Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rail With Trail topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Milwaukee County launches 30th Street rail-with-trail feasibility study funded by WisDOT grant
Summary
Milwaukee County Department of Transportation briefed the transit committee on a feasibility study to evaluate a 6.7-mile shared bicycle and pedestrian path along the 30th Street rail corridor, funded by a WisDOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant and including public engagement and coordination with private rail owners.
Milwaukee County officials on the Committee on Transit and Transportation presented an informational briefing on a feasibility study for a proposed 6.7-mile shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path along the 30th Street rail corridor on the city’s north side.
The study, led by Milwaukee County Department of Transportation staff with SmithGroup as the prime consultant, is funded by a Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Transportation Alternatives Program grant of roughly $700,000 and will investigate options for a trail from the Havenwoods State Forest area south to the vicinity of American Family Field.
County transportation planner Danny Park told the committee the corridor is largely owned by private freight rail companies, including Wisconsin & Southern (WATCO) and Canadian Pacific (CP). The corridor includes a mix of at‑grade and below‑grade segments, single‑tracked sections and numerous bridges, and the study will include coordination with the rail owners, analysis of soil and stormwater impacts, and alternatives if a trail on the rail right‑of‑way proves infeasible.
Consultant Cassie Goodwin of SmithGroup described a public engagement schedule that the team has scoped to include up to five public meetings, an eight‑member public advisory committee, and eight technical advisory committee meetings with agency and technical stakeholders. The consultant team will also work with an existing neighborhood coalition on the north side and a community liaison who grew up in the area to help reach residents and businesses.
The study timeline presented to the committee shows the county released an RFP in December, interviewed consultants in March and issued an award to SmithGroup in April 2025. The county said it expected to begin contract negotiations and hold a project kickoff in May 2025, present updates to the committee and county board in 2026, and complete the feasibility study by fall or winter 2026.
Supervisor Martinez asked about the project budget; Park confirmed the WisDOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant for the study is roughly $700,000. Park and the consultants emphasized safety as a primary consideration, including setbacks and potential physical barriers between any trail users and active freight tracks.
The committee voted 5‑0 to receive the informational item and place it on file.
The briefing materials note constraints the team must address: the corridor’s ownership by freight railroads, bridge and grade variations, single‑track sections, and the heavy freight activity near the Muskegon yard and other rail yards along the route. The study will also evaluate on‑street alternatives where a trail beside the rail line is not feasible.
Staff said further public engagement and technical work will inform whether a trail next to the rail line is feasible and, if not, what on‑street routing or other alternatives could achieve the project goals.
