badger badger state trail bicycle bike greenbush greenbush link greenbushlink1 greenbushlink10 greenbushlink11 greenbushlink12 greenbushlink13 greenbushlink14 greenbushlink15 greenbushlink17 greenbushlink18 greenbushlink19 greenbushlink2 greenbushlink20 greenbushlink21 greenbushlink22 greenbushlink3 greenbushlink4 greenbushlink5 greenbushlink6 greenbushlink7 greenbushlink8 greenbushlink9 link madison path pedestrian railtrail railwithtrail southwest southwest path state trail wi wisconsin

Greenbush Link Madison, WI

9 / 21

The "Greenbush Link" is a 1-mile segment of the Southwest Path in Madison, Wisconsin (Dane County). The Southwest Path is 5.6 miles in length and is the northern reach of the Badger State Trail, a 40-mile trail that connects Madison to Freeport, Illinois.

In 2002, Wisconsin Department of Transportation awarded the City of Madison a $1.46 million TE grant to construct the Greenbush Link portion of the trail, which had become known as the "missing link." Completion of this "missing link" in 2006 closed the 18-mile loop around central Madison and along the Nine Springs E-Way. It also connects the Southwest Commuter Path with the Isthmus Bike Path and the Capital City Trail as well as regional trails such as the Military Ridge State Trail.

This 1-mile corridor in downtown Madison was very difficult for the Madison Department of Transportation to assemble due to physical constraints and property ownership challenges. Ultimately, the city pieced together a corridor that involves rails-with-trails, easements from the University of Wisconsin and private properties, renegotiation of leases with three commercial property owners, two new crossings of active rail line, and other miscellaneous property agreements. Extensive retaining walls built as well as a new bridge over an arterial street were constructed. The total cost of the construction was approximately $3 million. Land costs added approximately $400,000 to the final price tag.

Badger Badger State Trail Greenbush Greenbush Link Link Madison Southwest Southwest Path State Trail WI Wisconsin bicycle bike path pedestrian railtrail railwithtrail GreenbushLink19

The National Transportation Alternatives Clearinghouse provides information on the Transportation Alternatives Program funded by FHWA. To be eligible for TA funds, a project must relate to surface transportation and be one of the 10 TA Activities. For more information about the TA program see trade.railstotrails.org. For our licensing policy see our guidelines.

Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange

@ the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

202-974-5110

2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20037-1213