Milwaukee County Residents Invited to Weigh in on 30th Street Corridor Proposed Trail Route
(Milwaukee) – The Milwaukee County Department of Transportation and its consultant, SmithGroup, have developed a proposed bicycle and pedestrian trail route that could connect Havenwoods State Forest to the Hank Aaron State Trail along the 30th Street Corridor. Community members are invited to provide input on the proposed trail route through the end of August at county.milwaukee.gov/30th-St-Trail-Study.
The proposed trail route was created after receiving public input on three alternative trail concepts that were presented to the public in April. It includes a combination of rail-with-trail segments, connections to parks, rivers, green spaces, regional bike trails, and plenty of access points to and from neighborhoods along the corridor. The route was developed as part of the 30th Street Corridor Trail Feasibility Study, which aims to evaluate options to connect Milwaukee’s west and northwest side neighborhoods to the local trail network.
“Community feedback continues to be key to the 30th Street Corridor Feasibility Study,” said Milwaukee County Department of Transportation Director Joe Lamers. “We have used public input in each stage of this project, and now that a proposed trail route has been developed, we want to ensure community voices continue to inform the study.”
Public feedback will be used to refine the proposed trail route before preliminary construction documents are developed. The study will be completed in 2027. Future phases of final design and construction of trail segments will depend on jurisdictional oversight and authority, approval by landowners and permitting agencies, and the ability to obtain funding.
“The excitement and engagement we witnessed during public information meetings reaffirms that the proposed 30th Street Trail route is about much more than creating a path for walking and biking,” said Rev. Christopher Boston, 30th Street Equitable Development Project Team Facilitator. “It is fostering hope with pathways to opportunity. Residents are helping shape a vision that reconnects neighborhoods, expands access, and lays the foundation for equitable investment that reflects the aspirations of the communities that call this corridor home.”
Connecting the 30th Street Corridor
Residents on the west and northwest sides of Milwaukee have limited access to recreational trails. Providing trail access along the 30th Street Corridor has the potential to connect several regional trail systems to create an 18-mile Milwaukee Loop, including portions of the Hank Aaron State Trail, the Oak Leaf Trail and the Beerline Trail.
Community Engagement
The feasibility study has included three rounds of public engagement to ensure that the planning of the trail incorporates community priorities and needs. In addition to the current round of public engagement, public information meetings and surveys were hosted in February and April 2026. This information has been used to develop alternatives, evaluate alternatives, and create the proposed trail route.
About the 30th Street Corridor Trail Feasibility Study
The Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is facilitating the 30th Street Corridor Trail Feasibility Study through a Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant.
The study builds upon the City of Milwaukee’s Connecting the Corridor Near North Side Strategic Action Plan and Rails to Trails Conservancy’s 30th Street Corridor Shared-Use Trail Preliminary Study by partnering with leaders and organizations from the previous studies to provide input, experience, information, and data.
The feasibility study is anticipated to be completed in mid-2027. Future phases of design and construction of the trail will be dependent on the ability to obtain funding.
More information is available at county.milwaukee.gov/30th-St-Trail-Study.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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