County Celebrates Earth Day by Planning for Capital City Trail Connection to Glacial Drumlin Trail
April 22, 2011
Casey Slaughter Becker, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 843-8858
The County is celebrating Earth Day today by beginning the planning and design for construction of an off road bicycle-pedestrian trail that will fill in the missing link between the Capital City Trail and the Glacial Drumlin Trail. The project will begin this summer, thanks to a Wisconsin DOT High Priority Project grant that was awarded for the project.
County Executive Joe Parisi says the grant will cover up to 80 percent of planning costs for the project, with the Wisconsin DNR paying the remaining 20 percent. Actual construction of the six-mile trail will be contingent on the ability to secure additional grant dollars.
“Earth Day is a great reminder that here in Dane County we have an excellent system of bike trails that help recreational and commuting bicyclists get where they need to go, “said Parisi. “The need for this missing trail link has been highly recognized by bicyclists for more than a decade. With this link in place, one could ride from Governor Dodge State Park all the way to Miller Park.”
Dane County would serve as the grant Project Sponsor and provide oversight of planning and design efforts for the nearly 6 mile long connector trail. The total cost of the planning project is estimated to be about $270,000, with the WDOT administered grant covering up to 80 percent.
The trail is planned to extend from Wagon Trail Road in the City of Madison east to the where the Glacial Drumlin Trail now ends in the Village of Cottage Grove. Dane County, the City of Madison, Village of Cottage Grove and Wisconsin DNR have been working together on planning and acquiring lands necessary for development of the trail for several years.
“Historically, this trail connection has shown up as one of the most requested projects in all of Dane County among the bicycling community,” Parisi said. “It is extremely exciting to see this trail so close to now becoming a reality.”
Preserving the environment for the health of county residents and to strengthen Dane County’s local economy is a priority for Parisi. Encouraging growth in the clean energy jobs industry and promoting and protecting the natural places that make Dane County a great place to live will be among his initiatives as Dane County Executive.
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