County provides more details on planned Brookfield-Waukesha bike path

Residents of Brookfield and the surrounding area were offered more details last week on a proposed bike trail that would offer a convenient and scenic connection between Brookfield and Waukesha.

The public information meeting was held in an open-house format, giving guests a chance to explore project materials for themselves and ask questions of the project team directly.

The county has been hoping to make the trail a reality for years and received a significant boost in its effort when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation awarded over $2.5 million for the project last summer.

"The trail has been on the county's bike trail plan for a number of years," Waukesha County director of parks and land use Dale Shaver said at the time. "It was contingent on receiving these funds."

The project fulfills a number of future plans for the region including part of the county's Adopted Comprehensive Bike-Ped Plan, the city of Waukesha's Bike-Ped Plan, Brookfield's Greenway Trail System Plan and is also supported by the state's Regional Bicycle Facilities System Plan.

The trail will span approximately 4 miles and will provide direct access between a number of popular spots in the region, including Brookfield's Village area, Fox Brook Park, the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, Frame Park and the Waukesha Metro Transit Center.

County officials have noted that the Brookfield Connector Trail will not only be practical in its use, but also pleasing in its aesthetics.

Trail-users will be taken through both woodland and wetland areas and there will be a total of five bridge crossings over the Pewaukee and Fox rivers.

It is anticipated that the trail will accommodate between 25,000 to 30,000 bike trips per year initially and that that number could rise as high as 50,000 annual trips in the years to come.

The trail is not only for the sole use of cyclists. It is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 walking trips also will occur on portions of the path.

Officials say that between 5,000 to 8,000 automobile trips could be eliminated per year once the trail is completed.

The city of Brookfield is currently working on a project that would involve renovations to an old railroad depot building in the Village area near the intersection of Brookfield Road and River Road. The building would be converted for use as a trailhead facility.

At a meeting Thursday, Dec. 10, a number of guests expressed excitement for the trail.

"I think it's going to be a great addition to the area. My husband and I love to bike and we're really excited to use this path," Waukesha resident Natalie Morris said. "I just wish it was happening sooner."

The current timeline for the Brookfield Connector Trail has construction slated to begin in the spring of 2018.