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Sparked by strong initial success, Traverse City’s residential efficiency program, TCSaves, is again offering city residents a path to a more comfortable home that uses less energy. The communitywide effort, dormant since last spring, has a new goal, a new partner, and special borrowing options....
Improving Division is just one piece of a broad set of strategies to reduce congestion in the Traverse City area. Others strategies include improving Grandview Parkway and S. Airport Roads, upgrading Keystone and Beitner Roads; and making it easier for people to get around without a car....
State utility regulators are considering a historic case that could help determine how much clean energy Michigan’s second-largest electric utility develops over the next 25 years....
Wow! It’s going to be a cold, snowy winter here in northern Michigan. All you regular bike or walk commuters may want to thaw out on a nice, warm bus this winter. Brrrr…
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The idea behind the new reading project is a simple one: In each season of the year, a broad community will come together to read one of the books recommended by Bob, discuss its themes and lessons, celebrate the region’s strengths, and acknowledge the work that remains. ...
Nov. 15 is the deadline for the public to comment on rules developed by the Food and Drug Administration to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act. It’s imperative that those who want to buy or sell locally grown produce weigh in....
In the Grand Traverse region, our long-distance commutes are having a big impact on our health. In fact, most Grand Traverse area workers spend about 46 minutes a day sitting alone in their cars traveling to and from work....
We also know we can’t build our way out of congestion. No city in the world has ever done this, and Traverse City will not be the first. But what we can do is this: Manage regional traffic and reduce in-town, peak-hour commuter traffic. We’ll explore these proposals in detail in an upcoming blog post series titled Five Ways to Beat Traffic in TC. ...
The Snyder administration’s latest—and last—draft report on Michigan’s energy future says what it should: The state’s five-year-old energy efficiency mandate, known as Energy Optimization, is not only working well, there’s plenty of room for utilities to do more to help their customers save electricity and natural gas. But we have only until Wednesday, Nov. 4, to submit comments on the draft and influence what that final version says. ...
Transportation costs in the Grand Traverse region are sky-high. In fact, the average family spends about $15,000 a year on transportation alone, according to the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
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We're a big, proud, two-handed state. For an entire century we've been known for greatness, and the one proud thing to rule them all is the great American automobile. It started here, innovated here, and is still struggling to reemerge here. Just like our local food economy....
FoodCorps service member Meghan McDermott introduced the strange-looking Romanesco cauliflower to students at Traverse Heights. And they loved it!...
There are lots of happy faces around our office since the Snyder administration released its draft report on renewable energy. Based on last winter’s energy forums, it says we can get to 30 percent renewable energy by 2035 without straining the power grid—or our wallets! But the report is subject to some revision before it’s finalized, which is why we’re reaching out: We’d like you to chime in!...
The governor’s report on renewable energy is open for public comment until Wednesday, October 16. Let’s make sure we dominate the comments section and show our strong support for increasing our use of renewable energy. Here are some tips for submitting a comment....
The new Taste the Local Difference newsletter features short articles on our local food partners, and where you can buy the freshest and best local foods in northwest Michigan. Keep your eyes open for deals and discount coupons too....
This fall, Traverse City Central High School senior Jacob Gerstner is interning with MLUI. He'll be doing some research and writing as part of his time with us. Here's a brief introduction in his own words. ...
Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration is earning high marks for its draft report on the possibilities for renewable energy in Michigan. But now some clean energy advocates and entrepreneurs, who strongly praised the report’s conclusions and the unusually open, public process Snyder’s administration used producing it, are submitting comments before a Oct. 16 deadline asserting that its findings, while correct, are too conservative....
Companies all over the Grand Traverse area are discovering that by making it easier for staff to carpool, bus, bike or walk to work, they can become better neighbors, keep their workplace healthy, and boost their bottom lines....
The trends in transportation decision-making are clear: The criteria for measuring performance are becoming increasingly data driven, outcomes-based, and focus on preservation, long-term costs/benefits, and economic return. ...
A regional initiative to provide schools with extra funding to buy more locally grown fruits and vegetables for students has become a reality thanks to strong support from local businesses. The program, 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms, is starting this fall at Glen Lake Community Schools and the elementary schools of Traverse City Area Public Schools and Suttons Bay Public Schools. ...
