Better weather will bring work on 5 Washtenaw County bike path projects
Here are five path projects Washtenaw County residents can look forward to in Pittsfield Township, Ypsilanti Township, Northfield Township, the city of Chelsea and in and around Hudson Mills Metro Park in Dexter.
Saline to Ann Arbor 1. A pathway that connects Saline to Ann Arbor via Pittsfield Township should get under way in the spring, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation officials said. The 10-foot-wide asphalt trail will start at the Saline Recreation Center on Textile Road. It will head east on Textile before turning at Lohr Road. The path will end at Ellsworth Road.
Image courtesy of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Department
Ypsilanti Township 2. Just south of Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township, a bike path will be built from the Wayne County border, heading west, past Bridge Road where it will hook up with Lakeside Park. It will be the first trail in the county’s longstanding Border-to-Border Trail initiative to hit a county border. County officials are working with Wayne County to extend the trail in Wayne County all the way to Lake Erie. But to get there, they’ll have to address a roughly 5-mile gap through Van Buren Township. The Border-to-Border Trail project aims to connect Livingston and Wayne counties via a 35-mile pathway along the Huron River. Read more about the project here.
Photo courtesy of Parks and Recreation
Northfield Township 3. In Northfield Township, near Whitmore Lake north of Ann Arbor, the first segment a three-phase project that will eventually connect the elementary school to downtown Whitmore Lake will get under way along Barker Road in the upcoming months.
Photo courtesy of Parks and Recreation
Chelsea 4. Chelsea residents can look forward to several path connections that will fill the gaps in bike paths between the downtown and Pierce Lake. Three new segments will mean a full-circle path around the lake.
Photo courtesy of Parks and Recreation
Dexter 5. Border-to-Border Trail work is being done on a short pathway through Warrior Creek Park in the village of Dexter. In the future, more work is planned that will connect that small segment with a 2.6-mile path heading north into Huron Mills Metro Park. And in the mean time, the Village of Dexter is working on a bike path through Mill Creek Park that will eventually hook up with Dexter High School near Shield Road. When all the construction is complete, residents will have 10 miles of contiguous trail directly accessible from downtown Dexter from the high school heading through Hudson Mills Metropark. The hope is that all the work will be complete by 2013.
Photo courtesy of Parks and Recreation
Take our poll Which path project would you be most likely to use? Why or why not? Take our poll and leave a comment below.
Comments
Andrew Claydon
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:41 p.m.
For those complaining about roads and state budgets here's a re-post from Murph's reply to a comment… These projects are not competing for state general fund dollars, or even road dollars. These are, by and large, local, regional, state, or federal funds dedicated to parks & trails, including sources like the Washtenaw County trails & greenways millage, the Huron Clinton Metroparks Authority, and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.?? These are funds that we (as voters) have set up for the specific purpose of funding projects like this, so these are exactly the first priority that this money should be spent on.
Andrew Claydon
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:40 p.m.
Also once again they are multi-use paths. When I ride through Gallup Park, I'd say 1 in 10 people I see are on bikes. Because of this most bicycle commuters will stick to the roads, but it's sure nice to have the option. Plus the more people on bikes the less wear and tear on the roads.
julieswhimsies
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:39 p.m.
This is great news for the area! I love Washtenaw County!
Dave66
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:25 p.m.
The Saline to Ann Arbor path will destroy several huge, ancient, and *beautiful* trees on Textile Rd. I drive past them every day and I'll be very sad to see them go. I'd rather the shoulder be a little wider and paved instead of shredding these centuries old trees. I think we'll all lose something irreplaceable for a 10-foot wide ribbon of asphalt that will only be used by a few. By comparison, those trees have continuously provided habitat, shade, protection, and clean air for uncountable multitudes of creatures for at least a hundred years. Go look at the trees. Seriously. Drive out to Textile road, pull off on the shoulder, and sit in your car and look at the trees. They're huge. Look at them, and then ask yourself if they should be traded in for a strip of pavement. I don't think so.
a2roots
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:30 p.m.
Unfortunately you are making sense and most of the bike ridership lobby has only one thing on their agenda.
PK
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:19 p.m.
Can't wait for the Saline-to-Ann Arbor multi-use-path so I can bike to work. Any word on when it will be done?
a2roots
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.
