Kalamazoo River Valley Trail gets funds for another two miles

The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is growing -- sometimes a mile or two at a time.

A 2011 federal traffic enhancement grant that will help pay for a two-mile section of trail from Mayor's Riverfront Park to River Street in Comstock Township has been approved.

The latest piece of trail to be funded is expected to cost nearly $491,000. Of that more than $368,000 in federal funds will be used and just over $122,000 will come from the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County. The trail segment will be built by the Kalamazoo Count Road Commission in partnership with the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County.

This segment is part of a regional trail system connecting trails in South Haven, Kalamazoo, Portage, and Battle Creek. The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail will be 35 miles long and connect to 140 miles of regional trails.

"These trails, connecting neighborhoods, schools, business districts, parks and natural resources, are a tremendous asset to our community," says Jerry Albertson, president of the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County.

Providing transportation choices such as those offered by trail contribute to a healthy economy by making communities "more attractive to residents and businesses alike," says State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle.  

Money for the trail comes under federal law that requires 10 percent of federal surface transportation funds to be set aside for what the government calls traffic enhancement projects. Administered by the Michigan Department of  Transportation, the grants enable communities to invest in projects, such as streetscapes, roadway landscapes, and bike path and trail development.

Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Jeff Cranson, Michigan Department of Transportation