MDOT looking for input on proposed transportation plan and road & trail bicycling guide

Washtenaw County from MDOT University Region Active Transportation Plan draft.

submitted by Aaron Jenkins, Michigan Department of Transportation

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking the public’s input on the draft University Region Active Transportation Plan, along with the Road and Trail Bicycling Guide, highlighting current and proposed nonmotorized connections throughout MDOT’s University Region (Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw counties). The drafts are available at https://mdot.altago.site/.

The final draft of the active transportation plan is an assessment of current conditions and a blueprint for future improvements of active transportation road and trail facilities in the MDOT University Region. Based on analysis and stakeholder and public engagement, the University Region Active Transportation Plan introduces a set of proposed active transportation corridors. These corridors are intended to serve as a guiding framework, not a prescriptive plan, for identifying opportunities to enhance regional connectivity and safety for people walking, biking, and rolling across the region.

The proposed corridors were selected through a data-informed process grounded in the four core analyses of the existing conditions phase: crashes, demographics, demand, and traffic stress. These analyses highlight where investments in active transportation could yield the most benefits and offer a starting point for planning regional connectivity.

The draft road and trail bicycle guide is a resource for residents and visitors to identify bicycling routes, including on-road and trail connections across the region.

The current drafts of the plan and bicycle guide will be available for public comment from Wednesday, July 23, to Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Once the comment period has concluded, both documents will undergo additional formatting and finalization for distribution.

The public is encouraged to provide feedback and comments either through the questionnaires found on the above website, via email to MDOT-Contact-UniversityRegion@Michigan.gov, or by mail to Mike Davis Jr., MDOT University Region Planner, 4701 W Michigan Ave, Jackson, MI 49201.

Manchester area of the MDOT road and trail bicycling guide draft.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.