STH 96 Sidewalk (Casaloma-Badger)

This project involves constructing sidewalk along STH 96 beginning at N. Casaloma Drive and continuing east to N. Badger Avenue within the town of Grand Chute. The sidewalk will be installed as part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) pavement rehabilitation project planned for 2026. The design plans exclude certain segments of sidewalk within the project limits due to costly existing constraints. Sidewalk will be installed on the south side of STH 96 from N. Casaloma Drive to Outer Ring Road. Continuing east, the sidewalk transitions to the north side of STH 96 from N. Colorado Avenue to N. Westhill Boulevard.

The STH 96 corridor is ranked as highest priority for future pedestrian network in the 2019 Grand Chute Pedestrian & Bicycle Strategy. The corridor is ranked highest based on its proximity to Appleton West High School, Ronald Dunlap Elementary School, Patriot Park, Linwood Park, and over 150 businesses, as well as being located on a Valley Transit Route 12. This corridor sees traffic counts of over 15,000 vehicles per day, has seen 5+ pedestrian and bicycle crashes from 2007-2017, and is an arterial (principal and minor) functional classification of roadway. The 2021 Appleton (Fox Cities) Transportation Management Area (TMA) and Oshkosh Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan also identifies STH 96 as a recommended future connection. The 2020 Valley Transit Development Plan encourages municipalities to invest in sidewalk to support ridership and leverage their investment of bus stops and shelters.