Sure seems as though some bikers will be only happy if they have exclusivity on whatever path they take. @Mort...I agree completely with you. West stadium is a mess with the new alignment. The problem is the center turn lane. Curb to curb width can accommodate a bike lane and two lanes of traffic in each direction but not a center turn lane also. Since completion I have driven this road hundreds of times at all hours and can recall seeing no more than a few bike riders. Pretty much the same along S. Main and Stadium west of Pauline. No bikes but we sure have spent a bundle to accommodate their lobby. I have seen many near accidents due to the lane elimination and poor markings and signage to warn drivers at both ends of the new West Stadium section. When will the city open their eyes and realize this alignment makes no sense.
cybercitizen
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 5 p.m.
I agree that we should fix the craters in our roads before building bike paths. There are more motorists dodging these huge potholes than bike riders and walkers/joggers combined. That is what is wrong with this country now, we have put petty things ahead of what should be priority. Look at the education system.... soon America will be just like a third world country.
Mike
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.
More bike paths??????????? Our roads are falling apart and we're taking what limited financial resources we have and building bike paths? It's no wonder this state is in such a financial mess. We can't even prioritize how to spend the tax dollars we take in, and the liberals want to raise them higher and spend the money on bike paths that we can only use a few months per year. I think my heads gonna explode (some of you might like that) if I continue to read about stupid spending in this state.
lumberg48108
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
A path along the perimeter of Ford Lake in Ypsi is LONG overdue ... we have this wonderful resource (lake) and no way to safely get around it... when I ride my bike I put my life in danger w/o a clear path on a 2-lane road where drivers dont respect bikers or runners... this should have been addressed years ago in Ypsi - making it safer for pedestrians
pchbob
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:58 p.m.
All sounds great - any updates on the repaving of several Ann Arbor paths? What happened to the plan to resurface the East side of Gallup?
Bob Krzewinski
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.
On comments that the State is broke, as are cities and counties in Michigan, this is true. But the non-motorized facilities in Washtenaw County are almost completely being paid for through a tax that County voters overwhelmingly approved both in 1998 (by 66%) and 2008 (65%). This tax specifically was for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission to have funds to run our County parks and to build non-motorized facilities (such as bike and walking paths) in our County. In these rough economic times, many, many people can't afford to take distant, expensive vacations. But they obviously feel that local recreational facilities are very important to have. Bob Krzewinski Friends of the Border To Border Trail
KJMClark
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.
I made a comment on this article this morning that seems to have been removed for reasons that apparently have nothing to do with the comment guidelines. I suspect that someone on the AA.com staff who doesn't bike to work and hasn't spent half their adult life trying to fight discrimination against cyclists decided it offended them. I haven't heard why yet, but I'll try to reconstruct the comment until someone explains the discrimination. First, these are not "bike paths". Bike paths are for the exclusive use of bicyclists, as in, no runners, pedestrians, rollerbladers, etc. are allowed to use them. Toronto has some bike paths, and they're more like expressways for bicyclists. These paths are either "shared-use paths" (AASHTO term), or "multi-use paths". Next, most of the proposed paths are just sidepaths, just glorified sidewalks, and while probably nice for roller-blading, running, walking, and taking the kids to play, are examples of long-standing SE Michigan discrimination against cyclists. AASHTO recognized this problem back in 1999, and recommends against sidepaths being considered bicycle facilities. As they put it, "Shared use paths should offer opportunities not provided by the road system.", and "Bicyclists using the roadway may be harassed by some motorists who feel that in all cases bicyclists should be on the adjacent path." This kind of harassment is rampant in Michigan. These are just the kind of "paths" that encourage that kind of harassment. We cyclists often hear motorists say "you wanted all these paths, so now get off the road". But the bicycling community has not asked for separate but unequal sidepaths, nor the discrimination and harassment that comes with them. It would be better for these organizations to put bike lanes on the roads and sidewalks next to the roads, and save the shared-use paths for areas not served by the road system.
Jen Eyer
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 4:32 p.m.
Your previous comment was removed because it contained an incendiary analogy.
Basic Bob
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.
The Saline "greenway" will require removal of several large century-old trees, because it is easier than moving it across the road or through the adjacent neighborhoods that already connect with the Saline rec center. It's a great idea, just not a very thoughtful implementation.
Joel Batterman
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.
