Mercer Bike Trail Update 10/15/2024 for Annual Meeting

November 13, 2024

 

Current Mercer Bike Trail Improvements:

  • Ongoing bike trail maintenance contract between Mercer Parks Board and MECCA
  • Mercer Bike trail logo created; trail signs designed and installed; including mileage markers and Natl Rec Trail signs. QR code leads to trail maps and new town of Mercer maps
  • New trailhead at Carow Park with kiosk, air pump, and bike repair station

 

Trail Expansion Background:

  • ICORE initiated the Mercer bike trail expansion committee in June of 2022. This committee investigated expanding the current bike trail from Carow Park to WinMan creating a 26-mile loop through Mercer, adding to the current 52 miles of bike trail already established in Iron and Vilas counties called the “Heart of Vilas” trail system which has been designated as a National Recreational Trail.
  • A TAP grant was awarded in 2023 to conduct a planning and feasibility study.
  • The engineering firm was selected, and the feasibility contract was finalized and approved in early 2024.
  • The 3 party (DOT, Becher-Hoppe, and the Town of Mercer contract was approved to not exceed $115, 532 and to be completed by EOY 2024. The Town and the Chamber agreed to pay the 20% that was not covered by the DOT.
  • The scope of services includes real estate analysis, Safe Routes to School, jurisdictional reports, public involvement, environmental reporting, utility reporting, funding analysis, surveys, trail plans, and structure plans.
  • A Mercer Bike Trail event was held at Carow Park on August 4th called “Let’s Get Looped”. The event was a celebration of Mercer bike trails and information sharing on the trail expansion and loop.  The event included an e-bike raffle and a silent auction and generated just over $6000 in profit.  We also received several donations towards the bike trail expansion project.
  • A bike trail usage survey was also initiated at the event to be used as part of our feasibility study. This survey is still active and can be taken from our ICORE website under the Mercer Bike trail expansion tab.

 

Trail Expansion Status

  • The Planning and feasibility study is on track to be completed by yearend. We will likely have a report-out at a town meeting in January or February of 2025.
  • The project will be proposed in 3 phases:
    • Carow Park to Martha Lake Road along Hwy J with smaller loop back to town utilizing Martha Lake Road.
    • Martha Lake Road to Cedar Lake Circle along Hwy J and then utilizing Cedar Lake Circle through Northern Highlands Forest Land to the Vilas County Line.
    • Vilas County section through Northern Highlands via a meandering path off the highway and coming out along Hwy W and back to WinMan
  • Several obstacles currently being worked through:
    • Hwy J easements on private land for RTW
    • Snowmobile and bike trail co-habitation on Cedar Lake Circle
    • Vilas County section DNR and cost concerns
    • Sponsorships and funding plans. The DOT will want to understand this for all 3 phases before consideration of our phase 1 grant proposal.
  • DOT construction grant submission for phase 1 will likely be fall of 2025. We will need to raise 20% of total cost.
  • The Mercer Chamber of Commerce has turned over the Mercer Lupine Bike ride to ICORE to return it as a fundraiser for trail expansion. Julie Klug and Diane O-Krongly will lead this fundraiser.  The current plan is to re-brand the bike ride to a loon-themed ride with a tentative date of Saturday, August 2nd.  We want to make this big with live music, sponsors, raffles, etc.  We will need lots of volunteers to pull this off.  Julie will be organizing the first meeting soon.  Please let Julie, Diane, Gail or me know if you are interested in helping.