Bicyclists across the community could soon have even more access to bike trails in the city.
City of Kenosha awarded $5.5M grant to extend bike trail
The City of Kenosha was awarded a $5.5 million R.A.I.S.E grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2023. State Senator Tammy Baldwin also wrote a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation to help fund the bike trail project in Kenosha.
However, the bike trail project was momentarily delayed when the Trump administration put a pause on federal grants. Recently the U.S. DOT reached out to the city regarding the project.
The city is currently waiting on final approval from the Federal Highway Administration. Once the city receives approval from the FSWA, they will begin working on the extension of the bike trail.
The county’s bike trail that currently ends at 35th Street would be extended to the south towards 52nd near the Kenosha Innovation Center. The city will also be constructing two bridges to cross Washington Road and 52nd Street.
Tim Casey, the director of city development ,said the two bridges that will be constructed as part of the bike trail aim to address the high level of traffic on 52nd Street and Washington Road. The grant will be used to fund the construction of the two bridges and the trail extension.
The project is still in the early stages, according to City Administrator John Morrissey, but he said the city hopes to begin working on it this year. Jack Rose, the chairperson of the City Council Public Works Committee, said that the full project will likely take three years to complete.
The expansion of the bike trail comes years after the county passed a comprehensive bike trail plan aimed at improving the quality of life in Kenosha County. That plan aims to develop bicycle routes to link villages and towns within the county, along with a larger regional network. It was developed to increase the number of safe areas for people to bike.
The Kenosha County Area is currently considered to be “bronze level” in terms of bicycle riding friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists.
“The city’s extension of the existing county trail would enhance the connectivity of our trail system, tying the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood to Gateway Technical College, UW-Parkside, and many neighborhoods on the north side and in Somers,” County executive Samantha Kerkman said.
“It would also link closely to our new Human Services Building on 52nd Street, which is only about six blocks west of the trail. I appreciate the city’s work on this project,” she said.
Read more at the Kenosha News.