North Mendota Parkway meeting in Middleton to allow public input

A key time to speak up for trails and open space

Citizens concerned about preserving open spaces and the potential for linking bicycle and walking trails are urged to turn out for a rare opportunity to comment on plans for the North Mendota Parkway.

The trail advocacy group North Mendota Trails, Inc., has been pushing planners to protect key natural resource areas and include opportunities for trails in their plans for a major new highway on the north side of Lake Mendota in Dane County. Now is the time for members of the public to weigh in.

The North Mendota Parkway Implementation Oversight Committee will meet from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, July 14, in the City of Middleton Common Council Chambers, 7425 Hubbard Ave., Middleton.

The meeting will include a public comment session on a proposed E-Way corridor and on proposed roadway alignment alternatives. More information about the proposal is available at: www.countyofdane.com/plandev/planning/North_Mendota.aspx

Trail advocates believe it is critical to make sure the interests of bicycle riders and walkers are built into the plans before a major roadway bisects the area. A safe trail route across the top of Lake Mendota should be a priority, as is creating coherent links between communities that already are establishing their own trail networks.

“Experience has shown that it is much easier and cheaper to create trails before major infrastructure is built than after,” said Carson Mettel, a member of North Mendota Trails.

“To the credit of the county, trail options are being considered during the planning process. But public support for trails is critical if we are going to make sure that vague plans become actual trails,” Mettel said.

The amount of land devoted to natural areas remains an open question. For example, Dane County has proposed preserving a generous area of open space north of Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy. City of Middleton officials have proposed preserving a much narrower slice of land, eyeing a possible expansion of the city in that direction.

“This meeting would be a good opportunity for citizens to be heard on what they want this area to look like for generations to come,” Mettel said.

North Mendota Trails, Inc., was formed in 2005 to advocate for a unified approach to creating vital trail links between communities in and around the north side of Dane County’s largest lake. For more information, contact Carson Mettel at 608-829-0815.