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Missoula outlines easement purchase to widen Milwaukee Trail and improve Clark Fork access
Summary
Parks staff briefed the council on acquiring an easement to widen the Milwaukee Trail from roughly 10 feet to 14–18 feet, citing regional trail standards and the trail's role in the Great American Rail Trail; staff estimated preliminary easement costs and emphasized safety benefits.
Parks and open-space staff told the Jan. 9 meeting the city holds an existing conservation easement on riverfront property and is pursuing additional easement rights to relocate and widen the Milwaukee Trail as part of Clark Fork River restoration work.
Nathan McLeod, identified in the transcript as Parks & Rec open space director, said the trail currently is about 10 feet wide on that property and does not meet the department’s adopted standards. "The Milwaukee Trail runs through this easement and is part of the city's active transportation network," staff said. The city classifies the trail as a regional route and said the preferred width range is 14 to 18 feet to support commuter and recreational traffic.
Staff described the work as part of riverbank improvements and erosion mitigation near downtown. The project would move the trail further from the riverbank to provide more space for safe egress and recreation. The presentation cited the trail's high seasonal use—comparable on busy summer days to major local streets near the university—and framed the easement as a way to increase city control of the riverfront corridor.
McLeod told the program the city is budgeting for easement costs (staff gave a rough magnitude during the presentation) and indicated the work will improve multiuse access within the broader Great American Rail Trail corridor that runs coast-to-coast.
The transcript records staff describing the design standard and the rationale but does not record a final land-transaction approval in that session. Staff asked listeners to consult project materials on EngageMissoula for maps and further details.
