I think, although I am not certain, that what the article means is that the final portion - that would link the Badger Trail to the Cap City Trail - will not be completed until next year. The idea was to pave it from the Cap City Trail to ?? Whalen ?? Lacy ?? so that it could be used year round by commuters. It is almost impossible to keep an unpaved trail open in winter, and even in spring it gets very soggy and becomes rutted.
If the completion of the path is delayed, that is a shame. People have been waiting a very long time for this connection. However, the City of Fitchburg and Dane County would be the ones to ask for reasons, as this segment falls under their jurisdiction. Also keep in mind that some bicyclists - especially those with small children or less experienced riders in tow - are afraid to ride even on bike lanes. The last bit of connection would allow tourists, families, novice bikers, and many others to travel from downtown Madison to IL all on path. It's unlikely that many novices or families would go that whole way, but some might make a B&B weekend of it at some of the small communities close by. Those communities have been waiting for the path that will connect them to Madison. This is a business issue to them. Robbie 2009/3/30 Troy Thiel <[email protected]> > I was really bummed to read this....why is "paving" required? When Jeff > Schimpff and I rode this last summer, it's pretty clear that there's a base > already there that just needs to be improved south of Whalen...the path is > crushed gravel at its completed spots....and south of PD it just needs to be > cleared as well with a few crossings improved or created (across Seminole > south of Lacy)....the north of PD area could initially be rerouted to the > bike lanes along Seminole...that crossing site north is where the biggest > work is...but south of PD its in easy to get done condition....I hope they > revisit that delay >
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