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Posted on Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 5:57 a.m.

New plans approved for Border to Border Trail bridge in Ypsilanti

By Tom Perkins

A proposed pedestrian bridge linking the Border to Border Trail to two Ypsilanti parks will cross the Huron River just north of the Michigan Avenue bridge.

The location was changed after the Michigan Department of Transportation rejected the idea of a bridge running under Michigan Avenue because of concerns about the Michigan bridge's structural safety.

The bridge will connect the Border To Border Trail from Riverside Park to Water Street near where a proposed recreation center could be built on Water Street.

Ypsilanti_Pedestrian_Bridge_2.jpg

A pedestrian bridge will cross the Huron River just north of Michigan Ave.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Plans call for the project to include a fishing pier and the span will run from a parking lot near river’s west bank to an area near the Fischer Honda dealership on the east bank.

City Planner Teresa Gillotti said the city is working with Fischer Honda to develop an agreement that will allow the trail to run through its property.

The trail will then cross Michigan Avenue via a pedestrian crosswalk that will likely include a pedestrian island and possibly HAWK lighting. HAWK lighting is a high-intensity overhead crosswalk signal that flashes yellow and allows pedestrians to press a button to turn the lights red.

Gillotti said MDOT considers the new plans safe.

The bridge is funded through a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant awarded to the city.

Linking Frog Island Park, Riverside Park, Water Street and Water Works Park is a high priority in the Ypsilanti Parks and Recreation Commission's master plan process, and the city has been working with the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission to get the bridge built.

The trail will continue southward into Ypsilanti Township, but it must cross the Huron River at some point if it is to be continuous.

Gillotti said preliminary engineering work is under way and the project would likely happen in the 2013 construction season. The city is seeking another Michigan DNR Trust Fund grant that would fund a section of the Border to Border Trail through Water Street. Those funds wouldn’t be available until 2013, and Gilllotti said the city would like to build the bridge and new trail at one time.

At its June 5 meeting, the Ypsilanti City Council selected the new location over a proposed crossing farther north in Riverside Park.

Comments

Thomas

Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.

"Linking Frog Island Park, Riverside Park, Water Street and Water Works Park" Where is Water Street and Water Works Park? I can't find them on Google maps. Besides the actual Border to Border trail doesn't go by Riverside Park. From Grove Rd it turns west on South St then North on Park St, then west on Cross St, then North on Market Place which runs along side of Frog Island Park.

foobar417

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 12:47 p.m.

Thomas, the whole point is to move the Border-to-Border trail off of city streets and into parks along the river wherever possible. Once the bridge, HAWK signal, and Water Street connections are in place, it will be possible to get from Grove to Forest entirely off road, along the river.

John Nasers

Fri, Jun 22, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.

40 Catherine St Ypsilanti, MI 48197 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=40+Catherine+St+Ypsilanti,+MI+48197&ll=42.238558,-83.608189&spn=0.01989,0.034761&client=safari&oe=UTF-8&hnear=40+Catherine+St,+Ypsilanti,+Washtenaw,+Michigan+48197&gl=us&t=m&z=15&lci=bike

Bob Krzewinski

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.

Fact check time... 1) NO City Of Ypsilanti funds are being used for this Border To Border Trail bridge. The majority of funds for the bridge/crossing are out of the State Of Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund, which is funded from funds the State receives from oil and gas leases. If Ypsi doesn't use these funds, they will go to other Michigan cities. The other major contributor is the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, using trail buiding funds County voters overwhelmingly approved. 2) Property for the crossing of Michigan Avenue should already be easements the City owns. Fischer Honda is adjacent to this land, so there should be no "payments" to them. 3. While the Michigan Department of Transportation was opposed to the original plan to route the B to B Trail under Michigan Avenue, another problem was that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quaility would not issue a permit for an "under Michigan Avenue" bridge either due to potential current changes in a high current area. It should also be understood that when an intial engineering study was done on the "under" bridge, both MDOT and MDEQ did not initially object to the "under' bridge, then changed their mind.

slave2work

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 4:02 p.m.

WOW.. first they allow that god-forsaken island mess in downtown, now everyone has to stop for another light . I just see this as an accident just waiting to happen. Someone is going to get hit.

moveover2012

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.

You can cross over by following riverstreet it has a trafficlight ....just save $$$$$$ the rec.center has to wait for the ground to settle!

Joe

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 10:34 p.m.

The point is to connect the parks so as to make them more accessible and enjoyable. A family on bikes, for instance, cannot currently get from Riverside to Water St. or Waterworks.

akronymn

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.

Crossing at River is not a viable option as it would require taking the B2B trail onto streets which is exactly what we're trying to avoid. The money is coming from a grant funded by the MDNRE so this is costing the city and count exactly $0. Getting bicycles and pedestrians across Michigan while keeping them in that strip of park land is an important and positive measure. This project will be great for everyone involved.

moveover2012

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.

Well ,nice to know, but in ypsi downtown people in wheelchair or walker, slow cannot even get the street/sidewalk repaired , over a 5 year preiod and constant requeset! So how much money is the Honda dealership getting in this deal? If no one under the bridgewalk is save(since the bridge could fall),What happens to the traffic over that bridge? Now that summer is here and the new business are opened on michigan ave. please sloooowww the trafic down first for save to cross the streets. plus for the traffic too seee the new businesses(free advertising) sooslow down now!

Deb Anderson

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 12:26 p.m.

I happened to ride the B2B this week from St. Joe's to Ford Lake and back and as I crossed Mich. Ave (with the pedestrian light on) I came within inches of being hit by a car because the driver decided to turn on the no turn red light. (Of course he was the one who got mad, because I was in his "way"....) One of the best attributes of this entire area is the B2B trail and the better it can be, the better for all of us.

Madeleine Borthwick

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 5:38 p.m.

Deb, I can sympathize. there seems to be no shortage of drivers in A2 who think that what they have to do is more important than what we pain-in-the-butt pedestrians have to do. Get off the road, the King/Queen is coming down it! out of my way, you insignificant pedestrians!

akronymn

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.

@brian123 There are plans and funding in place to improve signage throughout most of the trail in Ypsilanti. You are absolutely right that it needs improvement.

brian123

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.

Just curious...does anyone think there is a severe lack of signage along the trail, particularly along the Fuller Rd. stretch? Last time I rode that portion, I noticed a handful of people who looked lost going from the Riverside Park segment to the Mitchell Park segment. For Ann Arborites, good signage might not be a big deal...but for visitors, it's crucial.

Gary Clark

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : noon

I agree that this is an important development and I am happy to see something move forward on this. I am also disappointed in the solution city council had to accept. Stopping traffic at this point on Michigan Avenue, especially after the Washtenaw County Recreation Center is built (if it ever is built) may prove to be a problem for cars, trucks, pedestrians and bikers alike.

Ron Granger

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.

Isn't a big assumption that traffic will actually stop?

Stephen Lange Ranzini

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 11:49 a.m.

This is an important initiative which has the potential to be an economic development catalyst. Finishing the Border to Border Trail through Ypsilanti should be a priority of the city and county, as it improves quality of life and makes the area more desirable to live in. Microsoft relocated from Albuquerque, N.M., to Redmond, Wash., early in its corporate existence, for example, primarily because Redmond had the Sammamish River Trail, a 10.9-mile bike path and recreational rail trail.

Chip Reed

Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 10:40 a.m.

This is a disappointment. MDOT's concerns about the effect on the Michigan Ave. bridge over the river appears to be based on a perspective that a bike trail is just a frill, with no value as a transportation route. A crossing where the path traffic stops the cars and trucks on US-12 doesn't seem like the best solution.