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Council hears update on Monroe City bicycle and pedestrian trails plan and priorities
Summary
City staff presented the adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails Plan, committee priorities and near-term projects including crosswalk signalization, the Monroe Loop Greenway Trail design and sidewalk/bike lane targets.
Deputy Director Matt Vanesacker presented an update to Mayor Clark and the City Council on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails Plan, which the council adopted in January 2023 as part of the parks and recreation master plan.
Vanesacker summarized the plan’s goals: network development, regional connectivity, complete-streets principles and prioritizing sidewalk gaps and on-street bike facilities. He told council the plan’s advisory committee reviewed the city by areas and in December 2024 set priorities for implementation.
Key projects and near-term items Vanesacker described included: an August 2025 target for bid on the Monroe Loop Greenway Trail design (with anticipated spring 2026 construction), continued sidewalk gap work funded by the roads-and-trails millage, priority corridors for bike lanes or shared-use paths (North Macomb, Elm Avenue, Rossler Street, First Street, Jones Avenue and South Custer Road), and paved-shoulder recommendations for Jones Avenue.
Vanesacker also briefed council on tactical items the city plans to pursue: placing flashing pedestrian crosswalk systems at specific locations (the presentation listed West Elm at Borges, the North Custer/Veterans Park crossing and East Third at Kentucky), ongoing work at Munson and Millrace parks, and outreach/education efforts by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails Advisory Committee. On e-bikes, Vanesacker said Michigan state rules set classification and speed limits and the city’s park rules currently prohibit e-bike use on city trails; the committee is discussing enforcement and education.
Council members asked for additional detail in some areas — for example, the specific locations for planned flashing signals and the data supporting the city’s walkability scores — and staff agreed to provide those details after the meeting. Vanesacker noted the committee meets monthly and that staff and the consultant (Mannequin Smith Group) remain engaged in final designs and easement work for trail projects.
Ending: Council members said the presentation refreshed members who weren’t on council when the plan was adopted and that the update would inform future decisions if county or regional planning work (such as the Waterloo Park SEMCOG grant) returns to council for action.
