Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance

Michigander Participants to be Featured on MTGA Web Site

One Michigander rider will be featured each day on the Michigan Trails and Greenways (MTGA) Web site during the Bicycle Tour this July 11-17. MTGA announced today an effort showcase some of the great participants in the ride by telling their stories on the Web site. The short feature stories will cover why participants enjoy biking and supporting Michigan’s multi-use trails and will be posted right here on MTGA’s home page. If you or someone you know are registered to ride the Michigander and would like to be featured, email michigander [at] michigantrails [dot] org

Sign up today for the Michigander and bring your family and friends. The Michigander Bicycle Tour is offering free incentives for those who recruit riders. To learn more follow this link.

Thursday, June 25, 2009, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Kalamazoo County Fairground-Expo Center-Room A - 2900 Lake St., Kalamazoo, MI 49048

An Evening of Trail Talk!

Create a vision of connected trails. Update the MDOT 9-county bike map (www.swmpc.org/trailmaps.asp), and draw on and mark up maps to show existing trail, wide paved shoulders, bike lanes, and opportunities for planned and desired connections. For more information www.swmpc.org/smart_plan.asp

October 25-28  - Radisson Hotel & Suites -  Kalamazoo, Michigan

Professionals, advocates and trail users are working together to create a growing network of greenways and trails tying together people, places and opportunities for recreation. In the spirit of working together, the 4th Mid-America Trails & Greenways Conference celebrates existing and new connections and offers an excellent opportunity for all those involved in trails and greenways to share our experiences, learn from each other and continue connecting our trails and greenways.

Kalamazoo combines a wealth of recreational trails, parks and natural areas with a vibrant mix of historic neighborhoods and a renovated and vibrant Art Deco downtown. Named by the Urban Land Institute as “Top Ten Turnaround Downtown”, Kalamazoo offers many award-winning visitor destinations from brewpubs and wineries to outstanding museums to sparking lakes and rivers that will offer an enjoyable experience for all participants.

Please plan to attend and mark your calendar to save the date. More information to follow or contact the Michgan Trails and Greenways Alliance at 517.485.6022.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CONFERENCE FOLLOW THIS LINK

Celebrate Earth Day and get out and enjoy a trail today! Or come out this Saturday to help clean up the I-275 Pathway, a 40+ mile-long trail through Oakland, Wayne, and Monroe counties. The clean-up this time will focus on the Canton area, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m. Park at the Home Depot parking lot near the old Don Pablo’s Restaurant, 39895 Ford Road.

Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and gloves. Bring loppers, pruners, rakes, and shovels if you have them. Water and light snacks will be provided.

This is the second clean-up of the year. Four more are scheduled for July 11, July 18, September 12, and Sept. 19th.

For more information, visit the yahoo group page: www.yahoogroups.com/I-275 Pathway or the Facebook page!

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has launched a comprehensive planning process for the CIS Trail. The project is in the early stages of planning and officials are seeking input from the public on recreation uses and development priorities. Citizens who are interested are encouraged to attend one of the following open houses:

Monday, March 23, 4-6 p.m. at the James P. Capitain Center, 149 E. Corunna Ave. in Corunna

Tuesday, March 24, 4-7 p.m. at the Clinton County Courthouse, 100 State St., St. Johns

Wednesday, March 25, 7-9 p.m. at the Ionia County Commission on Aging Building, 115 Hudson St., Ionia

February 19, 2009 - University of Michigan - Flint

This event is for citizen advocates, community planners, and  local officials and anyone who wants to help make their community a great place.

1. Grant Writing for Trails and Greenways
2. Projects for Public Spaces
3. Design Standards for Complete Streets
4. Creating a Volunteer Maintenance Program
5. Trail Funding Resources
6. Liability for Trails
7. Successful Trail Advocacy

RSVP to Alberta Gunsell at (810) 257-3010 or agunsell [at] co [dot] genesee [dot] mi [dot] us by February 12, 2009

Title: Dequindre Cut Community Forum
Location: Friend’s School in Detroit
Link out: Click here
Description: The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is hosting a Community Forum on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at Friends School at 5:30 p.m.  The October 28th Forum provided an update on the construction of the Dequindre Cut, the Conservancy’s role in the future of the Dequindre Cut and an update on the East Riverfront.

On November 18th, we want to discuss future programming on the Dequindre Cut and the East Riverfront. We are inviting the leaders in the community to participate in this discussion. If know of any community leaders (block club officers, CB Patrols, PTA/LSCO, District Councils) in the near eastside neighborhoods who want to share the thoughts of their constituency or hear our thoughts, please forward the invitation!

Please RSVP to 313-566-8243 or at rsvp [at] detroitriverfront [dot] org. Space is limited!

We look forward to seeing you.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
Start Time: 17:30
Date: 2008-11-18

Last Tuesday, the full Detroit City Council approved two resolutions relating to an MDOT-funded Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan.

Giffels-Webster along with other firms and the City of Detroit developed the plan, which calls for various improvements for walking and biking in Detroit, including greenways and nearly 400 miles of bike lanes.

Link to Detroit Non-motorized Transportation Master Plan

While this plan had been accepted by Detroit Traffic Engineering, it wasn’t getting implemented.   And, since it had not been endorsed by City Council, MDOT had reservations about whether it was truly official.

MTGA and others vowed to change that.

We worked to get the plan formally presented to Council President (now Mayor) Ken Cockrel Jr.’s Green Task Force.  We received a very favorable response.

Next, the plan was presented to the city council’s Public Health and Safety Committee.  With a solid showing of public support, the committee created resolutions to approve it.  Those resolutions were approved last week by the full council.

Both resolutions are shown below.  The first endorses the plan while the second urges Detroit’s mayor to implement it. Read the rest of this entry »