Trail links Janesville to Afton
Podcast Episode
WCLO's / WJVL's Steve Benton reports on the opening of another section of Janesville bike trail.
Photo
Rock Trail Coalition volunteers Dean Paynter, left, and Jerry Stankus watch Janesville city employee Randy Nash clear trees and branches from the future Peace Bike Trail on Tuesday.
JANESVILLE — As of noon today, Janesville cyclists will be able to ride off-road all the way to Afton.
Workers planned to finish a one-third-mile trail segment by noon today and take down the “no trespassing” sign that has greeted riders when they reach the trail’s end at the Janesville Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The segment will link the trail to another segment that will complete a 5.5-mile trail from the corner of Rockport and Afton roads in Janesville to Eau Claire Road north of Afton. That’s where a county trail picks up and enters downtown Afton.
The often tree-shaded trail runs along the Rock River.
The Janesville City Council agreed to buy the $45,000 strip of land—largely an old railroad right-of-way—last month.
The Rock Trail Coalition paid $10,000 of the cost, and residents Bill and Sandy Graham donated another $10,000. Bill is the founder of a native-seed company based in Evansville named Agrecol, which is donating $10,000 in native-plant seed for the project.
Mike Morris, who sold the land to the city, organized volunteers and donated the use of his heavy equipment to clear the trail.
City Parks Director Tom Presny said the trail will be graded, then packed with stone and earth until the city finds money to pave it. He said it would be rough but usable for bicyclists this afternoon.
The long-term plan is for the county to complete a trail from Afton south to Beloit’s Big Hill Park, and for Beloit to build a trail from the park into the city. In the meantime, bicyclists could continue from Afton south to Beloit on Afton Road or through a combination of country roads, Presny said.
Closer at hand are trail segments to be built in conjunction with the Highway 26 bypass of Milton in 2012-13, which will connect the Janesville trail system to the Jefferson County line, Presny said. That trail will connect with other trails leading all the way to Watertown by 2014.
Aug 5, 2011 at 1:17 p.m.
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partarican1, there is an off-leash dog exercise area at the trailhead on Afton Road (just north of Hanover Road). Your dog must be licensed but you don't need the additional permit for Paw Print Park.
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Additionally, alongside parts of the paved Peace Trail is a maintained, unpaved hiking trail. See the city's website for more information.
http://www.ci.janesville.wi.us/citysite/...
Aug 5, 2011 at 12:38 p.m.
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so is it a bike trail only or a multi use trail, and can we take our dogs on it?
Aug 5, 2011 at 12:43 a.m.
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It is obvious that Sandman doesn't know what hes talking or complaining about. This railroad right away was abandoned before the rails to trails program started so the land reverted back to the adjacent property owners and the City and State didnt have the option to buy it. So if they want it they have to buy it from the property owners like they have or obtain easments.
Aug 4, 2011 at 8:19 p.m.
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Sandman, the last I heard there was work being done to open up a north access to Big Hill Park. By the way, parts of the trail here are in fact multi-use. But the Ice Age trail generally is not supposed to be a dog walk, because that would be incompatible with the natural areas approach.
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In any case, there's no use looking backward. This is a major step forward and comes at a time when state and federal funding for bike facilities are in jeopardy, so it's very welcome. Thank you to the RTC and thank you to the private donors and the seller.
Aug 4, 2011 at 7:24 p.m.
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I remember running this trail to Afton hundreds of times. I remember Morris yelling "Get off my land" on numerous occasions. Guy thought he was the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Aug 4, 2011 at 4:52 p.m.
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Excellent!
Now let's get the right-of-way that we should have had years ago that continues S of Afton along the W side of the river through Big Hills park and all the way to Beloit.
We could have had a major multi-use trail and tourist destination here in Rock County (you know...like the double-sheeter ice arena!) for a relatively minor investment, but this small minded and short-sighted county let it slip through their little penny grubbing fingers while they debated the fate of the fairgrounds ad nauseum for decades.
Go over to Albany sometime and take a look at what might have been if the localities around here had any vision...ANY! But theyn you can't even walk your dog all summer on the Ice Age trail segments here in Janesville, so it's little wonder we end up where we are - NOwhere!
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