Active Streets - Lincoln Creek & Little Menomonee Parkways

In partnership with local organizations and the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Parks closed Lincoln Creek & Little Menomonee Parkways sections to motor vehicle traffic and opened them up for people to walk, bike, and roll on. Concrete barricades were placed at each end of each Active Street.

Program Goals

• Build support for trail conversion projects at Lincoln Creek Parkway and Little Menomonee Parkway
• Slow motorists to create space for people to walk, bike, and be active
• Connect residents with community organizations
• Improve health outcomes for residents through increased physical activity
• Address reckless driving on neighborhood streets
• Respond quickly to traffic safety concerns using low-cost infrastructure

Active Streets locations

• Lincoln Creek Parkway from N 23rd St to N 27th St (.3 miles)
  • Starting Thursday, June 8th
• Little Menomonee River Parkway from W. Mill Rd. to W. Appleton Ave. (.8 miles)
  • Starting Thursday, June 15th

Why were these locations selected for Active Streets and trail conversion?

These segments of the parkway were identified because they do not directly connect people driving to assets, the street network provides alternatives, reckless driving is an issue for park users and staff safety, dumping of trash is prevalent, and the Oak Leaf Trail is routed on these parkways.

This project aligns with Milwaukee County's goal to become the healthiest county in Wisconsin by achieving racial equity by bridging the gap regarding health disparities.

Milwaukee County Parks has funding for the design and construction of the trail conversion in 2024.

Timeline

Planning and Intake: January 2023 - April 2023
Community Engagement: May 2023 - August 2023
Design: August 2023 - November 2023
Procurement: January 2024 - February 2024
Construction: January 2024 - September 2024
Closeout: September 2024 - December 2024

Outreach Update

Between June 6th and June 8th, Parks Engagement staff knocked on 148 doors in the Lincoln Creek Project area to inform neighbors about the Active Streets road closure and proposed trail conversion as well as gauge their general feeling towards the project. See the map below to see which homes were visited.

Of the 148 homes visited, staff had conversations with 66 (44.5%) people. Of those 66 people, 46 expressed positive sentiment towards the project, 17 were neutral or didn't care, and 3 were opposed to the project. As of June 9th, the barricades have been installed at 23rd St. and 27th St. on Lincoln Creek Parkway. On June 15th barricades were installed at Little Menomonee Parkway between Appleton Ave. and Mill Rd. Motor vehicles cannot use these sections of the parkway, but people walking and biking are encouraged to take advantage of a car-free street. Staff visited the Little Menomonee Parkway neighbors in mid-July. Parks Engagement staff returned to the same homes near Lincoln Creek Parkway to once again gauge neighbors' support for the project. A few concerns about trucks parking outside of the barricades were brought up but neighbors were generally still in support.

Speed Data

During the first week of June, the Southeast Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) gathered count and speed data at both sites. At both sites, 90% of drivers were speeding. A few drivers were going over 70 mph, the upper limit of what the devices can capture. See the attached documents in the sidebar to the right for detailed data.