Jerrod Van Oudenhoven

Day, GEO 650

6/25/11

Oak Leaf Trail Fieldwork

For Geography 650: Fieldwork, UW-Milwaukee teamed with the Milwaukee County Parks

Department to analyze the Oak Leaf Trail. Our supervisor, Ramsey Radakavich, divided the county into

four quadrants to organize small groups of research teams. Our group of four selected the Northeast

quadrant, where the trail runs from Brown Deer Park to Interstate 94. We were then asked to formulate

a schedule for each week in which we detail our areas of interest, and provide observations, public

opinions, and recommendations. Besides the Parks Department’s survey which asked important

questions like “What would increase your use of the trail”, little guidance was given. I feel this was

intentional and important to implement the skills and knowledge we have gained in our schooling.

When our group left the orientation, we were a little confused as to where to get started. In the end, we

decided the most efficient way to organize our data was to divide the trail into three, one week

segments of study. Week one being from Brown Deer to Lincoln Park, week two from Estabrook Park to

North, and the final week was spent analyzing the Lakefront. Each area was unique in their own way

which required us to use various methods of research.

Brown Deer Park

The first two days of our research were spent examining the area near Brown Deer Park. We

began by observing the park itself, such as trail incorporation, amenities, and facilities. Since this was the

largest park we covered, a lot of time was spent gathering walking observations, photographing, and

counting users. As you can see from the street view, the trail runs directly through the park. We noticed

there was no bike path, so the road was

considered part of the trail. The

conditions of the roads in Brown Deer

Park are deteriorating, leaving potholes,

large depressions, and astray, asphalt

chunks. These are not ideal riding

conditions for bikers, which is why we

recorded little biking activity at this park.

Our group surveyed a multi-generational family and found that the park used to be pristine, but over

time, neglect and funding has limited maintenance and the development of restroom facilities in the

area. They noted that besides the building near the pond, there were only a few portable restroom units

and no drinking fountains. In my opinion, these should be a park’s most important service to retain

occupancy. If you can’t offer a place to get a drink or go to the bathroom, people are going to have to

leave to do it. Overall, this was one of the few surveys we were able to collect at the park because there

were few trail users. The main reason people use the park is to go golfing so we decided to leave surveys

at the golf course. It took some time, but we were able to collect a few over the upcoming weeks. After

a few hours of walking we decided to take our research outside the park. As we left the boundaries we

came to municipal streets on each end. Both portions were considered part of the trail, but again had no

bike paths and limited signage. Many people we surveyed didn’t even know that they were utilizing the

trail. As you move west, traffic on the street picks up and leads into a small town. This can be dangerous

for trail users but also a way of commuting to nearby businesses. The roads were in good condition

though they were not biker friendly and were used mostly by automobiles. One thing we noticed about

the area in general is that it’s comprised mostly of single family homes. This could have been the reason

for the parks low occupancy. Many parents are working 9 to 5, the exact hours in which we were doing

our site observations. To collect more surveys, we decided to visit the local bike shop, Wheel and

Sprocket. The employees were all avid trail users and many good things to say about the trail in general.

In only fifteen minutes we collect a handful of surveys. One reoccurring recommendation was a

connection to other trails such as the Interurban Trail, which we all thought was a great idea. We knew

from then on that bike shops would be an easy way to collect feedback on the trail. After our time in the

Brown Deer Area, we followed the Oak Leaf Trail south to Kletzsch Park.

Kletzsch Park

After crossing a busy intersection, the trail continues to Kletzsch Park. Again, this was a park

with minimal activity and a limited amount of trail users. This could again be because of the single family

area. We decided the best research method was walking observations and distributing surveys on the

park bulletin board and at the municipal courthouse. One thing we noticed right away was the first signs

of a traditional paved bike trail. The trail was in good condition, though there were cracks in portions of

the concrete. When we approached the park bulletin board we noticed the first signs of community

involvement. “Friends of Kletzsch Park” is a monthly newsletter that highlights a schedule of special

events. This can include sledding in the winter, canoeing in the spring, or fishing in the summer. These

are the types of ideas that facilitate usage of the park as well as the trail. The park also has a popular

Water Trail which can be accessed using the Oak Leaf Trail. Here, we were able to survey some dog

walkers as well as nature enthusiasts. Because of its location near the river, we noticed many more

people fishing than biking and exercising, which is also important to note. I felt like our methods to

collect surveys were appropriate considering the low activity, but we still ended up with few in the area.

