Milwaukee Vying For Grants For Trail Extensions, Traffic Safety Projects

Powerline Trail preferred route map. Image from 2025 South Powerline Trail study.

Milwaukee is seeking federal funding for five projects in the latest Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding round, which covers a funding period from 2026 through 2028.

“We’ve been successful in the past decade or so getting funding for reckless driving mitigation projects, street redesign projects, pedestrian safety projects, pedestrian improvements at transit stops, bicycle projects, trail projects, planning projects, you name it,” said Department of Public Works Multimodal Planning Manager Michael Amsden to the Public Works Committee on Dec. 3.

The five projects City Engineer Kevin Muhs intends to apply for are traffic safety projects on Holton and Burleigh streets, a 1.85-mile north-south extension of the Powerline Trail and W. Cleveland Avenue, which would eventually link with the between the Hank Aaron State Trail, through the city’s Far West Side, West Allis and Greenfield, a safe routes to transit project along N. Teutonia Avenue and the planned “Gateway to Milwaukee” Powerline Trail segment between S. Iowa Avenue and S. 6th Street in Milwaukee and St. Francis.

The latest projects have a combined cost of $10.5 million. TAP funding would cover 80% of the cost.

“We likely would not get all five,” said Amsden.

Prior TAP grants paid for a study of the Powerline Trail extensions, with several segments identified as feasible to extend the trail from Lake Michigan to the Hale Interchange and north to the Hank Aaron State Trail.

The city does not need to convince the federal government of the merits of the various projects. The program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation using federal formula funding.

“I am really glad to see the administration is on board with these transportation alternatives. Let’s keep this going,” said Ald. Alex Brower.

The committee unanimously endorsed the grant application.

Even if the city does not get all five projects in the initial funding round, it could pick up the funding from other programs or an auxiliary funding round. Wisconsin often benefits from an “August redistribution” process where unspent funding is reallocated to other states.

The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County have both advanced several projects using TAP funding.  Recent awards for the city include $14.7 million to build a riverwalk segment in the Harbor District; $3.3 million to expand Bublr Bikes; $1 million to build the 20th Street-North Powerline Trail; and $850,000 for traffic safety improvements on W. Oklahoma Avenue. The county secured $700,000 to study building a trail in the 30th Street Corridor; $1.3 million to build a new Oak Leaf Trail access point and make related repairs; and $2 million to rebuild a bridge in Lake Park.

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