TRAVERSE CITY (January 17, 2003) – TART Trail officials are delighted to announce that the final easement is in place to connect the TART Trail to the Leelanau Trail. TART Trails Executive Director, Bob Otwell, will be on hand to donate the final easement to the City of Traverse City at the City Commission Meeting on Monday, January 18, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. 'This long-awaited connector will finally get trail users, young and old, off of busy M-22 and create a continuous trail corridor from Suttons Bay to Acme,' states Otwell. This easement completes 8 years of effort by City staff, TART Trails and many trail volunteers to make this connection.The trail connector would not be possible without the previously donated easements from G.S. Investments and the Patricia Keyes Trust. Also at the City Commission meeting, the City will consider accepting a donated TART Trail easement from the owners of the Freshwater Lodge property.
This project is moving towards a summer of 2003 construction. TART Trails has retained a surveying firm and the completed survey has been given to the Grand Traverse County Road Commission for design engineering. This connection is a great example of various governmental agencies and a non-profit advocacy group working together to meet the needs of the public.
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TART Trails, Inc. is a network of four trail systems located in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties utilized by thousands of people who walk, bike, run, in-line skate, cross-country ski and commute. TART Trails connects us to people, to communities, and to our past. The four trails include the Boardman Lake Trail, Leelanau Trail, TART Trail, and the Vasa Pathway. The TART trails combine to form 50 miles of recreation and transportation pathways spanning from Suttons Bay to Whitewater Township. It is estimated that the trails serve over 50,000 local residents each year while preserving valuable community greenspace.
posted 01/17/2003