The municipal courthouse, I thought would be a great place to get feedback, but the employees seemed

reluctant and didn’t seem to care that we wanted to improve the area. Overall, the Oak Leaf Trail in this

area could have great potential compared to Brown Deer Park. The community is actively involved and

tries to schedule events to increase usage of the park. After passing Bender Rd. the trail runs adjacent to

another municipal road. This is another confusing area relative to the trail. When people think of the

notion of a trail, they don’t assume it is next to a road. This could be why many users in these two areas

do not know they are using it. The next two days were spent at Lincoln Park, concluding our first week of

research.

Lincoln Park

When we got to Lincoln Park we already had a pretty good idea of how active it would be; low

occupancy and limited trail users. This portion of the trail is in very good condition and is more

separated from the road. A water park and golf course offer opportunities to use the trail, but not at the

specific time period we were there. Children were still in school and the weather wasn’t ideal for

swimming. We observed a small increase in bike activity at the park, creating our first problem, gaining

feedback from bikers. We didn’t want to jump out in front of them and ask them to take a survey, so we

decided that we would develop a survey station over the weekend. This way, the surveyors can come to

us. The biggest problem we found in the Lincoln Park area that we also believe contributes to the low

number of users at these three parks is the abrupt end to the paved trail near the golf course. A bike

lane is then considered the trail and is painted on Hampton Ave. leading from Lincoln Park to Estabrook.

It is one of the busiest and most dangerous roads we observed. We felt like bikers choose to begin at

Estabrook and the East Side Bike Trail because Brown Deer, Kletzsch, and Lincoln Parks are disconnected

and a liability to get to. If a trail could be developed between the golf course and Port Washington Rd,

you would see increased usage in these northern regions. The following Monday we began our research

on the second region, from Estabrook to North, using our newly developed survey station.

Estabrook Park & East Side Bike Trail

This was an area where we saw

an increase of trail users and survey data.

We believed this to be the case because

of the increase in population living near

the park and the lack of green space in

the area. The park offers fishing and

camping, as well as one of the most

widely used disc golf courses in the city. Estabrook Park also offers a dog park which increased the

amount of dog walkers on the trail. With our survey station set up where the two trails connect, we

collected an enormous amount of feedback from the public. We found that the Oak Leaf Trail in

Estabrook and the East Side Bike Trail were used primarily for commuting, dog walking, and exercise, but

a few enjoyed the adjacent nature trails. The trail is well maintained and is used by a wide number of

age groups. The entrances to the trail are easily assessable from both Hampton and Wilson; this is

another reason for the trails increased use. From these locations, you can easily and safely make your

way as far as the lakeshore. The newly remodeled bridge extending over Capital Dr. provides an easy

connection to the Cambridge Woods area making this possible. Next to the Wilson Dr. entrance is

Rainbow Jersey, another bike shop where we collected surveys. They were eager to help out, and even

provided us maps to hand out to the public. Because of the high activity in this area, many people

recommended painted lines on the trail to ease traffic, widening the trail, signage to regulate

movement, and enforcing leashes for dogs. Also the connection to the Inter Urban Trail was popular

here because of the abrupt end at Wilson Dr. Train tracks running adjacent that could provide an

opportunity for this development. In the end, I felt like this was our first truly successful day gaining

feedback from the public.

Cambridge Woods

This is the area I was probably most familiar with. It is long, straight portion of the Oak Leaf Trail

that is in great shape and is widely used. We set up our survey station at the Cambridge Woods entrance

near Providence and Cambridge and began counting users and collecting feedback. We found that this

was a stretch of the trail which was primarily used for commuting. There were few that actually entered

at the Cambridge entrance, but rather Wilson. Many people worked on North or downtown and the trail

provides an easy route to businesses. It happened to be 95 degrees out on this day so most of our

activity occurred in the morning. People were making their way to work or getting in a morning run. On

a normal day, activity would be fairly high after 5 pm and on the weekends for exercise and dog walking.

