Yesterday I rode the newly-paved trail from the southern edge of Kenosha to the state line. It was a big improvement. The countryside is mostly woods with some housing developments and a very few cornfields.
I continued south into Illinois along the Robert McClory trail to Waukegan. It is still unpaved but seems considerably improved. The last time I rode it (probably ten years ago) I came away with the impression it had been all but abandoned, until it crossed Sheriden Drive and became paved. The road crossings had been upgraded, the surface was good, and there was fresh paving in several sections, presumably those that were sandy or muddy.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has recently issued a draft report on putting a bike lane of the Hoan bridge that crosses Milwaukee’s harbor. A public hearing is scheduled for November 14.
This facility would close a gap in Milwaukee’s Oak Leaf Trail. It would also close a gap in the series of trails that run from Chicago through Milwaukee towards Door county along Lake Michigan.
The challenge is that the lowest-cost alternative would take one of the north-bound traffic lanes, reducing vehicle traffic to two lanes from three. Alternative that do not take a traffic lane are considerably more expensive.
Kenosha county has recently paved its two sections of bike trails: from the Racine County line south to 35th St in Kenosha and from 89th St south to the Illinois state line. Thus the entire trail between Racine and Kenosha is now paved.
Work is now underway on the extension connecting the Hank Aaron Trail at 94th Court to the Oak Leaf Trail. The connection takes place at a small park on the south side of Bluemound near the Milwaukee-Waukesha county line. This park is also at the southern end of a new underpass that carries the Oak Leaf Trail under Bluemound.
The new section of the trail will be surfaced with crushed limestone until the planned reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange is completed. The remainder of the trail is paved except for a short stretch east of Miller Park (called “Valley Crossing”) which is also used by construction equipment.
I just rode the newly paved middle section of the Lake Country trail. The trail is now paved throughout its length (except for a short detour near county P). While the trail is mostly a rail-to-trail conversion with mild grades, the newly paved portion follows a power directly over a moraine next to the Nagawaukee golf course. So it is quite steep (I am told the state denied a grant application because the grade did not meet standards), but still much nicer paved.
In the same area, the trail along Cushing Park Rd between the Lake Country trail and the Glacial Drumlin trail is mostly open (one bridge was still unfinished when I looked but is easy to get around by taking the road). A side trail leads across the park to connect with the road up Lapham Peak.
An extension of the Brown Deer Trail is now paved and ready to open between Brown Deer Rd and Brown Deer Park. This is good news for several reasons. It eliminates the need for a potentially dangerous left turn between Green Bay Ave and the old village center of Brown Deer. It also means that the Interurban trail system is connected to Milwaukee county’s Oak Leaf Trail. Finally, the Interurban Trail system now runs from Brown Deer Park to Oostberg in Sheboygan County (with a few on-street interruptions).
(cross-posted at Bikeverywhere)
The new bicycle bridge on the Oak Leaf Trail is finally open. It replaces the old railroad bridge in Shorewood.
Near Delafield in Waukesha county a trail is being constructed that will eventually connected the Glacial Drumlin State Trail with the Lake Country Trail. The trails runs on the east side of Cushing Park Road. A short section was constructed last year that went south from Main Street to the Lapham Peak state park boundary. Construction has started on a section that would extend the trail south to Abitz Road. Most of the construction is in the state park.
Several plans have been announced for construction in 2011:
- Hank Aaron Trail extension. Presently the Hank Aaron State Trail ends at 94th Place in West Allis. Bikes can continue west on the old right of way but the pathway is quite rough, more suitable for mountain bikes than road bikes. Plans have been announced to put in a temporary crushed stone surface connecting the HAST to the Oak Leaf Trail. Following the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange, plans are to construct a paved surface.
- Lake Country Trail paving. Last year both the western and eastern ends of the Lake Country Trail were paved, leaving the middle section, mainly through Nagawaukee County Park, unpaved. On its website the Waukesha county parks department has announced that paving the middle section will start this spring. This announcement should be treated with a bit of skepticism since the paving of the middle section was originally announced for last year.
- Oak Leaf to Ozaukee Interurban Trail connector. For some time plans have developed, and grants have been announced, to build a trail connecting the Ozaukee Interurban Trail (in the person of the Brown Deer Trail at Brown Deer Road) to the Oak Leaf Trail at Hampton Avenue on the north edge of Estabrook Park. The connector would use both WE Energies right of way dating from the old Interurban tracks and unused railroad tracks. Phase I of this project from Brown Deer Road to Bradley Road, connecting the Brown Deer Trail to the Oak Leaf Trail at Brown Deer Park, scheduled to take place this summer. While short, this section would eliminate a very tricky left turn between Green Bay Road and the old village of Brown Deer, a turn that is dangerous in both directions.
- Downtown to Bay View connector. This path would utilize long-abandoned railroad tracks east of First Street between National Avenue and Kinnickinnic Ave, replacing part on the on-street route between downtown Milwaukee and Bay View. This project was first presented some years ago, unfortunately as an alternative to allowing bicycles on the Hoan Bridge.
I would be very disappointed if these are the only bike-oriented projects around Wisconsin. Please let me know about those I have missed.
Cross-posted at Bikeverywhere.
Construction on the bridge crossing Capitol Drive in Shorewood has halted for the winter. It is now expected to be completed in March or April. Since Capitol Drive has been reduced to one lane during construction, the connection between the bike path and Estabrook Parkway is problematic. The safest route may be to use the detour along Wilson Drive and Hampton. A bike path connects Wilson and the Oak Leaf Trail along the south side of Hampton.
However the bridge on the Milwaukee River Parkway in Lincoln Park has finally opened.
Update (December 31): All four lanes of Capitol Drive are open, plus bike lanes.
