MILWAUKEE — As a part of Wisconsin Bike Week, the city of Milwaukee is asking for public feedback on some of its bike trails.
One of them is the Kinnickinnic River Trail. That trail has yet to be finished.
John DeLong has been cycling the trails in Milwaukee County since the 1980s. On this trip, he rode for 20 miles.
“It’s the perfect time to do it,” said DeLong. “The weather is pleasant. The sun is out and you gotta enjoy the Milwaukee summer while you have a chance.”
While biking the Kinnickinnic River Trail, he saw the Harbor District promoting the city’s plan to extend the trail. He decided to stop by and check it out.
DeLong said he likes the idea of the extension and hopes they are able to can find ways to make traveling through some intersections safer.
“The options and the safety has increased remarkably and now they are addressing some of the problems created by the hodgepodge patchwork way these trails have come together,” said DeLong.
Milwaukee Senior Transportation Planner Kate Riordan said the city is listening to bikers and hopes to present a final design of the new trail by winter. It includes linking two off-road segments of the Kinnickinnic River as well as better connecting it to other trails through neighborhoods and downtown.
Work on the project, funded by the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, could start as soon as next year.
“We want to create the bike infrastructure that is available to people of all ages and abilities like having more protected bike lanes,” said Riordan. “We think this is going to help achieve our goals around health and climate and a lot of other things to make our city a more vibrant, attractive place for people.”
For DeLong, cycling provides an experience that other modes of transportation can’t quite capture. He said he’d love to see more people experience the benefits.
“It’s an easy way to discover the city and get to new neighborhoods,” said DeLong. “It’s a baseline for being able to get anywhere in the county as a lot of these trails are and you can do a loop around the county still.”
He said he’s also looking forward to having that experience become more seamless when the Kinnickinnic River Trail extension becomes a reality.
The public can still provide feedback on the Kinnickinnic River Trail Extension, here.