Residents ask MDOT to consider pedestrian crossing and trail between Bay Street and M‑72 in Traverse City

Residents called on the Michigan Department of Transportation to consider adding or upgrading a pedestrian crossing and creating a trail between Bay Street and M‑72 in Traverse City during the meeting's public comment period. A speaker recommended MDOT "consider[ing]" the corridor and emphasized concerns about the crossing; another speaker, identifying herself as Sarah of 1900 Sparrow Drive, offered volunteer help and suggested the commission gather input from multipurpose users.

The request focused on pedestrian access and trail connectivity along the segment between Bay Street and state highway M‑72. An unnamed resident said, "recommend to MDOT that this be considered," and urged "beef[ing] up" the crossing; the same commenter mentioned the trail as a second priority. Sarah (1900 Sparrow Drive) closed public comment by thanking meeting participants and said commissioners could obtain notes from multipurpose users and volunteers to inform any follow-up.

No formal action, motion, or vote on the request was recorded in the transcript. The speakers did not specify funding sources, a timeline, or which MDOT office or program would review the recommendation. The transcript also referenced "Hickory Hill" as background information but did not provide details on how that site relates to the proposed crossing or trail.

Because the suggestion arose in public comment, any next steps—such as staff referral to MDOT, engineering study, or agenda placement for a formal decision—were not stated on the record. The transcript does not show that the commission took direction to staff or voted on the matter.