Click here for Buffalo Ridge Trail RFP and Map

The City Bike Shop’s floor space, located at 322 S. Union Street in Old Town Traverse City, will transform to host the event. TART Trails, MyWHaT and Oryana are partnering sponsors. Steve Basch, owner of The City Bike Shop, shares, “”With continued growth of cycling in the area we’re excited to host Elly Blue’s Dinner and Bikes program to share ways to incorporate cycling into everyday life.”

A limited number of tickets are available for $10 each online. If any tickets are remaining they will be sold at the door on a first come first serve basis.

Anyone eager to help clear the trail should sit tight for now. Jim and crew are out assessing the whole situation before they put a call out for volunteers. They will likely be organizing volunteer crews for tomorrow.

TART Trail Ambassadors, community partners and trail neighbors will be stationed at eight locations along the TART, Boardman Lake and Leelanau trails to provide trail information, tips and treats. We will share information about upcoming events, including snow removal and grooming efforts, general management and overall operations of the trails. With the time change and decreasing daylight hours, we will also be reinforcing general safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries, such as bike lights, reflective gear and helmets.

The station hosts and locations are listed below and found on this map:

1. Grand Traverse Co. Road Commission on the TART Trail at Bunker Hill Rd.
2. TART Ambassadors on the TART Trail at 3 Mile Rd.
3. TART Ambassadors on the TART Trail at Rose St.
4. Oryana on the Boardman Lake Trail at the 10th St Trailhead
5. TART Ambassadors on the Boardman Lake Trail at Premier Place Condos
6. TART Staff on the TART Trail at Railroad and Washington St.
7. TART Staff on the Leelanau Trail at the Caboose off of Carter Rd.
8. TART Ambassadors on the Leelanau Trail at the Cherry Bend Trailhead

Please stop by one or more of the stations to talk about the trails and enjoy some treats. For more information, contact Lee Kurt, Trail Planning and Program Director, at lee@traversetrails.org or 231.941.4300.

The panel includes public officials and non-profit representatives knowledgeable of the need for, and benefits of, a transportation system geared to provide options for all modes of transportation. Panel members are Matt McCauley, Director of Regional Planning at Northwest Michigan Council of Government; Jim Moore, Director of the Disability Network of Northern Michigan; Ray Sharp of Western U.P. Health Department; and Wally Delamater, Village Manager of Suttons bay.

TART Trails Director Julie Clark will briefly introduce the concept of complete streets and share two public service announcements created this past summer to raise awareness of what it means to have a connected community with transportation choices.
Light refreshments will be available at 5:30 and the program will begin at 6pm. The discussion is open to the public and there will be time at the end for questions and answers.

Please visit thegrandvision.org or contact Julie Clark at 231.941.4300 for more information.

On Thursday, October 25th, TART Trails hosted a meeting with government officials, local law enforcement agencies, social services organizations, trail neighbors and businesses to discuss the recent incidents. The group reviewed existing efforts, which include regular patrols of the trails by Traverse City police officers, safety programs for community groups offered by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Department, Goodwill outreach and services, and other programming efforts including the TART Trail Ambassador program. Trail Ambassadors are a group of frequent trail users that are trained to answer questions, report maintenance issues, and present a watchful eye along the trail.

The group identified specific limitations or gaps and steps that can be taken to address them.  Lee Kurt, TART Trails Planning & Program Director is encouraged by the group’s discussion and looks forward to future work together, “We were pleased with the great turn-out and dialogue generated from the meeting. It is clear that trail safety and increased use is a priority among a diverse group of agencies and organizations throughout our community. The discussion provided TART Trails with information and a better understanding of how to work together on solutions. “ Some of the future efforts proposed by the group included improved communication between law enforcement, TART and trail neighbors, personal safety programs, improved maintenance and upkeep along the trails, and public awareness events.

Steve Nance, General Manager of the Oryana Natural Foods Market, was a panel participant. Nance is committed to working to encourage trail use and promote a safe and positive trail experience, “Oryana is proud to be one of the trailheads along our wonderful Boardman Lake Trail.  Many of our staff, guests and neighbors use and enjoy the trail and we fully encourage its use. Oryana is a committed partner with TART, the Police and Sheriff, Goodwill and our trail neighbors to keep the trail safe and a great experience for all that use it. Further, we support those working to provide assistance to those in our region that are experiencing challenges in these difficult economic times.”

For more information contact Lee Kurt, TART Trails Planning & Program Director, at 231.941.4300 or Lee@traversetrails.org

Public Workshop Press Release

The Cherry Capital Cycling Club is hosting the 29th annual Leelanau Harvest Tour, a bicycle road ride through scenic Leelanau County, on Sunday, September 16. More than 1000 riders are expected to participate in this noncompetitive event. The ride starts in Suttons Bay with all route options following along a portion of the recently completed Leelanau Trail before heading out to the scenic roads of Leelanau County. The tour is a benefit for TART Trails.

The Leelanau Harvest Tour is known for its delectable food stops and gorgeous scenery. Each stop features a large spread of snacks that include local specialties from area merchants and restaurants. Pre-registered riders will also enjoy a post-ride meal provided by Catering by Kelly’s. Bay Area Recycling for Charities will again be composting or recycling all the waste generated at the food stops and lunch, making the ride a zero waste event.

Route options cover 20, 40, 65 or 100 miles throughout the beautiful rolling hills of Leelanau County. Challenge yourself on the hills; reward yourself with great views, great food and great fun! We hope to have families and beginner riders experience the joy of bicycling a manageable distance with the 20 mile route. All routes start out heading south along the Leelanau Trail before continuing to the roads of Leelanau County.

The event starts and ends at Suttons Bay Schools at 500 Elm Street in Suttons Bay. Additional event details and online registration are available at www.leelanauharvesttour.org. Ride applications are also available at any of the Traverse City area bike stores or at the TART Trails office.

John Robert Williams and Peter Doren won the award in 2011 for their contributions to the trail system over the previous twenty years. Doren was instrumental in writing the original Rotary Charities grant that launched the local trail network, which now has over sixty miles of trail. Williams helped secure additional funding to get the urban TART Trail completed and provided leadership when four trail organizations – Leelanau Trail, Vasa Pathway, Citizens for a Better Way and Boardman Lake Trail all came together to form TART Trails. Nominations are open to anyone who has advocated for building, maintaining and using trails in the Grand Traverse region.

Send submissions in writing by August 31 to TART Trails, PO Box 252, Traverse City, MI 49685, or via email to info@traversetrails.org. Please state the reasons you believe the person should receive this award. Please be specific and offer a few paragraphs that validate your candidate. In addition, please include any biographical information may be relevant and helpful for the selection committee.

Past award recipients include: Lois Bahle, Tim Brick, Jim Dombrowski, George Lombard, Dave Monstrey, Dick Naperala, Ted Okerstrom, Tom Phillips, June Thaden, John Robert Williams and Peter Doren. The award will be presented at the TART Trails’ Oktoberfest Dinner on October 16th. For more information, call the TART Trails office at (231) 941-4300.