Usually the Department of Transportation allots approximately $18 million to preserve and build bike trails and pedestrian walk ways. However, due to a recent DOT budget decision by the legislature, that money will now be used to build highways, a sector that already receives billions of dollars in funding.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said many road builders in Wisconsin are contributors in campaigns, pressuring many legislators to push for the change in the budget.
Although the money will do little to help the highway's already large budget, it will have detrimental effects on the bike paths, which Black credits to helping the State's economy and boosting tourism.
Jesse Allhands, UW-Madison junior and avid mountain biker, said he was disturbed to hear this news.
""I think [the budget cut] would be terrible for Madison because Madison is actually really well known for their bike trails,"" he said. ""To cut back on something like that would be a pretty big hit to the whole biker community in Madison.
According to Black, the trails affected by the budget cut run through the Wisconsin country and into Illinois, but are not completely connected. In total, 92 Wisconsin bike and pedestrian paths will lose their funding, several of which are in Dane County.
The Badger State Trail, a path currently being built near Camp Randall, an area densely populated by students, will lose funding.
Additionally, Black said students would miss out on a bike route that would connect campus to the North side of Madison, and would have provided a safe route for students to commute.
