I am writing to comment on the new Centennial Springs State Park. I currently use the Capital City trail and Lake Farm park for walking and recreational bicycling.
In my opinion, the addition that this park most sorely needs is accessibility from the east. Ideally, in my opinion, there needs to be a pedestrian/bicycle bridge across the Yahara river narrows between Lake Waubesa and Upper Mud Lake, adjacent to the railroad bridge. A walking-biking trail could be extended along the north shore of Waubesa next to the rail ROW as far as Siggelkow Road in McFarland.
A bridge and 1.5 mile long trail would exponentially increase accessibility to and through the park. Namely, it would 1) provide excellent access for McFarland residents to the park; 2) enable bicycle connectivity between Madison / Monona and McFarland, Lake Kegonsa State Park, and Stoughton; and 3) provide a needed bicyle connection between the Glacial Drumlin trail and the Capital City trail, enabling cyclists to bypass highly trafficked Stoughton Road, Broadway and South Towne Drive.
An alternate but less desirable location for a pedestrian bridge would be north of Upper Mud Lake, with a trail connecting the southern terminus of Monona Drive to the Nine Springs creek area. Either way, I would want a paved bike trail across the northern edge of the current Lake Farm County Park to connect to the Capital City trail.
Thanks for your attention,
Michael Forster Rothbart
Regarding the DNR meeting, I have heard recently that part of what is happening to establish this new state park is a transfer of the Nine Springs E-Way, including the Capital City Trail, from Dane County to WisDNR. This likely has implications for Capital City trail maintenance (will it be plowed in the winter), and whether a fee might be charged to use this trail.
* DNR public info and input meeting regarding new Centennial Springs State
Park (currently Lake Farms County Park and the E-way all the way to Fish
Hatchery Rd.) 6:30-8:30 pm at the Lussier Family Heritage Center - just off
the Cap City Trail south of the Nine Springs Sewage ponds. The DNR wants to
know what facilities, activities, and land management strategies the public
wants for this park.
Soon there will be a section on the new park on the DNR website as well.
Written comments can also be sent to:
Dana White-Quam
3911 Fish Hatchery Rd
Fitchburg 53711
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* * Michael Forster Rothbart * 64 Lansing Street * Madison, WI 53714 * 608-242-1131 * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
