News & Views
MLUI’s summer intern, Rebecca Fisher, has never been to Michigan, let alone Traverse City. As part of her time here with us, we thought it’d be interesting to get her fresh perspective on all things “Up North” ...
On Wednesday, the Senate’s Infrastructure Modernization Committee passed five bills, three of the House bills and two from the Senate, that would flow new transportation money based on the normal transportation funding formula, Act 51. The bills would ensure that all transportation agencies get a share of the funding....
Transportation advocates all over the state say the most recent proposal to raise much-needed money for transportation would bypass the state’s normal funding formula and divert money to roads only, leaving out transit.
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Traverse City's 20th annual Smart Commute Week is set for Saturday, May 31, through Saturday, June 7. Register now for the Smart Commute Challenge—it's free, open to the public, and available for all ages and abilities. One person can be a team, but it’s always more fun as a group, so rally your friends, co-workers, classmates and families and register by Friday, May 16....
Recently, TC-TALUS—this region’s transportation and land use planning body—released a memo that described the challenges with our road network’s ability to handle the traffic that travels between the east and west sides of the Grand Traverse region. The document is intended to help the TC-TALUS board prioritize major transportation projects for the region’s long-range transportation plan. Here are a few reactions. ...
Fundrise allows average people to invest in property development even if they lack the credibility and capital of a wealthy developer. For northern Michigan, it’s a tool that offers a fascinating new process for rebuilding our area’s village centers and reinvesting in Traverse City’s emerging neighborhoods like Eighth Street, 14th Street, and Garfield Avenue.
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Last month’s Buses Without Borders event was a huge success! We heard terrific presentations from Vance Edwards, Kirk Steudle, Roger Millar, and Jay Flint. They talked about how reliable and efficient transit, when marketed well, can become a huge boost for tourist-based rural areas like ours.
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Traverse Gourmet owners Norm and Cile Plumstead have pledged 1% of their business’s 2013 profits to the Michigan Land Use Institute. ...
Last week, while national transportation experts like Kirk Steudle, Roger Millar, and Jay Flint were laying out a new plan for how regional transit can boost this region’s economy, Traverse City’s regional planning board was laughing....
Traffic congestion is one of northwest Michigan’s most contentious issues, and transportation officials continue to seek ways to alleviate congestion. On Feb. 24, MLUI’s “Buses Without Borders” forum laid out a strategy to make public transportation part of the solution. But a few obstacles remain before transit becomes a truly viable alternative for many workers in the region. For nearly 16,000 people who work in a different county than their home, the county lines make it difficult for them to use buses to commute....
The only way agencies will capture everyday commuters and tourists is by offering an efficient express bus service that connects the region’s cities and villages to Traverse City regardless of county lines....
It’s been nearly 10 years since the “Grand Traverse Dinner Train” picked up passengers in Traverse City and led them through a three-hour tour of scenic northern Michigan. But a new study by the Michigan Land Use Institute is looking at a possible return of train service Up North....
There’s a way for many summer travelers and busy delivery trucks to bypass Traverse City if they want to avoid the area’s busiest roads like Division, Grandview Parkway, and S. Airport Road. It’s a bypass that connects Chums Corner with the east side of Traverse City using Keystone and Beitner Roads. ...
Traffic is a hot issue in Traverse City, yet much of the debate focuses on how to move traffic from one area to another, rather than ways to actually reduce it. Unless we give visitors and workers more options for getting around, congestion will increase....
South Airport Road, the region’s main east-west route, is choked with industrial parks, strip-malls, fast food joints—and lots of cars. It’s a busy road for motorists, and dangerous for people who bus, bike or walk. But a series of small changes, like improving those inefficient traffic lights, could keep you moving....
There are a few ways to improve flow so the parkway can better handle traffic and, at the same time, become safer for those who want to cross between downtown and the lake....
Some major fixes to our local roads are on the way thanks to a state general fund surplus found earlier this year. The projects includes $500,000 for a Division Street study, $1 million to replace the aging Front Street bridge in downtown Traverse City, and money for street repairs in the villages of Kingsley and Fife Lake....
Improving Division is just one piece of a broad set of strategies to reduce congestion in the Traverse City area. Others strategies include improving Grandview Parkway and S. Airport Roads, upgrading Keystone and Beitner Roads; and making it easier for people to get around without a car....
Wow! It’s going to be a cold, snowy winter here in northern Michigan. All you regular bike or walk commuters may want to thaw out on a nice, warm bus this winter. Brrrr…
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In the Grand Traverse region, our long-distance commutes are having a big impact on our health. In fact, most Grand Traverse area workers spend about 46 minutes a day sitting alone in their cars traveling to and from work....
