October 10, 2007 - - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that 41.3 miles of abandoned rail corridor in Ionia, Clinton, and Shiawassee counties will be preserved and made available for a non-motorized trail for mid-Michigan.
"This great collaboration creates exciting new recreational opportunities in mid-Michigan," Granholm said. "By meeting public demand for more recreational trailway, it expands Michigan's beautiful natural environment for all of our citizens to enjoy."
The preservation effort is the result of a partnership of the state departments of Transportation, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, state legislators, the Michigan Milk Producers Association, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, Ionia, Clinton, and Shiawassee counties, local officials and community groups.
The rail corridor extends from approximately North Jackson Street in Ionia County, east through Clinton County, to approximately Smith Road in Shiawassee County. In addition to creating a continuous non-motorized trail that will connect 16 local communities and result in a recreational asset, the rail corridor preservation will provide property for the potential expansion of the Michigan Milk Producers food processing facility in Ovid, and for an MDOT project near St. Johns.
The new trail supports the Governor's vision for an interconnected trail system and the "Connecting Michigan" initiative, sponsored by the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance and its many partners. In 2006, the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, a long-standing advocate for non-motorized trails, sponsored an initiative with several hundred partners to develop a statewide trailways vision and action plan.
The non-motorized trail will become a valuable transportation and recreational asset while preserving future opportunities for statewide trail connectivity. There is a potential to connect the trail to Grand Rapids and Muskegon to the west, the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail to the north, and with Flint to the east.
The total project cost is $1.3 million, including $1 million in funding from the federal Transportation Enhancement Program, administered by MDOT, and $260,000 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Due to increased milk production in the state from increased investment by dairy farmers, the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is looking at the possibility of expanding its manufactured dairy products plant in Ovid. The MMPA and MDOT are working together on a property transaction that will allow for the potential expansion while keeping the corridor available for future rail use and allowing for a continuous non-motorized trail. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and others have provided assistance in this process.
In St. Johns, MDOT will replace an aging railroad bridge on US-127 Business Route (BR) with two box culverts, which will provide trail access under the highway. The project also will improve safety by improving visibility, resulting in more efficient traffic flow on local streets near the bridge.
Under federal law, 10 percent of federal surface transportation funds are set aside for Transportation Enhancement projects. Administered by MDOT, the grants enable communities to invest in landscapes, streetscapes, and bike path development. Transportation Enhancement funds provide a maximum of up to 80 percent of the money required for each project, with the remainder coming from state and local government and the private sector.
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund was established in 1976 to provide a source of funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and public outdoor recreation. The funding is derived from royalties on the sale and lease of state-owned mineral rights.
Protect Michigan families: Where Workers Present Drive 45!
- A message from MDOT and Michigan's Give 'em a Brake Safety Coalition
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