Petoskey renews commitment to repair Wheelway
PETOSKEY — Following a passionate public comment regarding the continued closure of the Little Traverse Wheelway between Petoskey and Bay Harbor, the Petoskey City Council decided to take a more proactive stance in advocating for the trail.
A popular section of the Little Traverse Wheelway called the “miracle mile” collapsed due to erosion in 2020. Since then, multiple local entities have spent significant time and resources examining the issue and what options are available. A study completed in June 2022 revealed a cost estimate of $6.5 million, plus the need to purchase several easements from private landowners, to re-connect the wheelway via the U.S. 31 corridor.
In the meantime, people have been bypassing the collapsed section by walking or riding their bikes along U.S. 31, prompting safety concerns from officials.
Petoskey resident Emily Meyerson brought the issue back to the forefront during the city council’s meeting on May 1 during public comment.
Meyerson, who said she has 25 years of experience helping to build bike trails, remembered the exact day the washout occurred and described it as “probably one of the worst days of my adult life.”
“I was just so sad to see this facility fall apart,” she said.
Subscribe: Check out our latest offers
Meyerson said she is passionate about the wheelway because it provides a crucial connection for residents and visitors.
“This trail is not a recreation facility, it’s a transportation facility,” she said. “That’s what makes these kinds of bicycle trails different than your standard park. It’s a very different thing. And, to me, sometimes they get overlooked because parks (departments) should be dealing with it, or someone else, but this is a different type of facility because it crosses the lines of both transportation and recreation.”
While Meyerson acknowledged that city officials and other entities are working on the project, it will still take several more years before any long-term solution is in place. In the interim, Meyerson expressed safety concerns for those riding along U.S. 31 and urged the council “to do more.”
“We need to find a solution for our residents, for the people who live there, and for the people who come to visit who want to be able to get between them,” she said.
More: Trails council seeks community support in repairing Wheelway
More: Community discussion about wheelway repair efforts set for Nov. 15
Multiple council members expressed their own safety concerns for trail users, and batted around ideas to help generate more interest from legislators and potential funding for the project.
City manager Shane Horn cautioned against “skirting around people, going to other folks higher in the chain” at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
“This is obviously a balance because we have to have a partnership with MDOT and they’ve been a good partner overall,” he said. “But I understand and hear the concerns and certainly safety is a big concern. We have talked about potentially working with owners, whether it’s the county or others, to expand or extend the shoulder to get people more off the roadway … but unfortunately we’re going to be using the same system that we’ve used in the last couple summers at this point, unless we work with our state legislators to help us in this effort.”
Mayor John Murphy said he has made contact with State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) and U.S. Representative Jack Bergman’s office regarding the wheelway problem.
“It’s a sad situation,” he said.
Council ultimately suggested drafting letters to be sent to Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Brad Wieferich, chief operations officer for MDOT, and others to help draw attention to the problem.
“I’m willing to go to bat on this totally, like you guys are. Let’s see where we can take this,” Murphy said. “I’m feeling good about this. We’re becoming proactive and I think that’s the bottom line is we’ve got to be proactive.”
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey renews commitment to repair Wheelway
