If you’re anything like I used to be, your eyes roll every time you hear of yet another “best of” accolade for the Grand Traverse region. I’ve long been a bit cynical about community self-aggrandizement. But last week, while taking a trip to the East Coast with my wife and kid, my cranky world-view received a great big blow. So now I must say, “Mea culpa, Traverse City!”
MLUI’s latest report describes how rail travel could boost tourism and development in the area; the upgrades needed to run passenger trains along the tracks; and how comparable towns around the country restored old train lines.
The Michigan Land Use Institute will release the report, “Getting Back on Track: Uncovering the Potential for Trains in Traverse City,” on July 19 at the historic train depot in Traverse City. The report will describe what it would take to have some type of train running on the 11-mile stretch of tracks between Traverse City and the Acme/Williamsburg area.
If you are a northwest Michigan farmer who grows fruits or vegetables and you like the idea of local school children eating the food you grow-or you just want more sales-now is the time to explore those new markets. The Michigan Land Use Institute and Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District are launching an expanded two-year pilot project that could mean up to $200,000 in sales of local agricultural products to schools in eight districts in four counties.
Traverse City’s 20th annual Smart Commute Week is set for Saturday, May 31, through Saturday, June 7. Register now for the Smart Commute Challenge-it’s free, open to the public, and available for all ages and abilities. One person can be a team, but it’s always more fun as a group, so rally your friends, co-workers, classmates and families and register by Friday, May 16.
It’s been nearly 10 years since the “Grand Traverse Dinner Train” picked up passengers in Traverse City and led them through a three-hour tour of scenic northern Michigan. But a new study by the Michigan Land Use Institute is looking at a possible return of train service Up North.