Connecting communities with a county system
Many Oakland County residents enjoy their local trail systems for the convenience they provide close to home. Trails offer opportunities to take a break and enjoy the fresh air, especially this time of the year when the temperatures are cooler and the trees put on an amazing color display.
However, what you may not know is that the responsibility for developing, maintaining and expanding our county trail network has largely fallen on the shoulders of local governments and volunteer groups.
While we can all appreciate the amazing job local communities and trail groups have done with building the trail network, we know there is more work to do to ensure that it is maintained over time. Although many trail networks were constructed with grants, there are fewer funding sources available for ongoing or major maintenance projects, like resurfacing a trail. Many trails were built more than 20 years ago, and larger renovation projects are needed to keep them safe and enjoyable.
It also doesn’t take much for a major storm event to cause downed trees or washouts that can leave trails unsafe or in some cases even closed. Recently, a storm caused a washout that rendered a portion of the Clinton River Trail in Rochester completely closed. Learn more from Oakland County Parks Commissioner Andrea LaFontaine in this video.
A lack of countywide support for these important recreation assets is resulting in higher costs for trail administration and maintenance and insufficient resources for regular and large-scale maintenance of the trail network as well as missed opportunities to develop plans and secure funding for greenways and trails that connect communities across municipal boundaries.
In southern Oakland County, Oakland County Parks (OCP) has been working with the 10 communities along Nine Mile Road on a feasibility study for a pathway stretching the full 30 miles across Oakland County. We’ve helped fund and coordinate what is now referred to as the Nine Mile Task Force to look at the entire Nine Mile corridor to determine how it’s being used now for recreation and non-motorized transportation, and what improvements can be made to enhance the corridor to make it a safe, enjoyable route for pedestrians and bikers.
We’re hopeful that the Task Force can serve as a model throughout the county and the region for communities working together to share resources and collaborate to improve the quality of life for their residents. The Nine Mile Pathway Feasibility Study will support grant applications for pathway development and enhancement and provide a guide for local communities.
This November, voters will have an opportunity to support funding that, among other benefits, will allow for greater coordination and collaboration by local governments such as the Nine Mile Task Force. Taking care of our trails together will reduce operating costs and improve our chances of obtaining outside funding we can use for trail improvement and expansion projects.
The Oakland County Parks Nov. 5 ballot proposal asks for authorization to replace OCP’s current 0.35 millage set to expire in 2029 with a new 0.65 millage that would expire in 2043. If approved, the net 0.30 increased rate will generate approximately $24 million annually. The impact of the net rate increase for the owner of a home with the county’s average residential taxable value would be $40 a year.
At OCP we hope to play a larger role in the ongoing maintenance and continued expansion of the trail network through Oakland County by supporting design and engineering work, larger maintenance and safety projects and regular, daily maintenance of trails.
To learn more about the OCP ballot proposal, visit OaklandCountyParks.com.
Oakland County Parks
The Oakland County Parks are your recreation destination. OCP operates 15 parks that provide healthy outdoor adventures, soothing natural surroundings and unlimited options for good times with family and friends.
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