I just wanted to send a quick congratulations to the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) for hosting their first-ever trails conference on Tuesday in Traverse City. From what I saw and heard, it was a major sold-out success. I was especially pleased to see that the attendees included many trail stakeholders and experts who aren’t always directly involved with the MRPA.

One of the goals to come out of the conference was the need for supporting the DNR license plate fee proposal. Dr. Chuck Nelson delivered an great overview of the proposal and encouraged everyone to contact their legislators. This proposal needs grassroots support now more than ever.

If hikers and bikers are a truly threat to the Selfridge base then there are bigger problems than this proposed 2.5 mile trail.

From the Detroit News:

Selfridge Air National Guard base officials said Tuesday they will continue to evaluate plans for a pedestrian pathway along Lake St. Clair despite township officials’ concerns about security.

The township board on Monday night approved a resolution by a 4-3 vote urging Selfridge to take safety into consideration before approving any plans for a pathway.

Supervisor Anthony Forlini, who favors the path and voted against the resolution, said he was “disappointed” at the board’s action.

He said it is an opportunity to open up a long-closed stretch of waterfront for the benefit of township residents.

“It is a slap in the face of the residents,” Forlini said. “It is not for us to decide. It is up to the base to decide if we can do this safely.”

Read the complete Detroit News Article

Legislation was recently introduced (House Bill 5621) that would make exercise equipment and fitness memberships tax deductible in Michigan. Unfortunately it apparently applies only to stationary bikes, but bike trainers would likely be allowed. Read the rest of this entry »

I sit on Royal Oak’s Traffic and Safety Committee. The most common issue that comes before our committee is speeding on residential streets. Child and pedestrian safety drive the issue, but so does noise. Residents often ask for additional stop signs, the committee lets them know about their ineffectiveness and that we have no other options for them. Occasionally we will recommend increased enforcement, but realistically the Royal Oak police are overburdened with these requests already.

While Royal Oak doesn’t have a solution today, Ann Arbor does. They have developed a traffic calming program where residents can petition for changes that slow down vehicles in their neighborhood.  From my perspective, it’s a very realistic approach to addressing residents’ concerns.

Of course it’s relatively easy for a local governments to commit to supporting something like this. It’s quite another for them to commit to funding it. Based on their completed projects list, it appears Ann Arbor has stepped up.

MDOT recently announced their most recent Transporation Enhancement (TE) grants. TE money comes from the federal government and it requires a local matching from the grant recipient. TE grants are a major funding source for on-road and trail development.

In conjunction to the announcement, Governor Granholm added, “Michigan’s trails are gateways to recreation and tourism opportunities that grow our economy by attracting residents and visitors alike. Not only do they provide transportation and recreation options, but they make many areas of our state more livable and desirable places to do business.” Read the rest of this entry »