This is where we noticed the trend of increased users as we moved south. There is less activity in the

northern portion of the county than the south. Suburban areas traditionally have lower populations than

urban. In addition to surveys on site, we stopped at the Bikesmiths and collected their feedback. Some

recommendations we received at this location included drink stations, upright mile markers, increased

mowing, and even increased snow removal. A lot of people like to snowshoe, cross country ski, or take

their dogs on walks in this portion. I did not know the trails were maintained in the winter before I

started this fieldwork course. As we made our way to North Ave. we found great opportunities at the

Urban Ecology Center.

Urban Ecology Center to North

The second week of our fieldwork also happened to be “Bike to Work Week”. The Urban Ecology

Center offered a free breakfast and coffee for those commuting to work. On multiple days we stopped

at the breakfast and surveyed users. We also set up our survey station under Park Pl. and counted and

surveyed throughout the day. We received insight from avid trail users and they provided

recommendations in regard to some problem areas of the trail. As you approach North Ave. areas of the

trail are susceptible to flooding. We

took numerous photographs and

presented them to Ramsey, as well as

solution near the ecology center already

in place. The construction of rain

gardens can limit runoff by increasing

soil infiltration. If more were created, it

could solve flooding problems and

deterioration of the trail. In addition to “Bike to Work Week”, the following Saturday was “Bikes at

Work”. Mark, from the ecology center, was nice enough to let us set up a booth, in exchange for some

light work. This turned out to be our biggest day of surveys we had. By the time it was over, we collected

over 50. Pushing the survey tally even higher, we collected a handful more at Crank Daddy’s bike shop.

Next Monday began our trip to the lakefront and a dramatic increase in users.

Lakefront

Since Monday was the most beautiful day we experienced, we decided to set up our survey

station at Bradford Beach. The activity at the beach was very high and we recorded the most amount of

users during our fieldwork. We collected feedback from dog walkers, joggers, beach goers, and bikers

young and old. People used the trail to get to the beach as well as other areas like Alterra and the

Milwaukee Art Museum. The public usage proves that this is the most exciting and enjoyable place to

exercise. Most people accessed the trail from Lake Park or further south but really had no idea they

were on it. There are only a few Oak Leaf Trail signs on the lakefront as a whole. Most of the

recommendations we received were repetitive yet important to communicate with Ramsey. The next

day we moved up the bluff to Lake Park where we saw a dramatic decrease in users. Compared to

Bradford Beach, Lake Park isn’t the preferred area to exercise, considering Lake Michigan is two blocks

away. There were some users of the park, but mainly on the golf course and nature areas. The Oak Leaf

Trail in this area is primarily used to get to the lakefront. After a rather boring day compared to Bradford

Beach, we moved south towards McKinley Park. We decided to set up our station near the Brady St.

Bridge because it provided an important connection from the bluff to the lakefront. The number of users

were again very high, similar to Bradford but without the sandy beach. The week ended with awful

weather at Juneau Park near the Milwaukee Art Museum. We collected few surveys because of the rain,

but this is an important area of the trail. It is the entrance to downtown and important public spaces

where we would have seen high activity on a beautiful day.

Number of Users by Location

Survey Results

Reflection

I found this fieldwork assignment to be quite beneficial to my Geography career from a planning

standpoint. As an Urban Geographer and Urban Planner, I’ve learned that issues in city are always

changing and new ideas are constantly being implemented. What we have been doing with this

fieldwork course are the early stages necessary to understand current conditions. If a project is going to

be developed, the necessary research, analysis, and feedback have to be provided in order to make an

educated decision. I feel like our group has provided this extensive research in an organized and easy to

understand way. We worked well as a team and it was fun getting to know new people. We were all

from different Geography tracts so we all had something different to bring to the table. We were

dedicated and put the required time in to meet these goals in an orderly fashion. Everyone did their part

at our presentation to Ramsey and he was very impressed. If I can remember correctly, the only issue he

had was color coordination on bar graph above. I look forward to the opportunities this course will bring

with the Milwaukee County Parks Department and other parks departments around the country.