Kinnickinnic River Trail
The Kinnickinnic River Trail at East Washington Street, looking south
Length2.5 mi (4.0 km)
LocationMilwaukee, Wisconsin
EstablishedOctober 12, 2013
UseShared-use path
Maintained byCity of Milwaukee
WebsiteKK River Trail
Trail map

The Kinnickinnic River Trail (Spanish: Sendero del Río Kinnickinnic), or KK River Trail, is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) set of rail trails and bike lanes following the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1]

History

The trail was first proposed by then-mayor John Norquist in 1998 as a means for both commuting and recreation by bicycle, with an estimated five hundred users per day.[2] An organization involved in designing the trail stated that the trail would, for the first time, provide public access to much of the area around the Kinnickinnic River.[3]

In 2001, the City of Milwaukee purchased an abandoned railway for the trail.[3] In October 2006, a meeting soliciting ideas for the trail was held.[4] Construction was underway by June 2013.[5] On October 12, 2013, the trail was officially open.[6]

Following a 2020 grant, in 2022, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works began the design process for improving the connections among the off-street sections of the trail, the trail itself, and other nearby trails.[7] The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is separately planning a westward extension of the southern section of the trail from South 6th Street to South 16th Street,[8] and the northern end of the southern section is expected to be extended from East Lincoln Avenue to East Becher Street as part of the redevelopment of a former industrial site.[9]

Route

From its northern terminus at Water Street and Pittsburgh Avenue, connecting with an on-street portion of the Hank Aaron State Trail, the trail travels southeast along Water Street as an on-street bike lane, then bends southwest with the street south of Bruce Street. At National Avenue, after crossing a railway, the trail becomes a two-way cycle track bordering the eastern side of Water Street. After a westward street crossing at Washington Street, the trail turns south and becomes a rail trail. This off-street portion of the trail continues until Maple Street, where, after crossing Kinnickinnic Avenue, the trail once again becomes an on-street bike lane headed south on 1st Street. After a street crossing at Lincoln Avenue, the trail once again becomes off-street, curving westward with the Kinnickinnic River until terminating at 6th Street south of Cleveland Avenue, where it connects with an on-street portion of the Oak Leaf Trail Kinnickinnic Line.[10]

As of 2022, the northern section of the trail sees over 108,000 users per year, and the southern section sees over 21,000.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "KK River Trail". City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ Fauber, John (July 28, 1998). "Mayor proposes south side bike path". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 2. Retrieved November 18, 2023 – via NewsBank.
  3. 1 2 Enriquez, Darryl (June 14, 2009). "Proposed KK river trail gets public viewing". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ Lawrence, Julie (January 4, 2008). "Thoughts on the KK River Corridor Trail". OnMilwaukee. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ Garnick, Coral (June 12, 2013). "KK River Trail work connects busy city bike paths". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Crowe, Kevin (October 12, 2013). "New bike path addition excites south side Milwaukee neighborhood". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Jannene, Jeramey (September 27, 2022). "City Wants Feedback on KK River Trails". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ "6th to 16th Street Project". Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ Jannene, Jeramey (August 17, 2023). "Construction Could Start in 60 Days On Massive Bay View Project". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ OpenStreetMap contributors (April 28, 2023). "Kinnickinnic River Trail" (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Trail Counts". City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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