Motorcycle Safety Classes at Southridge Mall Parking Lot

Gov. Scott Walker has designated May as Motorcycle Awareness and Safety Month in Wisconsin and Greendale is playing a part.

Last week the Board of Trustees approved a temporary use permit request by Jason Pettit and John Schaller of th House of Harley-Davidson for outdoor motorcycle safety training classes in the northeast parking lot of Southridge Mall.

Motorcycles are increasingly being used for basic transportation as well as recreation because of soaring gas prices. More than 491,000 Wisconsin residents have motorcycle licenses or permits and more than 333,000 motorcycles are registered in the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The classes are to run from May through October on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The classes will not require any additional construction done to the parking lot besides the painted lines on the lots which the students would follow in completing the riding exercises. The mall would be loosing an existing 252 parking spaces on that end.

The class will have 12 students and two instructors.

Trustees and residents expressed concern for noise levels of the motorcyles that might contribute to the already high noise levels of the construction of the senior complex.

Members of planning commission had the opportunity to see and hear a demonstration on April 13.

A resident living on the 5400 block of  Montgomery Drive said he was against it because he already hears the noise from the construction of the senior living complex being built behind the mall.

“I don’t need anymore noise,” the resident said. “We don’t need anymore in that neighborhood.  I’m very much against it.”

President John Hermes told the resident “the bikes were single cylinder bikes and very well muffled. The bikes will hardly ever get out of first gear.”

Another member of the community said he likes the idea, especially after he had witnessed a motorcycle accident. 

This year, the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program has expanded its courses and will offer comprehensive training for riders at all levels of experience from beginner to advanced. For information about rider training courses and locations, visit the WisDOT website.

"With the 2011 riding season now underway in Wisconsin, motorcycles are rapidly returning to our streets and highways," Greg Patzer, manager of the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program said. "To prevent crashes, motorists need to share the road and watch for motorcycles in traffic, especially at intersections and while making turns or lane changes.

"On average for the last five years, traffic crashes annually have killed nearly 100 motorcyclists and injured approximately 2,500. And most of these deaths and injuries could be prevented if motorists would share the road and motorcyclists were well trained and always rode within their limitations," Patzer concluded.