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Wausau committee backs TAP application for Business Campus trail, staff flags steep grades and high costs
Summary
The City of Wausau Infrastructure and Facility Committee voted Sept. 11 to apply for a TAP grant to construct a multi-use trail through the Wausau Business Campus, while staff warned the preferred paved alignment exceeds typical TAP cost expectations because of steep grades and wetlands.
The City of Wausau Infrastructure and Facility Committee voted unanimously on Sept. 11 to apply for a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant to construct a paved multi-use trail through the Wausau Business Campus from 80 Fourth Avenue to Innovation Way, but staff warned the recommended paved alignment has steep grades and wetland impacts that make the estimate substantially higher than typical TAP projects.
The committee approved proceeding with the application while asking staff to include alternative alignments and cost estimates.
Why it matters: A TAP grant could fund a long trail connection through the business campus that would improve pedestrian and bicycle access between employers, but staff said the preferred route’s grades and wetlands would raise construction costs and complicate scoring under grant rules.
What staff reported: TJ (staff) said an earlier proposed route recommended by the BikePed committee did not meet funding-grade requirements because slopes ranged from 11% to 18% in places; those grades are unsafe for bicycling and not eligible for the TAP paved-trail scoring. To avoid those slopes, staff rerouted the trail along property lines, which added about a half-mile and required wetlands boardwalks. The paved alignment’s construction estimate exceeded $2,000,000 — above typical TAP preferences — while an alternative that follows the utility corridor and would be a walking or gravel path was estimated at roughly $300,000. TJ also noted TAP is a reimbursement grant that typically requires the city to budget for design and construction up front; design alone for a large TAP project was estimated at about $250,000, and reimbursements would occur after project completion.
Committee concerns and direction: Committee members questioned how much staff time the application would require and whether the city would be able to budget local match and upfront design costs. Alders raised scoring concerns — the DOT scores projects by likely user counts and proximity to residential areas, and staff observed the business-campus segment is not near many residences, which could lower the application score. Committee members ultimately authorized the application, with direction to include alternative alignments and to account for budgeting and design timelines if the city pursues the grant and is selected.
Decision: Alder Martins moved to apply for the TAP grant; Alder Watson seconded. Motion passed 3-0.
Ending: Staff will prepare the TAP application this fall, include alternate lower-cost alignment(s) and cost estimates, and will budget design work in subsequent CIP years if the project proceeds.
