Traverse City commissioners expressed support Monday for bonding to pay for new city sidewalk construction and voted to pursue grant funding through Safe Routes to School, a program aimed at improving walking and biking options to local schools.

Safe Routes to School could provide up to $200,000 per school - with 10 eligible schools identified in Traverse City - to pay for infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks, streetscapes and traffic calming improvements. The program, which distributes federal funding through the Michigan Department of Transportation, does not not require matching community funds. However, staff cautioned that could change in the future, and encouraged commissioners to pursue funding now. City Planning Director Russ Soyring called the program "a special opportunity to get a lot of dollars for sidewalks" that could both improve public accessibility options and "encourage students to bike and and to walk and to make it more inviting to do so."

With commissioners' unanimous approval of the concept Monday, city staff will apply for Safe Routes to Schools funding in April. Meanwhile, City Manager Marty Colburn will return to commissioners in the coming months with a detailed financial proposal to bond out a project of $2 million or more to construct an extensive network of new city sidewalks. Colburn noted by bonding out the project, the city could lock in costs at less than half the construction inflation rate over the next decade and do 10 years' worth of infrastructure work in a third of the time. Commissioners vocalized support for bonding, with Brian Haas noting a higher-dollar project upfront might also attract "better prices and more bids" from potential construction firms.

Colburn will also return to commissioners in the future with a detailed plan for investing $300,000 budgeted this year to complete new sidewalk work around Traverse Heights Elementary School, as well as a comprehensive overview of the city's sidewalk network - including areas of needed new construction and upgrades to fix deteriorating sidewalks - to help commissioners evaluate priorities and a price tag for a potential bonding project.