Most of you are definitely missing the big picture. With so much manufacturing having left Wisconsin, the state needs to rely on other industries to bring in money. Tourism is such an industry and Wisconsin is very fortunate to be a tourism destination state. The more things there are to do in an area, the more people will come and visit. Imagine if you could bike from Janesville to Milton and then to Fort Atkinson safely with your family. Wouldn’t that make a great weekend destination? These people need to eat, buy gas and possibly stay overnight all at area businesses. Once you have a flow of tourism, other small businesses will pop up in the area employing more people. The state has done much research and knows that investing some money now will have a chance to bring much greater return. We need to be able to count on tourism to help our economy to continue. Bike trails are a great solution.

Recreational facilities supported by the government are for use by its citizens. If you are against bike trails you should be against all non-self sustaining parks and recreation land in country from local parks to the national parks. Maybe some people are and that fine, I guess. Many people currently have little need for the fire department, schools, and probably the road that goes by your house but understand some people need/want those services.

Hmm,
I do help to fund the highways and interstate, through registration and tax dollars. There are other groups in this state who have trails, who are self funded, why can't bike trails be that way? If they are so popular, it shouldn't be a problem. How about making it a multi-use trail, bikes, horses, atv, snowmobile? Would all you bikers pay a trail fee of 50 bucks per year? How about a registration fee for your bike?
I live next to bike trails that I have enjoyed all my life. They are great and I like them very much, but when I see bicyclists riding on the road instead of riding on the trail, then they also wine about needed more trails, funded by me, that bothers me.

partarican1: Thank you. Great comment.

jcommon: Fund the highways and interstate yourself.

Finally-money in the budget for activities that don't involve motorized vehicles. Modern society panders to automobiles; foot and bicycle traffic gets overlooked a lot. I'm still a little nervous about the whole 26 bypass thing, but getting non-motorized traffic off of the main highway is a great idea. Not everyone can afford a car, so this bike path can help at least a few folks get around for reasons other than recreation.

my explanation on your super unscientific 90% number?? i have none.

if you can ride on the road then why have a trail?? when was the last time you rode a bike?? the difference between the stress of riding on a road and the complete non existence of stress when riding on the trail is similar to the difference between a game of russian roullette where there is one bullet in the chamber and a game where there is no bullet.

If you can ride on the road, then why have the trails? Why do cyclist constantly need money from the state for trails? Why can't they fund it themselves?

Kid,
I live by 2 major bike trails, on a county road within a half mile of 2 intersections. I have asked bikers about this and that is the answer I have received 90% of the time. Please enlighten me on your explanation to this?

We ride on the road because we can. It's in the vehicle code. Why don't you read it sometime? And why are you all crying about the money spent for bike paths and pedestrian facilities? It's a drop in the bucket compared to what is spent on highways to subsidize your travel by car.

'That is why the bikers ride on the road...because they are too cheap to pay up to ride the trails'

i hope you dont REALLY believe that...

Wow, 32.5 million for the bike trails! Why is the state transportaton supporting these bike trails? This money should be used for highways and road that are need of repair.

Yep,
That is why the bikers ride on the road...because they are too cheap to pay up to ride the trails. SOOO, why do we need them? Another waste of money.

There is already a $20 yearly fee to ride a bicycle on most state trails. This is more expensive than the current $30 two-year snowmobile registration. If these trails are part of the state system, a fee may be required.

I agree riverrat006...It should be a sticker on an orange flag,placed on a white fiberglass pole,attached to the rear of the bike. This is so the officers of the newly formed DBT(Department of Bikes and Trails) can identify them without getting out of their state purchased vehicles.

As long as they pay a registration fee same as boats, snowmobiles! I would think $45 a year and $500 fine if not displayed

Besides, you need to realize that bicycle tourism brings in nearly $1 billion of tourist money into this state. Invest some get a whole lot back. Money well spent.

There is very minimal upkeep when it comes to bike trails if you have not paid any attention yet. The only real upkeep is mowing. How long has the trail been in Janesville and have you herd of any section of the trail needing to be resurfaced? When there is minimal weight there is minimal wear.This is a good thing to get all those overweight Wisconsinites off their couches and enjoy what this state has to offer and without looking at it from a car window.

"The State is gonna pay for it?"

Does the state have a printing press? Sheesh.

These are the types of "services" that need to be cut folks.. Infrastructure is nice and all, but there is no money without greater taxation of somebody somewhere!

I want a candidate that says "We are going to cut spending and unnecessary services starting right in my home district... Because its the right thing to do.

Politicians who promise goodies at election time must be AXED! Russ, Tammy... Are you listening?

Earmarks also must go... If the project is worthy make it stand on it's own in the light of day... Our lazy reps put every pet porkey project they can manage into legislation and then dare folks to vote against "the children" "the troops" "education" etc.

Clean em out and let's get people who are willing to do the work, and have the wisdom to realize in this economy it's a season to reduce the size of government and government funded projects.

The state is gonna pay for it now but who's gonna pay for it's upkeep? That's right! No one thinks about that. So, in 15 years, when it can't be used because it's falling apart, the city is gonna start begging me for money to fix it. I have a very hard time thinking that a bike trail is going to boost tourism.
I'm sure that's the same logic for thinking that putting a wading pool in at the intersection of Madison Ave and 26 is going to boost the economy. Cuz' every working mom and dad driving home from Madison or Fort Atkinson just so happens to have swimsuit wearing kids in the back seat and is going to spontaneously stop to cool off.