Kegel-Alpha MTB Trails Improvements Under Attack Again!

UPDATE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17th.

This item passed 17-0. It was taken together with the balance of the committee report meaning it was not called out for separate action or discussed.
https://milwaukeecounty.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=807342&GUID=6927F77B-448F-47A1-9C14-428177EC169A

Thank you to everyone along the way who reached out to their County Supervisors to voice their support for biking in Milwaukee County Parks! And we suggest if you want to stay involved go ahead and volunteer with Metro Mountain Bikers!

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In March, work on rerouting the Kegel-Alpha MTB Trails, to prevent erosion and protect high value plant colonies, was halted because of a citizen complaint. This complaint prompted a County Supervisor to draft File 21-207 which would subject all trail building to the review of the County Board of Supervisors, possibly put a moratorium on mountain biking at Kegel-Alpha, and impose other restrictions. 

On April 23, 2021, the County Board voted 10-8 against the resolution. Last week, Peter Bratt, Director of Skilled Trades and Operations, presented a new plan aimed at rerouting the trail so that it comes no closer to residents’ homes than the current trail.  The Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture voted to again bring plans for the Kegel Alpha Trail to the full County Board in response to further resident complaints.

It is clear that these stall tactics are meant to further delay, and potentially prevent, improvements and access to these valued mountain bike trails.

Many Milwaukee County Residents wrote to their Supervisors, and spoke at the County Board meeting, but now we need your help again!  Please reach out to your County Board Supervisor and insist they abide by the fair vote on April 23rd and allow work to continue on the Kegel Alpha Trail!

The matter will be brought before the County Board again on Thursday, December 16th at 9:30 AM.  The agenda is still unavailable online, and no public testimony will be heard, so we need you to contact members of the County Board of Supervisors TODAY!

You can find your Supervisor’s contact info here https://www.findyourcountysupervisor.com/search.aspx

Here is a sample letter:

Dear (Supervisor Name):

I am writing, once again, in support of the Multi-Use Improvement plan developed by Milwaukee County Parks in collaboration with the trained, ecological trail building experts at Milwaukee Metro Mountain Bikers (MMMB) within Mangan Woods, aka the Kegel/Alpha Trail. The plan is called KA 2.0.

The trial plan will re-route users away from wet areas of hiking and mountain biking trails. Ultimately, all users will be able to use the tails more often, in a safer, more ecologically friendly manner by limiting weather related trail closures. 

The plan, to be implemented by volunteers, calls for a multi-use lap, including hiking and mountain biking, that does not rely on the wet riverside line. This plan has been vetted by the trained staff at Parks including the natural areas team and the trails coordinator. The revised KA 2.0 plan now stays at least 130′ from existing homes (the same as current trails), in response to past concerns of the original plan. 

My understanding is that the full County Board of Supervisors will review this request for ultimate sign-off this Thursday. Supervisor Tony Staskunas, who represents the area, supports this new plan.

I hope that you, too, will support this plan and avoid delaying the trail work that is ready to begin as early as Saturday. Hundreds, if not thousands, of MMMB volunteer hours will be spent improving this Parks property for all users over the next many months. MMMB has a 25-year history of providing safe and fun access to hiking and mountain biking trails throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties.  Many of the same volunteers have spent nearly 500 hours this fall improving Wauwatosa trails.

Please support this plan.  Further delay could mean reallocation of volunteer resources to other counties that may not be available in the future. This an easy, value-add to our community.