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Committee approves Bubbler bike-share expansion: 165 new docks, 300 e-assist bikes under CMAQ grant
Summary
The Public Works Committee accepted a substitute and authorized procurement and construction funding for the Bubbler bike-share expansion: 165 additional docking units and 300 e-assist bicycles to densify and modernize the system using CMAQ funds.
MilwaukeeDepartment of Public Works presented a substitute and funding setup for an expansion of the Bubbler bike-share system. Mike Anston, DPW transportation planning manager, said the grant package (a CMAQ award) will provide 165 new docking units and 300 e-assist bicycles to expand and densify the system and to replace older equipment.
Anston described a shift from large fixed stations to flexible, smaller dock clusters that can be customized for utilization. He said the program aims to install clusters as small as four docks where appropriate while keeping larger stations in high-use locations.
"This grant provides 165 new docking stationsand 300 e-bikes," Anston told the committee, describing Bubbler 2 as a combination of the CMAQ award and a previously awarded TAP grant that will allow system reconfiguration and replacement of aging bikes.
Committee members asked about station sizing, utilization and how the system completes checkouts; staff confirmed the Bubbler model requires docking to end a trip (unlike free-floating scooters) and said the design seeks to avoid under- or over-sized stations. The committee accepted the substitute and adopted the resolution to set procurement and construction funding without objection.
What happens next: DPW will coordinate procurement and installation under the grant terms and adjust station sizing based on utilization data and neighborhood needs.
