Traverse City to Obama: We‘re ready

Jan. 4, 2009

No, Matt Skeels has not heard from Obama’s people on what kind of roads and infrastructure TC-Talus wants to build in the area, but he’s ready with a list for when they do.
Earlier this month, President-elect Barack Obama said that he wants to invest billions of dollars into public infrastructure in order to repair crumbling roads and give the withering economy a jump start.
“One of the important points is that they want the projects ready to go real soon,” said Skeels, who heads up the Traverse City Transportation And Land Use Study (TC-TALUS). The group oversees future projects for Traverse City’s urban area.
“There’s not a lot of money for pre-planning or pre-engineering, but immediate impact stuff that will create jobs and get the economy moving. The long term, far-out projects probably won’t be eligible, “Skeels said.
The TC-TALUS board coincidentally passed a resolution in July that supported investing in infrastructure to stimulate the local economy. The move to compile a list came from board member John Nelson, who suggested that TC-Talus be ready with its wish list on the day Congress passes the economic stimulus bill.
“We asked everybody we could think of to give us a list of projects that are ready to go – we may have to pare some of them down because they might not qualify.”
The following list is tentative and does not yet include airport or water and sewer projects:


MDOT M-72, near landfill, add a passing relief lane $2.5 millon

MDOT M-88, Antrim County, reconstruction from Central $1.4 million
Lake south village limits to just south of Eckhart Road

GTCRC Three Mile Rd from S. Airport to Hammond, widen road $4.2 million

LCRC CR 640 Snyder to Howell, resurface $250,000

LCRC CR 637 M-204 to CR 626, resurface $450,000

LCRC CR 677 M-72 to M-22, resurface $500,000

BATA Replace six transit BATA buses $900,000

BATA Buy one hybrid electric van $100,000

TART Boardman Lake Trail Completion from $2.6 million
South Airport to Eighth Street

TART Leelanau Trail Campaign Pave existing trail $1.3 million

TART TART Trail Construction from Bunker Hill Road $1.1 million
to Lautner Road

TART Buffalo Ridge Trail Trail construction from West $1 million
Middle School to Traverse City limits

TART Three Mile Road Trail Trail extension from $300,000
South Airport Road to Hammond Road

TART Improve signage for Traverse City Bike Routes $10,000

Traverse City Wadsworth Street improvements $120,000

Traverse City Maple Street improvements $35,000

Traverse City Oak Street improvements $65,000

Traverse City Eighth Street improvements w/ water & sewer $750,000

Traverse City Wadsworth culvert replacement $300,000

Traverse City Park Street sewer $40,000

Traverse City 2009/2010 FY Paving and Reconstruction $250,000

Traverse City Sidewalk Repair and Replacement $50,000

Traverse City TART Boardman Lake Trail connector $50,000

Traverse City Water Plant Repair and Pump Upgrades $280,000

Traverse City Old Town Parking Deck $9,836,000