ICORE Supports pedestrian access at US2 and Highway 51

The ICORE Board sent the following correspondence to Jim Volkmann, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, on September 10, 2019:

September 10, 2019

Dear Mr. Volkmann,

We are writing you to express our support for pedestrian and bicycle access for the US 51 and US 2 interchange. We are Board members of ICORE, the Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts, a non-profit that began in 2014 to promote the responsible use of land and water open to the public for the enjoyment of all, with the following goals:

• Promote non-motorized recreational activities on land and water
• Enhance and expand silent outdoor recreational opportunities in and around Iron County, Wisconsin
• Provide opportunities for volunteers to help support recreational development and maintenance on both land and water
• Obtain grant monies to help finance the organizational purpose

Pedestrian and bicycle access across US 51 and US 2 is especially important for the development of the Montreal River Trail, a shared goal among the Town of Kimball and the City of Hurley in Iron County, WI, and the City of Ironwood in Gogebic County, MI.

The Montreal River is our beautiful state border and our communities — collectively part of the Gogebic Range — have been making efforts to create a non-motorized trail that would link various points of public interest along the Montreal River including Ironwood’s Norrie Park, Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail, the Iron County Farmers Market held in Hurley, the Ironwood Cemetery Trails, and Interstate Falls in Kimball.

Considerations for pedestrian access in the designs of the US 51 & 2 interchange will help us meet our shared goal for the Montreal River Trail. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Mike Ondresky
John Bates
Teresa Schmidt
Karen Hagemann
Bob Traczyk
Ian Shackleford
Diane O’Krongly