Oak Leaf Trail Access Ramp to UWM

A new trail access ramp in the vicinity of Kenwood Avenue will provide a much safer and direct connection to the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the 150-mile Oak Leaf Trail (OLT) system. Both the neighborhood and the university have formally requested this project in plans and informally via emails to Parks for over 10 years. With high levels of support for biking from the campus and the community, now is a great time to invest in improving trail access to campus to see increases in ridership and safety:

• The OLT and UWM are only .25 miles apart as the crow flies; due to the trail being below grade, the biking/walking route to campus is on-street for .5 miles from the North or South, with a dangerous Locust Street crossing on the southern route.
• This ramp eliminates that dangerous crossing and provides a direct and safer .25-mile connection on a side street.
• Older adults have also requested this ramp so that they can walk on the trail, especially in winter, when the unofficial dirt paths become unsafe.
• The ramp will not be a switch-back but rather a straight run with a 5% grade across the slope.
• The ramp will extend from Kenwood Avenue southward to the Oak Leaf Trail.

Project Scope