Dane County Parks Gets State Grant for Ice Age Bicycle-Pedestrian Path

September 21, 2006
Joanne Haas, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606

Construction on a two-mile stretch of a Dane County bicycle-pedestrian path linking County Trunk Highway PD in Fitchburg to a Town of Verona park will begin next summer thanks to a state Department of Transportation grant. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk praised the $247,280 grant she said will be used to expand commuting and recreational options for resident bicyclists and tourists. "As our county grows, more people use their bicycles not only for fun and exercise, but also to get to work. We are a biking county,” Falk said. Bicyclists living on the far west side of Madison, Falk said, would be able to use this trail to connect to the Military Ridge, Capital City and Southwest Commuter trails that provide a number of commuting options to the University and downtown Madison. Called a Transportation Enhancement grant, the dollars will be earmarked for the construction of about two miles of a trail through the Ice Age Trail Junction Area. The path will extend from the Ice Age National Scenic Trail parking area on County Trunk Highway PD in the city of Madison, south to the Badger Prairie County Park in the Town of Verona. The bicycle-pedestrian trail also is planned to provide an off-road connection to the Military Ridge State Trail for one of the fastest growing residential areas in Dane County. Engineering for the trail will begin in July 2007 with construction targeted from completion by October 2008. The Dane County project is one of 28 projects selected for funding in fiscal years 2008-09 based upon recommendations of a 13-person review committee. ###