The Ann Arbor area has a much less developed bikeway network than many similar towns, like Madison and Boulder, so it's good to see these projects moving forward. When gas hits $4 a gallon, we'll be sorry we didn't get started earlier.
local
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
I am a bike fan, don't get me wrong. However, we are supposably broke and our main roads are garbage and we are worrying about bike paths. I am sorry, but I think our funding needs to go towards different projects, like Stadium bridge, or Ann Arbor-Saline road overpass, or take your pick on other necessary projects. I just think that sometimes our priorities aren't in the right place, and this will up some, but clearly not a majority of those living in the county.
murph
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:56 p.m.
As noted in my response to mel, above, this is mostly NOT money that could be used for roads - it is money dedicated to development of parks and greenways, that could not legally be used for the Stadium Bridges or other such projects.
Michael
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.
Great ! Would have been nice if the Saline - Ann Arbor path went up a busy road like Maple as it would protect more people from higher speed, higher volume traffic, but I'll take whatever helps. Thanks .!
rosewater
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
Voting NO on the next county park mileage. Just keep spending in this sour economy and when you really need the money to maintain what we already have you'll be asking the taxpayers for more! Buy yourself a bike rack and drive over to the local park.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 1:45 p.m.
Expensive but worth it if it keeps us bikers safer!
Ann Dwyer
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 5:24 p.m.
Living right next to Hudson Mills I am so grateful for the path. North Territorial Road is incredibly busy, as is Dexter-Pinckney Road. Getting out of my driveway is hazardous. If I can hop on my bike to go into town, not only am I keeping myself safer, I'm also having to drive less. And I think it will be awesome for people in town to be able to bike into the park rather than have to drive into the park. I think this is win-win.
KJMClark
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 3:43 p.m.
But they don't. The legitimate shared-use paths are primarily recreational, and don't have any affect on safety. The side paths actually increase the danger to bicyclists, since they're nothing more than wide sidewalks, and sidewalks, including wide sidewalks, are known to be two to four times as dangerous as biking in the road. That's why AASHTO recommends against them and no bicycle organization asks for them.
mel
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.
I agree that the paths are convenient; but if the state is broke.....I don't think this should be our first priority. Just my opinion.
murph
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
These projects are not competing for state general fund dollars, or even road dollars. These are, by and large, local, regional, state, or federal funds dedicated to parks & trails, including sources like the Washtenaw County trails & greenways millage, the Huron Clinton Metroparks Authority, and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. These are funds that we (as voters) have set up for the specific purpose of funding projects like this, so these are exactly the first priority that this money should be spent on.
jmac
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
Please don't refer to these as solely 'bike paths' or be more specific about intended usage of these paths. The one one Platt road that runs from Ellsworth to Michigan avenue is 10ft wide asphalt just like those described and is used for running and walking as well as biking. In fact bikers seem to avoid the one on Platt road because of the many curbs and rumble strips so I would hardly call that one a bike path. I see far more joggers and recreational walkers on the Platt road paved trail than bikers. The Platt road paved trail has been a big hit and gets a LOT of use, even over the winter. The path was maintained (plowed) so allowed year-round use - barring ice and huge puddles from melting snow. Glad to see others being built in the area.
golfer
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.
i sure think if you look at stadium blvd. do the opposite you will be fine. if you put two bikes path they will go into the street. the paths on stadium is not enough for two bikes side by side. sorry but when you give up a lane for cars for bikes that are used only some times. i think we need to rethink the concept in towns. stadium is a mess....
average joe
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 12:33 p.m.
Bike trails are great for the area. Any way we can bike in a safer environment is good. However, after checking the link from foobar, I see that the huron metropark authority is spending over $2,000,000 for three miles of trails at Hudson mills, with the washtenaw county road commission kicking in $100,000(why?). I guess I am surprised that it would cost this much. So I am curious to know how much the Washtenaw co. parks & rec is spending on these other trails. Can this info be added to the article? -just askin'
Ryan Bowles
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 12:08 p.m.
These kinds of projects are what make Washtenaw County a great place to live.
foobar417
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 11:52 a.m.
There's a better map of the proposed improvements in the Dexter area on page 27 of this PDF: <a href="http://www.metroparks.com/uploads/file/Board%20of%20Commissioners/Board%20Packets/00_2011%20Feb%20Board%20Packet%20-%20v_2.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.metroparks.com/uploads/file/Board%20of%20Commissioners/Board%20Packets/00_2011%20Feb%20Board%20Packet%20-%20v_2.pdf</a>