Bicycle Parking Facilities; Permits.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 115-32.5
in effect115-32.5. Bicycle Parking Facilities; Permits.
1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to reduce safety hazards to pedestrians by setting aside sidewalk areas under certain conditions for the parking of bicycles, thereby separating the pedestrians from parked bicycles.
2. DEFINITIONS. a. A “bicycle locker” shall mean a lockable, enclosed storage compartment designed for the storage of a bicycle and bicycle-related gear.
b. A "bicycle parking facility" shall mean a bicycle rack, a bicycle parking stand or holder, a bicycle locker, a hitching post or a bicycle ring.
c. A "bicycle parking stand or holder" shall mean a device designed for individual use into which one or both of the bicycle wheels is/are fitted and secured either by a chain/cable and lock or a lock supplied by the bicycle owner.
d. A "bicycle rack" shall mean a frame of metal tubing generally designed as a unit for use by more than one bicycle, into which one of the bicycle's wheels is fitted and locked by a chain and lock supplied by the owner.
e. A "bicycle ring" shall mean one or more rings attached to a structure to which bicycles can be securely fastened.
f. A "hitching post" shall mean a free standing unit into which one or more bicycles can be attached by chains or ropes.
g. A "person" shall mean any individual, partnership, corporation, firm, group or association.
3. PERMIT REQUIRED. It shall be unlawful for any person to install a bicycle parking facility in the public way without having first secured a permit. No permit shall be required for installation of a bicycle parking facility by the department of public works.
4. PERMIT. a. Application. Applications for such a permit shall be made to the commissioner of public works on blanks furnished by the commissioner, and shall state thereon:
a-1. The name and permanent address of the person.
a-2. The address of the property adjacent to which the proposed bicycle parking facility will be installed.
a-3. A brief description of the proposed bicycle parking facility together with a scaled plan showing its proposed location in the public way shall be submitted.
a-4. Each person shall file a signed statement that he is the owner of the private property immediately adjacent to the proposed location of the bicycle parking facility and that he shall be fully responsible for maintaining it in good repair. If the person applying for the permit is not the owner, then an individual must be designated who will be responsible for maintaining the bicycle parking facility in good repair, and a consent form signed by the property owner immediately adjacent to the proposed parking facility stating that he approves its location shall also be submitted.
a-5. The person shall file with the commissioner of public works a certificate of insurance indicating that the person holds a public liability policy in the sum of at least $25,000 covering bodily injury to any one person and $50,000 covering bodily injury to more than one person in any one accident, and $10,000 covering property damage to any one owner in the area included within the permit, and naming the city of Milwaukee as an insured. The person shall also file with the commissioner of public works a bond of a surety company duly incorporated in the state of Wisconsin or duly licensed to do business in this state in such sum as the commissioner may require but not exceeding $10,000, such bond to be approved by the city attorney. Individual sureties shall not be deemed in compliance with this section. Both bond and insurance policy shall provide that they shall not be cancelled until after at least 30 days' notice in writing to the commissioner of public works.
a-6. Each applicant shall execute a signed statement that the information given is full and true and known to him to be so.
b. Issuance. b-1. The application for said permit shall be submitted by the commissioner of public works to the local alderman, the city engineer and the commissioner of neighborhood services for their review and comment.
b-2. The commissioner shall issue a permit to the applicant when all the requirements of this section have been complied with and upon the payment of a fee.
b-3. When the commissioner of public works determines that the permit should not be issued, the applicant shall have the right to appeal the decision in accordance with s. 115-41.
c. Fee. c-1. See s. 81-11 for the required permit fee.
c-2. The permit shall expire on the 30th day of June after the granting thereof, unless sooner revoked. The permit shall automatically renew upon payment of an annual fee and the filing of the location of all bicycle parking facilities relocated since the last renewal date.
d. Revocation. At any time that the permittee shall violate any of the conditions upon which said permit was issued, the commissioner of public works or his/her agent shall forthwith serve a written notice upon the permittee specifying the nature of the violation and ordering correction or removal within 30 days. Upon noncompliance with this order to correct a violation, the commissioner of public works shall notify the common council, which shall hold a public hearing thereon, after the permittee shall have had 10 days written notice of such hearing. Thereafter, for cause shown, the common council may revoke such permit and require the removal of the bicycle parking facility. If the common council revokes such permit and approves a new application for the same permittee during the same year, it shall be in the same manner and after payment of the same fee as provided for in the original issuance of a permit. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to limit the power of any enforcement officer in prosecuting violations of the code.
e. Display of Permit. The permit shall be displayed conspicuously upon the premises adjacent to the bicycle parking facility at all times.
5. REGULATIONS. a. The permittee shall maintain the bicycle parking facility in good repair and keep it in such condition that it does not become a hazard to pedestrians.
b. The permittee shall keep the sidewalk adjacent to his property free from obstructions to pedestrians by placing the bicycle parking facility so that a walk space not less than 6 feet wide shall at all times be kept open for pedestrians.
c. The bicycle parking facility shall be installed and maintained in the public way immediately adjacent to the permittee's property.
d. The permittee shall be fully liable for damages to persons or property by reason of the granting of said permit, and the city shall be held harmless of any damages arising with regard to bicycle parking facilities.
6. REMOVAL. a. If the bicycle parking facility becomes a hazard or an obstruction to pedestrians, the commissioner of public works shall order the permittee to repair or remove the bicycle parking facility in the public way or public place by a certain date, not less than 3 nor more than 30 days from the date of service of the order. If the permittee fails to comply with the order, it shall be the duty of the commissioner to immediately deliver a certified copy of the order to the chief of police together with the demand for compliance within not less than 3 and not more than 30 days after service of the order. The chief of police shall within 3 days after the receipt of the order, serve or cause to be served by a police officer a copy of said order upon the owner or person named in the order. After being notified of the order, the owner or his or her agent named in such order shall repair, remove, or cause to be removed, at his expense, the obstruction from the public way or public place within the time specified in the order. If the owner or his or her agent named in the order fails to comply with such order, the commissioner shall remove the obstruction and charge the cost of removal to the owner. If the charge becomes delinquent, the charge shall be placed on the tax roll and become a lien upon the property for payment, settlement and collection as provided in ch. 19 of the city charter. Work On Public Ways
b. The permittee shall temporarily or permanently remove, at his expense, a bicycle parking facility within a reasonable time after being ordered to do so by the city if the removal becomes necessary or appropriate to the accomplishment of any public improvement or to the operations of any city forces. If the permittee fails to do so within a reasonable time, city forces shall do so and bill the permittee for the cost of removal. Failure of the permittee to pay the bill shall cause the delinquent charge to be levied as a special charge against the property and to be placed on the tax roll and become a lien upon the property for payment, settlement and collection as provided in ch. 19 of the city charter.
7. PENALTY. Any person who shall violate this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $250 for each violation, and upon default of payment thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for a period of not more than 60 days. Where the violation consists of failing to do a required act, each day shall be regarded as a separate offense.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH115.pdf#page=16Fetched: 10/26/2026