Non-Motorized Transportation Committee

National Recognition and Local Grants for Bike-Friendly Community

Bike Paths Grand Opening  Check out new bike paths in and around downtown Midland at a September 11, 2010 event.

In April 2010, Midland received national recognition as being a bike-friendly community for efforts to develop more non-motorized transportation methods (bike/walking paths and connectors between existing pathways) throughout Midland. The League of American Bicyclists announced the award on April 28.  Midland is one of just 35 newly recognized communities from around the U.S. to receive this special designation.

To coincide with this, the City of Midland recently received a $2,000 grant from the Michigan Baseball Foundation and a $1,000 grant from Tri-City Cyclists to work on a bike loop in the downtown area. Midland City Council also has budgeted $25,000 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year to post signage downtown and lay down pavement markings on Ashman and Rodd streets between Nelson and Main streets. Citizens are encouraged to exercise safety during summer 2010, when City crews will be working in these areas.

The summer 2010 project is part of a larger effort to mark many of Midland's major streets so bicyclists know the safest portions of the roadway on which to ride. It is the City's goal to complete the majority of the projects outlined in Midland’s Non-Motorized Transportation Plan (see below) between 2015-2020.

Non-Motorized Transportation Committee

A sub-committee of the Planning Commission, Midland's Non-Motorized Transportation Committee was established in July 2008 to bring more non-motorized transportation options - such as bicycling and walking paths - to the city. The committee's vision is that within 5-10 years, most school children will walk or bicycle to school, and citizens will increasingly walk or ride their bikes to and from various destinations in the city of Midland. To meet their objectives, the committee will concentrate on education, engineering, enforcement, evaluation, and encouragement.

The focus areas for the committee are bicyclists, inline skaters, personal mobility users, schools, and walking enthusiasts.

For more information about initiatives being undertaken by the committee, click on the links below:

• Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, adopted by Midland City Council on July 22, 2009. (PDF)

• Trail Map The map shows existing and proposed paths around Midland and connecting pathways from outside the city (PDF)