Washtenaw Walking & Biking Coalition takes on new goals for 2009

Getting around Washtenaw County will be much easier for everyone not in an automobile if the Washtenaw Walking & Biking Coalition has anything to say about it.The local advocate for non-motorized transportation has set some ambitious-yet-realistic goals for 2009. The coalition wants to help fill in the gaps of the Border to Border Trail across the county and make a trail or bike lane connection to Saline. It also wants to find a way for people without cars to get across I-94 near Brairwood Mall.”That area in particular is very difficult for pedestrian and cyclists to travel across,” says Pete Hines, chair of the Washtenaw Walking & Biking Coalition.It is also working the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County and Huron Clinton Parks to help Ann Arbor score a large federal grant. That money, which could be available in the coming months, would help create miles of bike lanes, trails and sidewalks in the city.The association is also planning to turn itself in to a non-profit. It’s a move that will help it raise money and apply for grants.Source: Pete Hines, chair of the Washtenaw Walking & Biking CoalitionWriter: Jon Zemke