SEMCOG awards Bloomfield Township grant for pedestrian safety path

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Bloomfield Township was recently awarded a Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments for a 1.4-mile pedestrian safety path that will be installed along Telegraph Road, between Golf Drive and Mall Drive. 

This $1,427,429 grant will help develop the township into a more connected community for its residents — improving accessibility and walkability to local transit, jobs, residences, parks and schools, according to government officials. Additionally, it will connect to the Clinton River Trail. 

At Bloomfield Township’s Board of Trustees meeting Nov. 11, a ceremonial check was presented after a brief overview of the project. 

Last year, the township completed a TAP grant project on Telegraph, Franklin and Square Lake. The new 6-foot-wide path will connect to this safety path. 

“Because of the success of that project, we felt it imperative to apply for another TAP grant that covers the extension of the northbound Telegraph Road from Mall Drive all the way up to Golf Drive,” Corey Almas, director of engineering and environmental services, said at the meeting.

The township initially established a safety path master plan in 1999, which was updated in 2008 and 2018. 

Karyn Stickel, the vice president of Hubbell, Roth & Clark, said, “The township, over the years, has really put an emphasis on providing safety paths throughout the township, to provide safe, walkable and accessible paths for the public, for any non-motorized users. You have a millage to pay for a lot of that, but also we like to look for other funding sources in order to continue to meet the objectives of your safety path master plan.”

The total project cost is expected to be $2,325,347. The total township cost is $897,918. 

“Had we funded it through the township millage, it probably would have taken several years to get this constructed. So getting this funding really will help push this project forward,” Stickel said. 

One of the highlights of this program is that it will improve transit access on the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation 375 Route.

 State Rep. Sharon MacDonell said at the meeting that “this is just a wonderful program, and I am the chair of the Michigan Legislative Disability Caucus, so this kind of project is really critical to help people who cannot drive and who are taking public transit, and they really need to be able to get safely to and from our transit points, so I’m thrilled to hear about this, and I’m sure seniors and people with disabilities are going to take great advantage of it.”

 

About the TAP grant
TAP grants are competitive grants that use federal funds for “activities that enhance intermodal transportation and provide safe alternative transportation options,” Stickel said.

The grant only funds construction, meaning the township is responsible for funding the design engineering, construction engineering and right-of-way acquisition.

The township applied for the grant in February, and it was awarded in May for fiscal year 2027, which is when construction will start.