Federal BUILD (RAISE) planning grant awarded for two pedestrian bridges; committee approves 2026 capital budget

City engineering staff told the Finance Committee Sept. 9 that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the city a RAISE (now called BUILD) planning grant to study and design two pedestrian bridges over the bypass — one at the New Berlin Trail crossing and one near Fox River Parkway.

City Engineer Brandon Schwen summarized the project history: a prior 2023 RAISE application had reached finalist status and earned U.S. DOT feedback; staff revised and resubmitted for the 2024 application and received an award for planning and design. Schwen said the grant is structured as an 80% federal / 20% local cost-share for planning, preliminary design and final design work. The local share in the CIP for design was described in committee discussion as roughly $280,000.

Scope and caveats: staff said the grant is for study and design only; construction funding is not included and remains subject to a future funding application and federal selection. Schwen noted the city supplied an estimated construction cost in the application — roughly $19 million for both structures combined — to support planning and benefit‑cost analysis; staff emphasized there is no construction guarantee if the city later applies for and seeks construction funding.

Committee discussion: alderpersons and staff questioned demand, clearance and maintenance. Concerns included truck clearance and the potential for vehicle strikes, long-term maintenance costs for structures, and whether alternative at-grade or signal improvements could meet connectivity needs. Staff said they received letters of support from several stakeholders (Waukesha County, New Berlin, utility and trail partners and local advocacy groups) and that the planning work will position the city better for a potential future construction request.

Amendment attempt and CIP vote: during the final CIP motion, the committee chair moved to remove the RAISE bridge study from consideration; the motion received no second and therefore died. The committee then voted to recommend the 2026 capital budget of $39,887,329 and the 2026–2030 CIP totaling $179,471,597 to the common council; the recommendation passed unanimously.

Next steps: staff are working with USDOT on the grant agreement for the planning/design work. If the city later pursues construction funding, staff said the prior federal investment in planning typically strengthens construction applications, but construction funding would still be subject to competitive selection and separate council approval. The committee’s recommendation on the CIP will be considered by the common council at its next meeting.