Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SEMCOG awards Southfield $1,094,801 for 9 Mile corridor trail
Summary
SEMCOG and federal funds will provide $1,094,801 to Southfield to build a segment of the 9 Mile corridor multiuse trail, a city presentation said. Officials and regional partners called the project a step toward a connected Southeast Michigan trail network.
Southfield received a $1,094,801 Transportation Alternatives Program grant to build a segment of the 9 Mile corridor trail, city and regional officials announced at the City Council meeting Aug. 25.
The check presentation was led by Amy O'Leary, executive director of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), who said the TAP program is funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law and has paid for hundreds of regional projects. “This $1,000,000 grant, as was shown in a great presentation, is something that we're excited to provide to the city,” O'Leary said.
The council heard a brief overview of the multi-year 9 Mile corridor effort, which aims to build a continuous shared-use path and connect to the Southfield City Center Trail and neighboring communities. A city staff presentation traced prior investments: about $319,000 in metro funds for the Bower Vic Woods Park pathway, earlier TAP grants that added green space and pathway segments, and a fiscal year 2025 TAP award for a segment from Evergreen to the Southfield Road interchange.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who attended the presentation, said the award was one of the few federal transportation-authority dollars the 12th Congressional District was able to secure in the recent round. “This is one of the only ones in the twelfth congressional district we were able to draw down from the transportation reauthorization fund,” Tlaib said, and urged continuing advocacy to preserve such funding.
Dan Klein, Oakland County’s community engagement representative, said the county supports the corridor as a parks and trails enhancement. City officials described branding and trailhead work that will begin in Southfield and tie the corridor to regionwide trails including the I-275 Metro Corridor Trail and Joe Louis Greenway via the Livernois Connector.
SEMCOG officials noted a recent county analysis finding an estimated $7.10 return on every dollar invested in trails along 9 Mile when accounting for economic development, health benefits and reduced pedestrian accidents; city staff said that analysis supported continuing the project.
City staff and SEMCOG said the TAP-funded work will be phased: the fiscal year 2025 grant (phase 1) will be constructed next year; the fiscal year 2026 award (the check presented Aug. 25) will fund a subsequent segment; and preliminary engineering is underway on a later phase that would bridge state trunklines. The city said branding elements will be installed in Southfield within weeks and that partners include nearby Oakland County communities and local nonprofit arts groups that will add public art to trailheads.
Officials emphasized this was a project-in-progress and noted additional engineering, permitting and coordination with adjacent jurisdictions will be needed before construction is complete.
A ceremonial check was presented during the meeting; no council vote was required for the presentation itself. The council received the grant award and celebrated the funding as a milestone in the longer 9 Mile corridor plan.
