Thriving Communities
Traverse City has shown that anything is possible. The arts are a growing and important part of our local culture and economy. Now it’s time to ramp up the local music scene to a level that meets the high standards of our terrific town ....
Michigan’s roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair, yet the funding structure for transportation is broken. The measure on the ballot this May 5 attempts to remedy that. While Proposal 1 is not a perfect fix, the Michigan Land Use Institute firmly believes that the positive changes it would have for our infrastructure far outweigh the negatives. ...
A2TC | March 26, 2015 | By MLUI
The work to bring passenger rail to Traverse City is off to a good start thanks to a quick crowdfunding effort that raised almost $19,000 in ten days. This month, the Michigan Land Use Institute took first place in the Patagonia and Moosejaw “$10,000 Charity Thing,” an annual crowdfunding competition among ten causes nationwide, and took home an additional $5,000 prize for a total of $18,650....
Modern passenger rail service connecting Traverse City to Ann Arbor... it's quite a vision. It would strengthen our regional economy and stimulate development along the route. It would take cars off the highways, with the environmental benefits of cleaner air and less fuel consumption. It would use an existing asset to offer a new transportation option for those of us who live in the Traverse City area and an appealing new way for visitors to come to our area. But what’s most exciting? It can be a reality, and it’s the Michigan Land Use Institute’s goal that within 10 years, regular passenger train service connects Traverse City and Ann Arbor....
A brand-new Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners narrowly avoided a decision this week that would have put the key road crossing of the Boardman River at Cass Road out of commission while gambling on an elusive and expensive bypass to connect Hartman and Hammond roads....
Last month, the Michigan Senate passed a package of bills that would invest about $1.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation network. Now with only six days remaining in the lame-duck session, it’s up to the Michigan House of Representatives to act on a crucial investment strategy for Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure. MLUI believes the Senate’s package is the right approach. ...
Experts will host a panel discussion providing information on how to bike and bus this winter. Topics will include: How to navigate the TART Trail Network in winter weather; winter transit tips for utilizing the Bay Area Transit Authority (BATA) system; and advice from NORTE! on how families and kids can enjoy cycling throughout the winter....
Major improvements could be on the way for one of Traverse City’s busiest roads and one of the region’s greatest transportation challenges: Division Street. And right now, local residents can help shape its future....
My name is Kate Lewis and I am the newest addition to the MLUI team. I am currently serving a second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA here in Traverse City and I'm excited to be hosted by such an outstanding organization....
Earlier this month, I set out on a mission to ride the bus from Traverse City to Frankfort. The nearly 80 mile round-trip task seemed daunting at first, as I imagined spending the better half of my day commuting back and forth. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the TC Express, a Benzie Bus route that takes an average of one hour to get from city to city....
Ray Minervini, the local developer and visionary responsible for transforming an abandoned state hospital into a vibrant multi-use community known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, received the 2014 Milliken Distinguished Leadership Award at the inaugural Harvest@TheCommons event on October 11....
Did you know that Michigan recently passed new legislation making it much, much easier for state residents of any financial background to invest in Michigan-based businesses?
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Since MLUI released a report that described what it would take to get some kind of train running on the 11-mile stretch of railroad tracks between Traverse City and Williamsburg, I’ve presented the idea to local community groups, state transportation agencies, and to an eager audience at the Michigan Rail Conference in Metro Detroit. The more I investigate this idea, the more realistic it becomes....
The Michigan Land Use Institute is pleased to submit the following comments to the TC-TALUS Board regarding the TC-TALUS Long-Range Plan....
The Traverse City Area Transportation and Land Use Study (TC-TALUS), the regional transportation planning agency, wants feedback on their draft long-range plan, which recommends how local agencies should spend scarce transportation dollars. While there are many bright spots in the plan, it assumes we can build our way out of traffic problems with new and wider roads. It fails to recognize the role that demand-side strategies—like parking management, reliable transit and safe bike networks—play in reducing traffic at the busiest times of the day....
While some may not believe that solar could be successful in northern Michigan, there are already local moves toward solar that say otherwise. One example is the Bay Area Transportation Authority using solar panels on their 14 new bus shelters....
MLUI's latest report describes how rail travel could boost tourism and development in the area; the upgrades needed to run passenger trains along the tracks; and how comparable towns around the country restored old train lines....
The Michigan Land Use Institute will release the report, “Getting Back on Track: Uncovering the Potential for Trains in Traverse City,” on July 19 at the historic train depot in Traverse City. The report will describe what it would take to have some type of train running on the 11-mile stretch of tracks between Traverse City and the Acme/Williamsburg area....
Seeing how many people came out to the Smart Commute Week events made me wonder how this event came about and its place in the Traverse City community. I had the opportunity to sit down with Arianne Whittaker from TART Trails, which organizers the week, and ask her some questions....
If you’re a downtown Traverse City employee, you are eligible for one of 50 free Bay Area Transportation Authority passes that will allow you to take unlimited rides on all City Loops and Village Loop routes from July through December 2014....
