousands of people bike or walk across the Golden Gate Bridge every day and enjoy spectacular urban and ocean views. In New York City, the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge provides pedestrians and bikers alike breathtaking views of one of the world's greatest cities.

And now in Milwaukee, momentum is building to create a lane for bikers, runners and walkers on the Hoan Bridge.

Take a moment to imagine biking or walking across the Hoan Bridge. As you would cross the bridge, which spans the city's harbor, you would be treated to fantastic vistas of the cityscape on one side and the Calatrava art museum and lakefront on the other.

And, of course, beyond providing access to a scenic outlook, a Hoan Bridge bike path would also be practical. People living in Bay View could use the path as a convenient way to commute to work downtown. Other bikers would appreciate the fact that a Hoan Bridge bike path would complete a 13-mile multiuse lakefront trail network from Lake Park to Grant Park, with links to Summerfest, the Hank Aaron bike trail, the Oak Leaf citywide trail and the Lakeshore State Park.

What makes the prospect of a Hoan Bridge bike path particularly exciting is that there's already money set aside for it. In 1991, about $1.5 million in federal transportation funds was earmarked to help build a bicycle trail that would link Bay View to downtown Milwaukee. The money came with the condition that local matching funds would be contributed.

The state Department of Transportation already has a plan for the path. Among the group pushing for the path are the Bay View Bicycle Club, the Cream City Bicycle Club, the City of Milwaukee Bicycle Task Force and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Businesses in the Historic Third Ward and elsewhere downtown have lent their names in support.

The path on the Hoan Bridge would be safe - safer even than a city street -because a concrete barrier would separate cars from pedestrians and bikers. The path would not add to traffic congestion. Traffic on the Hoan is rarely congested now, and, according to WisDOT traffic projections, the bike lane would not cause any noticeable increase in traffic. People worried about traffic problems should consider the examples of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, both of which easily accommodate much more car and bike and pedestrian traffic than the Hoan Bridge would.

If you're like me and you want to push Milwaukee to become a world-class city for biking by building the Hoan Bridge bike path, then I urge you to attend a public meeting from 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 22 at the South Shore Park Pavilion, 2900 S. Shore Drive, Milwaukee (WisDOT presentation at 7 p.m.). The meeting, conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, will outline bike path options, including the Hoan Bridge option, and invite comment from the public. Help me build public support for the bike path.

Let's push Milwaukee to become a world-class city for bikers and pedestrians. We've got a beautiful urban and natural environment here. Building the Hoan Bridge bike path will do a great deal to enhance the beauty and accessibility of Milwaukee's treasures.

State Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes portions of Bay View. He can be reached at his office, 888-534-0019.

In San Francisco, thousands of people bike or walk across the Golden Gate Bridge every day and enjoy spectacular urban and ocean views. In New York City, the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge provides pedestrians and bikers alike breathtaking views of one of the world's greatest cities.

And now in Milwaukee, momentum is building to create a lane for bikers, runners and walkers on the Hoan Bridge.

Take a moment to imagine biking or walking across the Hoan Bridge. As you would cross the bridge, which spans the city's harbor, you would be treated to fantastic vistas of the cityscape on one side and the Calatrava art museum and lakefront on the other.

And, of course, beyond providing access to a scenic outlook, a Hoan Bridge bike path would also be practical. People living in Bay View could use the path as a convenient way to commute to work downtown. Other bikers would appreciate the fact that a Hoan Bridge bike path would complete a 13-mile multiuse lakefront trail network from Lake Park to Grant Park, with links to Summerfest, the Hank Aaron bike trail, the Oak Leaf citywide trail and the Lakeshore State Park.

What makes the prospect of a Hoan Bridge bike path particularly exciting is that there's already money set aside for it. In 1991, about $1.5 million in federal transportation funds was earmarked to help build a bicycle trail that would link Bay View to downtown Milwaukee. The money came with the condition that local matching funds would be contributed.

The state Department of Transportation already has a plan for the path. Among the group pushing for the path are the Bay View Bicycle Club, the Cream City Bicycle Club, the City of Milwaukee Bicycle Task Force and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Businesses in the Historic Third Ward and elsewhere downtown have lent their names in support.

The path on the Hoan Bridge would be safe - safer even than a city street -because a concrete barrier would separate cars from pedestrians and bikers. The path would not add to traffic congestion. Traffic on the Hoan is rarely congested now, and, according to WisDOT traffic projections, the bike lane would not cause any noticeable increase in traffic. People worried about traffic problems should consider the examples of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, both of which easily accommodate much more car and bike and pedestrian traffic than the Hoan Bridge would.

If you're like me and you want to push Milwaukee to become a world-class city for biking by building the Hoan Bridge bike path, then I urge you to attend a public meeting from 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 22 at the South Shore Park Pavilion, 2900 S. Shore Drive, Milwaukee (WisDOT presentation at 7 p.m.). The meeting, conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, will outline bike path options, including the Hoan Bridge option, and invite comment from the public. Help me build public support for the bike path.

Let's push Milwaukee to become a world-class city for bikers and pedestrians. We've got a beautiful urban and natural environment here. Building the Hoan Bridge bike path will do a great deal to enhance the beauty and accessibility of Milwaukee's treasures.


*State Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes portions of Bay View. He can be reached at his office, 888-534-0019.