I’ve said for quite a while that we need to find new and innovative ways to introduce people to South Milwaukee and let them know about all that South Milwaukee has to offer.
My contention is that when people learn more about our great city — and its safe streets, affordable housing, downtown opportunity good schools and great recreation opportunities — their perceptions of South Milwaukee will forever change.
So when you get the chance to bring thousands of visitors here, count me in.
That’s the opportunity we’re faced with this summer, as two large cycling events consider riding through South Milwaukee.
One, the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts, is a South Milwaukee regular. Its 25-mile route, the most popular of its five routes, winds through South Milwaukee every year, with an oasis stop in Grant Park. The Ride is looking to return again in 2010, bringing a couple thousand people into the park and onto the streets of our city on June 6.
An even bigger opportunity, however, is the International Cycling Classic. This is a series of more than two weeks of races in communities throughout southeastern Wisconsin, and they want to stop in South Milwaukee the next three years.
This will bring hundreds more bicyclists to our city, and, more importantly, the chance to hold a true city celebration built around cycling.
My vision is the Food, Folks and Spokes event held annually to coincide with the Kenosha stop. It’s a great family festival that is a true community event, all built around the Classic. Why not consider doing something similar in South Milwaukee?
Of course, neither event, the Cycling Classic specifically, comes free. For instance, there is a $15,000 annual “site fee” for the Classic, which is seeking to come to South Milwaukee on July 19. That money has to be found somewhere — ideally through sponsorships, and no city tax dollars.
The Miller Lite Ride and International Cycling Classic will be discussed at a joint meeting of the Public Works and Property and Finance committees at 6:15 p.m. on Monday. Click here for an agenda. I’ll keep you posted on what happens here.
South Milwaukee Blog 
I can’t wait for the Miller Lite ride, I’m hoping to try the 50 mile (we’ll c) version this year. I did the 25 through South Milwaukee last year.
I hope these rides that come through SM contribute a hefty sum to our city coffers – and I’m not just talking about covering the cost of the police. It is absolutely obnoxious driving down N. Chicago / 10th and having to stop because the crossing guards, police, or auxiliaries won’t stop the bikers until there is a gap. It’s one thing to have security there to make sure the bikers in the road can finish getting across without getting run over. It’s quite another when traffic is stopped while the bikers come up the parkway and enter the intersection and traffic has to wait. Note that there is a stop sign in the parkway NOT on North Chicago.
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This is fantastic that the International Cycling event will be coming to the Southside. The Cudahy CDA has already approved this event coming to Cudahy. Details are still being worked about, but last I heard, they were looking at July 19 or July 26 dates. Tina Dondejeski is working with the Southshore Cyclery as well as the city of Cudahy to host this.
Could there be an opportunity for all the Southside cities to work together on a multi-day event to really make a large impact, if they aren’t already? It seems in the past that there are so many great events on the southside, but the organization of them has been so fragmented as there are a number of smaller groups coordinating many events. It would be great to pool everyone’s time, efforts and funds together to work on a handful of events that really make a large, powerful impact for business and residential development and awareness of all the phenomenal features the southside has to offer, such as the beautiful span of lakefront parks from South Milwaukee through Cudahy to St. Francis, instead of the what seems to be the predominant perception to Southside outsiders of a few main, dirty streets lined with bars.
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