Adrian commission tables downtown bike‑loop and presses for MOU and updated budgets

Adrian City Commission members on March 2 deferred a decision on a contentious downtown walk‑and‑bike loop, saying they needed clearer budgets and a signed memorandum of understanding with Lenawee Now before accepting major design and funding commitments.

The commission’s pause came after in‑chamber public comment and lengthy staff briefings that laid out trade‑offs between accepting state TAP grant funding tied to the current design and redesigning the corridor to address safety concerns. "Make no mistake, moving forward with this project with the proposed design, will result in serious injury or death to those using the Downtown Bike Loop," said Jerrick Timm, an Adrian resident and board chair of Re Bicycle Lenawee, urging commissioners to send the plan back for redesign.

City Administrator Chad Baugh told the commission the city has design work completed and that Lenawee Now is serving as the grant’s third‑party administrator. Baugh said staff and…