Green Scissors Report

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Traverse
City
Bypass

Proposal & Savings
• Deny funding for the proposed
Hartman-Hammond Bridge and the Traverse City Bypass
Savings Estimate: $300 million
($240 million federal;
$60 million state and local)

The double lines show several proposed routes for the Traverse City
Bypass. Map Source: Corridor Analysis Report for Michigan
Department of Transportation by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Background:
Although discussed as part of Grand Traverse County's Master Plan for roughly two decades, the proposed
33-mile Traverse City Bypass did not receive serious consideration until 1990.
That year, Congress approved $4 million for preliminary design work and an Environmental Impact
Statement. The planned four-lane highway is designed to speed traffic around Traverse City, the business and
financial center of Northwest Michigan. The bypass would begin in Leelanau County and loop south, then east
around the city before joining U.S.-31 in Whitewater Township. Recently, the Grand Traverse County Road
Commission applied for $12.5 million in federal funding for the Hartman-Hammond Bridge -- an essential
component of the bypass.
Recent Action:
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was due in 1996, but its release has been delayed several times.
Funding for the project will almost certainly depend on community approval and an increase in the Michigan
motor vehicle fuel tax.
Taxpayer Concerns:
• Federal funding guidelines have created distorted incentives that encourage the building of a more expensive project than is necessary.
The Grand Traverse County Road Commission argues that in order to receive federal funding, it must
replace the one-lane Cass Road Bridge over the Boardman River with a new four-lane bridge with quarter-mile connecting roads costing $15.7 million.
Local residents propose a less expensive and less damaging alternative -- to upgrade the current bridge from one to two lanes at a cost to taxpayers of $1.8 million.
• Additionally, because the bypass design is based on peak traffic flows, and Traverse City is a resort town
with seasonal congestion, the bypass would be little used during much of the year. Even during tourist season,
traffic planners do not know if drivers will actually use the bypass, or prefer to remain on existing scenic roads
that run along the waterfront.
Local Community Concerns:
• The Grand Traverse County Planning Department polled citizens on their views of a major freeway project similar to the Traverse City Bypass. The majority of those who responded said their primary concern about the project was that it would contribute to sprawl.
• In addition, family-owned downtown businesses worry that the bypass will encourage more national
chain stores and mall developers to settle in the region. Further development of this sort could undermine the
economic vitality of Traverse City's compact and highly successful city center.
• In essence, local residents fear that the highway would become a beltway strip mall, and increase traffic
in what is now thinly populated rural farmland and undeveloped state forest land.
Environmental Concerns:
• Local citizens contend that the bypass design process has fragmented the project into small pieces in
order to avoid proper environmental review.
• The bypass has been criticized by business, environmental, and conservation groups, and by several local
governments, as a threat to air, water and forest resources vital to the region's character and experience.
• The proposed route would cut through the Pere Marquette State Forest, slicing across the Vasa Trail, a
summer hiking route and winter cross-country course that each year hosts a nationally-renowned ski race.
• Erosion -- from the road construction and heavy vehicle use -- would degrade the Boardman River, a
blue-ribbon trout stream that flows into Grand Traverse Bay, the source of Traverse City's drinking water.
• The bridge across the Boardman will require filling in approximately ten acres of wetlands.
• The bypass would accelerate sprawling patterns of growth south of the city, and increase air and water
pollution. $
Green Scissors Contacts:
Mark Stone, Coalition for Sensible Growth, 616/264-6800; Arlin Wasserman, Environmental Solutions Inc.,
616/941-2025; Keith Schneider, Michigan Land Use Institute, 616/882-4723; Jim Olson, Olson, Noonan, Ursu
& Ringsmuth, 616/946-0044.
Pro-Spending Contacts:
Gary G. Naeyaert, Michigan Department of Transportation, 517/373-2160; Mike Dillenbeck, Grand Traverse
County Road Commission, 616/922-4848, ext. 201.




		Traverse City Bypass
	Proposal & Savings • Deny funding for the proposed Hartman-Hammond Bridge and the Traverse City Bypass *Savings Estimate: $300 million* ($240 million federal; $60 million state and local)
			The double lines show several proposed routes for the Traverse City Bypass. Map Source: Corridor Analysis Report for Michigan Department of Transportation by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Background: Although discussed as part of Grand Traverse County's Master Plan for roughly two decades, the proposed 33-mile Traverse City Bypass did not receive serious consideration until 1990. That year, Congress approved $4 million for preliminary design work and an Environmental Impact Statement. The planned four-lane highway is designed to speed traffic around Traverse City, the business and financial center of Northwest Michigan. The bypass would begin in Leelanau County and loop south, then east around the city before joining U.S.-31 in Whitewater Township. Recently, the Grand Traverse County Road Commission applied for $12.5 million in federal funding for the Hartman-Hammond Bridge -- an essential component of the bypass. Recent Action: A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was due in 1996, but its release has been delayed several times. Funding for the project will almost certainly depend on community approval and an increase in the Michigan motor vehicle fuel tax. Taxpayer Concerns: • Federal funding guidelines have created distorted incentives that encourage the building of a more expensive project than is necessary. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission argues that in order to receive federal funding, it must replace the one-lane Cass Road Bridge over the Boardman River with a new four-lane bridge with quarter-mile connecting roads costing $15.7 million. Local residents propose a less expensive and less damaging alternative -- to upgrade the current bridge from one to two lanes at a cost to taxpayers of $1.8 million. • Additionally, because the bypass design is based on peak traffic flows, and Traverse City is a resort town with seasonal congestion, the bypass would be little used during much of the year. Even during tourist season, traffic planners do not know if drivers will actually use the bypass, or prefer to remain on existing scenic roads that run along the waterfront. Local Community Concerns: • The Grand Traverse County Planning Department polled citizens on their views of a major freeway project similar to the Traverse City Bypass. The majority of those who responded said their primary concern about the project was that it would contribute to sprawl. • In addition, family-owned downtown businesses worry that the bypass will encourage more national chain stores and mall developers to settle in the region. Further development of this sort could undermine the economic vitality of Traverse City's compact and highly successful city center. • In essence, local residents fear that the highway would become a beltway strip mall, and increase traffic in what is now thinly populated rural farmland and undeveloped state forest land. Environmental Concerns: • Local citizens contend that the bypass design process has fragmented the project into small pieces in order to avoid proper environmental review. • The bypass has been criticized by business, environmental, and conservation groups, and by several local governments, as a threat to air, water and forest resources vital to the region's character and experience. • The proposed route would cut through the Pere Marquette State Forest, slicing across the Vasa Trail, a summer hiking route and winter cross-country course that each year hosts a nationally-renowned ski race. • Erosion -- from the road construction and heavy vehicle use -- would degrade the Boardman River, a blue-ribbon trout stream that flows into Grand Traverse Bay, the source of Traverse City's drinking water. • The bridge across the Boardman will require filling in approximately ten acres of wetlands. • The bypass would accelerate sprawling patterns of growth south of the city, and increase air and water pollution. $ *Green Scissors Contacts:* Mark Stone, Coalition for Sensible Growth, 616/264-6800; Arlin Wasserman, Environmental Solutions Inc., 616/941-2025; Keith Schneider, Michigan Land Use Institute, 616/882-4723; Jim Olson, Olson, Noonan, Ursu & Ringsmuth, 616/946-0044. *Pro-Spending Contacts:* Gary G. Naeyaert, Michigan Department of Transportation, 517/373-2160; Mike Dillenbeck, Grand Traverse County Road Commission, 616/922-4848, ext. 201.