I used to utilize the trails almost daily. I loved biking on them instead of roads. It's been years since I've gone on a bike ride. Is there somewhere that has all of these trails on one map? Are they on Google maps? I'd love to check out all these new trails come spring!
There's also this map from the city showing all existing non-motorized trails and such + proposed ones. I'd like to see something cleaner or that more clearly differentiates between existing and proposed, but this is what we have for the moment:
@sabatoa That route is far from set in stone. There's some possibility of connecting to the existing trail that ends at Cambridge via a shared use sidewalk from Riverside Park, the benefit being that that route would be much cheaper and easier to build. I'm kinda making it my mission to get that route seriously considered, at least if the county millage is renewed in 2026.
I got a chance to speak with someone on the Capitol Commission about the Park Michigan plan, the good news is that the project is still progressing, the bad news is that DTMB is still resisting the loss of their parking lots. The park may be half or less than half the size originally shown.
I'm posting here to ask any of you who want to see this happen to please write your state senator/rep, the governor and/or the Lansing Mayor/Councilmember(s) to ask that they use any political capital that they can to push DTMB to part with the entirety of their lots in between Ottawa & Allegan to make way for the Park Michigan plan as it was originally proposed. By the sound of it they may have to settle for what DTMB is willing to give up in the coming months so they can move forward with planning so time is not on our side.
I heard from a little birdy that apparently the ONLY obstacle to studying consolidating or trimming down surface parking in the Capitol Complex is Whitmer, which kind of blew my mind, since she would know bettert than others in government about this area being from this town. But, I believe what I've heard, because she's shown herself to be plenty ambivalent about transit and urban matters in general, even more so than the previous Republican governor, which is embarrassing.
So, as far as I know, Sen. Anthony and the House reps from the area are fully for this. I guess it couldn't hurt to keep putting pressure on them to pressure her, but they aren't the ones who need convincing. The lots never made sense at the size they were; they make even less sense post-COVID with so many of the employees working from home. They are a complete waste of space and bad for the environment. It's really kind of a no-brainer...except that apparently for the governor, it isn't. lol
I have to wonder if part of the resistance to giving up parking is that DTMB/Whitmer wanted to leave open the possibility of massive return to office. Under MDHHS Director Hertel, thousands of previously 100% remote managers were forced to return to office two days a week earlier this year, for reasons that were really dubious at the time, and make even less sense today.
My pet conspiracy theory is that the return to office mandate was part of a deal with Michigan Democrats and local business lobbies to garner support for Curtis Hertel's (Director Hertel's spouse) House bid.
I honestly seriously doubt that. She just doesn't have any kind of urban agenda; it's just not something that crosses her mind or that she apparently cares about. And it be completely opposite what cities all over the state are doing - including Lansing - recognizing that these parking lots weren't even at full capacity, pre-COVID, and are now trying to unload them.
Comments
https://www.terrain360.com/map/tri-county-regional-trails/embed?continue=1#11.89/42.68815/-84.54056
https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/b6665077-115d-492d-8d46-458b6bdee9b4
https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/2687b4b7-9ef7-4c2a-9626-57b962591bed
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1F_16PkqYRdjYzxvX_0o8KjRK1o3vmCw&usp=sharing
@sabatoa That route is far from set in stone. There's some possibility of connecting to the existing trail that ends at Cambridge via a shared use sidewalk from Riverside Park, the benefit being that that route would be much cheaper and easier to build. I'm kinda making it my mission to get that route seriously considered, at least if the county millage is renewed in 2026.
I'm posting here to ask any of you who want to see this happen to please write your state senator/rep, the governor and/or the Lansing Mayor/Councilmember(s) to ask that they use any political capital that they can to push DTMB to part with the entirety of their lots in between Ottawa & Allegan to make way for the Park Michigan plan as it was originally proposed. By the sound of it they may have to settle for what DTMB is willing to give up in the coming months so they can move forward with planning so time is not on our side.
So, as far as I know, Sen. Anthony and the House reps from the area are fully for this. I guess it couldn't hurt to keep putting pressure on them to pressure her, but they aren't the ones who need convincing. The lots never made sense at the size they were; they make even less sense post-COVID with so many of the employees working from home. They are a complete waste of space and bad for the environment. It's really kind of a no-brainer...except that apparently for the governor, it isn't. lol
My pet conspiracy theory is that the return to office mandate was part of a deal with Michigan Democrats and local business lobbies to garner support for Curtis Hertel's (Director Hertel's spouse) House bid.