For more than two decades now, dating back to the mid-2000s, the idea of extending the non-motorized pathway along the Three Mile Road corridor has quietly been taking shape.
Like many trail projects, most people don’t notice the years (and in this case decades) of planning, meetings, engineering and persistence that go into getting trails on the ground. Trails often seem to appear overnight once construction begins, as if they emerged out of thin air.
The Three Mile Trail has been anything but overnight.
The vision has always been simple and meaningful — a safe way to connect neighborhoods, schools, businesses and public lands along the Three Mile corridor so people can walk, bike and roll their way through their community.
But like many public infrastructure projects, getting there hasn’t been easy.
The trail extension’s momentum slowed during the recession back in 2008. Limited right of way, funding challenges, rising construction costs and significant engineering obstacles along Three Mile Road complicated the vision.
For many years, progress felt incremental, stalled. But in recent years important and transformative moves were made.
The project was reinvigorated by a level of collaboration that truly reflects the spirit of our region. TART Trails, East Bay Township, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and Norte Youth Cycling, with strong support from local residents, elected officials, advocates, and community partners worked together to dream big, re-envision the route, and find creative solutions.
That collaboration is paying off.
One of the most exciting pieces of the puzzle involves the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve. If you’ve visited recently, you’ve probably noticed how popular it has become. On almost any given day you’ll see people walking the trails, enjoying the open meadows, or simply taking a quiet break in nature along the creek or one of the overlooks showcasing the watershed’s special landscape.
Soon, that beautiful property will play an important role in connecting the trail.
The Three Mile Trail will travel through the preserve, offering something rare — a nature-based pathway through an urbanizing part of our community. Instead of hugging traffic along the road corridor, visitors will move through open space and natural landscapes.
It’s a reminder that smart growth and access to nature can go hand in hand.
East Bay Township is one of the fastest-growing communities in Michigan. As the township grows, projects like this help ensure that residents have safe ways to walk and bike for transportation, recreation and everyday life. East Bay’s thoughtful leadership developed plans to ensure trails are woven into the fabric of that growth and development.
The benefits extend well beyond recreation.
More than 4,000 students attend schools connected by this corridor. Safe Routes to School connections, set to be constructed this summer, will allow many of those students to bike or walk to class, much like many of us did when we were younger. These new connections will soon provide year round access for kids and families to access the new TCAPS field house that is set to start construction later this year.
Organizations like Norte will also make full use of the trail through youth programming and bike camps that help kids gain confidence, independence and a lifelong connection to outdoor activity.
The Three Mile Trail will also link into a broader regional trail network — eventually connecting into a non-motorized network that already exceeds 100 miles across the Grand Traverse region.
Equally encouraging is the support behind the project. Funding has come from local, state and federal sources. At a time when many issues divide us, trails remain one of the rare things that draw bipartisan support. People from all walks of life recognize their value.
There is still work ahead before the full vision becomes reality. Planning, funding and construction aren’t yet completed but momentum is building.
Perhaps the most exciting part is that many people in our community still don’t realize what’s taking shape. In the coming years, residents may wake up to discover that a safe, beautiful trail now connects their neighborhoods to schools, parks and natural areas.
They’ll wonder how it happened. The truth is that it’s happening right now, thanks to a community willing to work together.
The Three Mile Trail represents something larger than a path. It’s part of a broader vision: every home a trailhead, and every person with access to walking, biking or rolling their way toward better health, stronger community and a deeper connection to the outdoors.
That’s an investment worth making and a path worth taking.