Brighton to fill gaps where sidewalks end, beginning on these two roads
BRIGHTON — City officials are hoping to fill in gaps where sidewalks end along some city streets, and funding has been set aside to start constructing walkways next year.
“There are some areas of the city that don’t have sidewalks, so there aren’t safe ways to walk to the city without walking in the road or across other people’s lawns,” Brighton City Manager Gretchen Gomolka said.
The city has been awarded $329,560 by the Southeast Michigan Council of Government to start filling in sidewalk gaps and extend walkways along two downtown streets.
Last year, city officials identified Flint Road and Williamsen Drive as neighborhoods that need completed pedestrian connections to downtown, and began engineering designs. The city appropriated $400,000 from a 2021 bond to fill gaps in city sidewalks.
"This was the first one the city wanted to tackle," Gomolka said of the location.
What's planned for next year?
City officials expect to start constructing sidewalk connections and a crosswalk next spring.
Plans include filling a gap in the sidewalk along Flint Road, between Williamsen and Spring Mountain Drive, and adding a pedestrian crossing on Flint Road at Spring Mountain Drive.
The city also plans to add sidewalks on Williamsen Drive from Flint Road to an existing sidewalk that begins at Pondview Court, and from where it ends about 150 feet south of Forest Drive to North Church Street at the curve where Williamsen Drive becomes Nelson Street.
City officials considered recent residential growth off Flint Road while setting priorities, according to Gomolka.
The city will provide a 20% match for the Transportation Alternatives Program funds through SEMCOG.
Will more gaps be filled?
Gomolka said there are other sidewalk gaps the city could prioritize in the future.
"The gaps have all been identified, but the next phase of the project hasn’t been identified," she said. "There are numerous parts of the city (that need sidewalks)."
The city has already appropriated more funding to filling gaps than it will need to match the TAP grant for Flint Road and Williamsen Drive and could seek other funding sources.
Gomolka said some stretches in the city probably won't ever see sidewalks due to the topography of the land, like hills and slopes.
SEMCOG awards more than $5.5M to 9 projects
SEMCOG awarded $5.56 million in TAP funding to Michigan communities for projects in 2023-25, according to a release.
"Creating a transportation system that provides access for everyone begins with safety,” SEMCOG Executive Director Amy O’Leary said in the release. “Each of these projects will make a significant difference in the ability of all people, especially those who walk or bike, to reach their destinations with greater comfort and safety."
The current round of TAP funding was awarded to projects in Brighton and eight additional communities, including:
26-Mile Road pedestrian bridge in Washington Township, $840,492
Streetscape and pedestrian improvements in downtown Erie, $303,640
A shared-use pathway on Beech Road in Southfield, $735,697
A shared-use pathway on Bicycle Road in Marine City, $188,311
Non-motorized pathway improvements on State Road in Pittsfield Township, $1,138,117
Non-motorized pathway improvements on Rosa Parks Boulevard and West Jefferson Avenue in Detroi,; $1,471,097
A pedestrian safety crossing on Beech Daly in Dearborn Height, $113,308
Sidewalk improvements on Southfield Road in Ecorse, $435,722
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton to fill sidewalk gaps, beginning on these two roads
