From MDOT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting an open house-style meeting to provide an overview on the upcoming construction work on the I-275 Metro Trail in Wayne County. The project includes reconstruction of the bike path between US-12 (Michigan Avenue) and Edward Hines Drive. Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn details and provide feedback regarding this project.

Scheduled to begin this spring 2010, MDOT will reconstruct approximately 7 miles of the Metro Trail, rehabilitate pedestrian bridges, install signals at certain intersections and upgrade signs.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 6-8p.m.

WHERE: Canton Township Administrative Building, Freedom Room, 1150 Canton Center Road, Canton
(Special accommodations: 734-394-5100)

You can optionally RSVP for this event on Facebook.

The Detroit News recently covered trails developments both Downriver and in Macomb County.

One interesting quote from Macomb County highlights the importances of biking and walking infrastructure investments as a means for attracting new companies and jobs.

Steve Cassin, the county’s director of planning and economic development, said surveys have shown that the top two factors for industry looking to locate a new operation include the availability of work force and quality of life. Greenways and outdoor offerings, he said, are a major factor in quality of life considerations.

I-275 Metro Trail

We’d mentioned earlier that the I-275 bike path (now called the I-275 Metro Trail) received $4 million in stimulus funding for reconstruct the trail from Michigan Avenue to Hines Drive. However, it did not get any round two stimulus funding.

However, bids for MDOT’s stimulus projects have been coming about 10% lower than anticipated. That has freed up additional money that MDOT will use to reconstruct the I-275 Metro Trail from Michigan Avenue south to Sibley Road, where it will connect with the Willow Metropark.

This is great news and a critical connection.

Detroit Trails

Some trail projects in the city of Detroit also received stimulus funding.

The biggest project is Phase I of the Midtown Loop. This project will transform the sidewalks on Kirby and John R into more of a RiverWalk design — wide paths with benches, art, and more. It also includes bike storage. The project has gone out to bid and construction is expected to begin in this spring.

Another project is a resurfacing project on St. Jean from Jefferson to Mack Avenue. Once resurfaced, St. Jean will have bike lanes and become another completed segment of the Conner Creek Greenway. This project has been awarded and construction should begin this spring as well.

Arsonist burns bridge on Polly Ann Trail

BikeFitness.net is reporting that arsonists set fire to a trail bridge just north of Clarkson Road in Orion Township.

The arson occurred early this morning. There was still fire retardant foam on the trail and over the creek leading to a pond. There’s no way the bridge can be repaired. It was an old railroad trestle that had just been given a new surface. It will need to be to be taken completely out and replaced. That sure isn’t going to happen any time soon.

There is a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible.

For photos and additional information, visit the BikeFitness.net web site.

I-275 Metro Trail work to begin

First, the I-275 Bike Path now has a new name: the I-275 Metro Trail. Since the trail is not just for biking, this makes sense. It’s also (mostly) within MDOT’s Metro Region.

HometownLife (via Erie Hiker) has an article on the I-275 Metro Trail reconstruction efforts.

MDOT is in the process of advertising for a contractor for the $4 million project and, according to MDOT project manager Gorette Yung, expects to have one chosen by October. She said work is expected to begin in the spring and by complete by fall 2010.

Since this is using stimulus funding, this project has a hard deadline.

In addition to  this work, MDOT is continuing to make progress on the M-5 Metro Trail between 13 Mile and 14 Mile. It’s expected that this trail will go out to bid this fall with construction beginning in spring of 2010.

Rail-Trail expansion keeps moving forward

The Spinal Column has reported on the recent progress with the Huron Valley Trail expansion.

The Commerce, Walled Lake and Wixom Trailway Management Council has approved a regional master plan for the Michigan Airline Railroad Corridor that stretches through those communities, and has set out to obtain grants that would cover the cost of acquiring the railroad corridor property.

This trail segment will be critical in that it completes a missing section of the cross-state Michigan Airline Trail. It’ll also connect with Phase II of the M-5 Metro Trail which runs between 14 Mile and Maple and is scheduled to be developed in 2010-2011.

Fixing up the Macomb Orchard Trail

There’s a pretty loose and rocky section of the Macomb Orchard Trail that makes biking less than enjoyable. The good news is a 6-inch layer of fines will be layered on top next spring. This new layer should firm up the trail. The same solution was used on a loose section of the Paint Creek Trail many years ago.

Mark your calendars. MDOT is holding an I-275 bike path construction open house from 6 PM until 8 PM on Thursday, August 13th. The open house will be held at Fellows Creek Golf Club (2936 South Lotz Road) in Canton.

This meeting is “to discuss upcoming construction work on the I-275 bike path in Wayne County. The project includes reconstruction of the path between US-12 (Michigan Avenue) and Edward Hines Drive. Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn details regarding the project.”

Also, “Scheduled to begin in fall 2009, MDOT will reconstruct the bike path, rehabilitate pedestrian bridges, install signals at certain intersections and upgrade signs.”

Early on some states were saying they may not use the transportation stimulus funding. A mechanism was in place to divide that unused state funding to other states that could use it, like Michigan. It was looking like 15 states might not make the deadline.

As it turns out, all of the states did. Their money will not funnel back to Michigan.

This is unfortunate because some projects were on the list to receive this second round of funding. A second I-275 Metro Trail (formerly known as the I-275 bike path) project was one of them, as was the Conner Creek Greenway in Detroit.