New Berlin Trail
The New Berlin Trail near its eastern end, looking west
Length7 mi (11 km)
LocationWaukesha County, Wisconsin
EstablishedMay 19, 1984
DesignationU.S. Bicycle Route 30
UseShared-use path
Maintained byWaukesha County Park System
WebsiteWaukesha County Park System Trails
Trail map

The New Berlin Trail (or New Berlin Recreation Trail) is a 7-mile (11 km) shared-use path in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It follows a former interurban route and a set of We Energies power lines.[1]

History

The railroad lining the trail was constructed in 1898 by The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company as part of a Milwaukee-Waukesha interurban route, then fell into disuse in 1951.[1]

Planning for the trail began in 1973, though construction did not begin until the fall of 1983.[2] Original plans called for the use of city streets in New Berlin to connect the trail with Greenfield Park, but this connection was substituted with the creation of a bridge over 124th Street after the New Berlin Common Council dropped its support for the idea in December 1981.[3] The trail was dedicated on May 19, 1984,[2] with an initial length of six miles from 124th Street to Springdale Road.[4]

In the fall of 1998, a one-mile extension from Springdale Road to Lincoln Avenue was added.[5] The trail was paved in June 2006.[2]

In 2020, the trail was designated part of U.S. Bicycle Route 30.[6]

Eastward continuation

In 2004, the City of West Allis began planning the Cross-Town Connector Route, which would have stretched from Greenfield Park to the Hank Aaron State Trail via a United States Department of Veterans Affairs-owned property.[7] It opened the first segment of the West Allis Cross-Town Connector in 2013, acting as an eastward continuation of the New Berlin Trail from Greenfield Park to Wisconsin Highway 100.[8] By 2018, plans to extend the Connector further eastward were delayed by bids for a bridge over Highway 100 being overbudget and the Union Pacific Railroad resisting efforts to allow bicycle traffic to cross two spur lines.[9] These reasons, additional engineering concerns, pressure from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Wisconsin Legislature banning eminent domain for bike trail purposes led to the City considering abandoning the project.[10] The built section of the West Allis Cross-Town Connector totals 0.9 miles (1.4 km).[11]

Westward continuation

A separate trail acting as a westward continuation of the New Berlin Trail into the City of Waukesha was built in two phases: the Barstow to Frederick Street connector in 2018, and a connection between the connector and the New Berlin Trail through an Eaton Corporation-owned facility in 2022.[12] These connections total 1.3 miles (2.1 km).[13]

Route

The trail runs from Lincoln Avenue in the City of Waukesha (43°00′36″N 88°12′24″W / 43.0101°N 88.2066°W / 43.0101; -88.2066 (New Berlin Trail, western trailhead)) in the west to 124th Street at the Waukesha County-Milwaukee County border (43°00′37″N 88°03′51″W / 43.0104°N 88.0641°W / 43.0104; -88.0641 (New Berlin Trail, eastern trailhead)) in the east. At its eastern end, it connects with the Oak Leaf Trail[14] and the West Allis Cross-Town Connector.[8] At its western end, it connects with the Glacial Drumlin State Trail[15] and the Barstow to Frederick Street connector.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Rail-Trails: Michigan & Wisconsin. Birmingham, AL: Wilderness Press. 2017. p. 50. ISBN 9780899978734.
  2. 1 2 3 Holl, Craig (July 10, 2006). "New Berlin Recreation Trail". Midwest Roads. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Council move may halt New Berlin Trail". The Milwaukee Journal. December 28, 1981. p. 27.
  4. ↑ "County opens its bike trail". The Milwaukee Journal. May 24, 1984. p. 46.
  5. ↑ Fauber, John (August 3, 1998). "Ride on: Bike trails spreading like spokes". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 1.
  6. ↑ "Wisconsin bicycle route recognized by national organization". Hometown News LP. August 29, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Annysa (May 8, 2004). "West Allis hopes to build link to connect bike trails". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 1.
  8. 1 2 Ford-Stewart, Jane (December 3, 2013). "West Allis makes a connection with new bike trail". West Allis Now. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  9. ↑ Ford-Stewart, Jane (March 28, 2018). "Bike trail connecting Mississippi River to Lake Michigan faces big obstacles in West Allis, including costly Highway 100 bridge". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  10. ↑ Daniels, Peter (March 20, 2018). "Communication from Interim City Engineer regarding the bid opening for the Crosstown Connector Bike Bridge over Hwy 100". City of West Allis Legislative Information Center. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ OpenStreetMap contributors (November 11, 2023). "West Allis Cross-Town Connector" (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Brahm, Nikki (February 28, 2022). "Waukesha to begin recreation trail connection this spring". The Waukesha Freeman. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ OpenStreetMap contributors (November 11, 2023). "New Berlin Trail" (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "New Berlin Trail Map" (PDF). Waukesha County. February 5, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Basic Information | Glacial Drumlin State Trail". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
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