HWPI Celebrates Year One
During our November board meeting at Aberdeen Bike & Outdoors, the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative board members and special guests had a slice of cake to recognize a first year of hard work, community engagement, and exciting accomplishments. Some of the highlights of our first year are listed below this photo of the HWPI board members, hard at work brainstorming public engagement ideas for next year!
- Strategic Objectives
- Original: Connect Dexter and Chelsea with a non-motorized pathway.
- Current: Connect Dexter, Chelsea, Waterloo and Pinckney State Recreation Areas, and Stockbridge with the Border to Border Trail and the Lakelands Trail State Park forming “The Loop,” 44 contiguous miles of non-motorized pathways.
- Development Strategies
- Lead development with private effort and private funds
- Engage Stantec Engineering for trail alignment studies
- Partner and collaborate with like-minded organizations
- Legacy Land Conservancy, 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, The Big 400, Michigan Dept of Natural Resources, Michigan Dept of Transportation, Washtenaw County Road Commission, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, connected cities, townships, and communities
- Funding Strategies
- Raise private funds from Community Supporters and Corporate Sponsors
- 130+ Community Supporters / >$10,000 in donations to date
- 10 Corporate Sponsors / >$290,000 in commitments to date
- Apply for public funds during annual trail development cycles
- Transportation Alternatives Program through MDOT
- Trust funds through MDNR and others
- Raise private funds from Community Supporters and Corporate Sponsors
- Approach ~19 Miles of New Trail Development in Logical Segments
- Segment 1 defined as 4.7 miles of trail from M-52 & Werkner Road to M-52 & Territorial Road
- Segment 2 will probably be ~7 miles, from Dexter to Chelsea
- Trail connections within Dexter and Chelsea are being addressed in conjunction with the respective city government officials
