On April 25 friends and neighbors, who were interested in the final phase, the greening phase, of the new Southwest Bike Path formed the Friends of the Southwest Bike Path. The four-mile-long bike trail, running from Camp Randall to Lovell Lane beyond the beltline, creates new urban green space, and it needs some hands-on attention from the neighbors and others who will enjoy the path.

Organizers knew that they had to awaken a commitment to improve the corridor rather than let the berms and vacant areas become choked with invasive species. On the other hand, the new Friends group in no way will have the authority to mandate plantings for individual or public spaces. The hope is to encourage the neighbors to work together in replanting. The organizers discussed planting concerns under the MG&E power lines, reminders to call diggers' hotline, and recognition and eradication of invasive species of which there are quite a few, such as Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, reed canary grass, and giant ragweed.

Tony Fernandez, city engineer and designer of the trail, answered questions, especially regarding where people might plant along the path. When pressed to be restrictive and specific about where neighbors might plant, Fernandez pointed out that the whole concept of neighbors working together to beautify a corridor in this way is relatively new, and all those involved should try to remain flexible and experiment. He encouraged the neighbors to plan together. The city wants to encourage the effort to maintain plantings along the path, although there are some areas such as drainage ditches, which must remain clear. Concerning just when the path will be completed, all is dependent on the weather. But the contractors are hoping that they will be done by the end of June. However, the Spooner St. bridge area will probably not be done until mid-August.

Organizational members from the Midvale Heights Neighborhood, Laura Brown and Mark Shahan have already had workdays planting seventy-six shrubs along the north side of the path in the Midvale Heights area behind Vale Circle besides prairie plants from Brown and Shahan's yard. Some money for the shrubs came from MHCA matching funds. At the last minute, donors in the neighborhood who were grateful for the work being done provided a sizeable amount of money for shrubs. Also, last fall Brown broadcast prairie seeds in this area along the already-graded slopes of the path.

Dudgeon-Monroe organizational member Sue Reindollar, along with numerous volunteers, have repotted 320 prairie plants (it took a lot of dirt!) which cannot be planted at the Odana Rd. entrance until September. The mid-summer completion date for the path makes the optimum planting time not until early fall, so the potted plants will be in Reindollar's backyard "nursery" all summer. Meanwhile, volunteers have to prepare the site when the construction is complete.

Contacts for public planting areas are:

West of Midvale	Laura Brown	274-9367	ljbrown@chorus.net
Glenway to Sheldon	Char Thompson	231-2445	chart@tds.net
Fox-Sheldon area	Kurt Kiefer	233-8661	kkiefer@madison.k12.wi.us
Odana to Glenway	Sue Reindollar	233-9383	ssreindo@facstaff.wisc.edu
Glenwood Children's Park (will have a wayside with picnic table, bike rack, and water fountain)	Maggie Jungwirth	233-6663	jungwirt@chorus.net
Organizing member and president of DMNA	Paul Beckett	238-2580,	pbeckett@facstaff.wisc.edu
Transportation issues	Mark Shahan	274-9367	mnshahan@chorus.net

Yet to be organized are some interested volunteers for Westmorland and the Regent St. entrance to the path.

The next meeting to formally organize the group and update activities will be May 23 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Dudgeon-Monroe School gym on Monroe St.

http://www.dmna.org/bikepath/bike_friends_formed.shtml
Last Modified: 03-Feb-08 05:53 PM

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