In 2013, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy brought the Glacial Hills bike trail to life near Bellaire. According to an economic impact study unveiled last month, that simple swath through the Glacial Hills landscape might prove to be far more than just a fun ride; it could mean $25 million in economic activity for Bellaire over the next decade.

Would a trail at the Grand Traverse Commons have a similar economic impact for Traverse City?

In this week's Northern Express - sister publication of The Ticker - reporter Patrick Sullivan talks to local officials, park users and trail supporters about the possibility of bringing a world-class trail to the beloved park. Tim Pulliam, president and co-founder of Traverse City-based Keen Technical Solutions, an energy conservation consulting firm that also runs a cycling team, thinks a well-designed trail at the Commons would be an amazing draw for Traverse City. Pulliam says a great trail at the Commons could have a bigger economic impact than what’s happened in Bellaire because Traverse City has an even wider selection of post-biking opportunities: great restaurants, breweries, wineries, beaches, and more.

“I think we’d also take advantage of people who are coming here anyways,” he says. “I think we could get them to stay here longer and come more often. If I had a trail like Glacial Hills, plus everything else, I’m going to be more apt to go for that.”

Hans Voss, executive director of Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, agrees that a bike trail at the Commons would be a great asset for Traverse City. If Traverse City developed a world-class mountain bike trail, Voss says the city could attract visitors who would come just to ride it, the same way Voss was recently lured to East Burke, Vermont, specifically to ride mountain bike trails.

So why not just build such a trail?

Trail building in an area of established trails can be a tougher climb than creating one new; the effort requires accommodating the existing users. All of the land holders — Garfield Township, Traverse City, the city-township recreation authority, Munson Medical Center, and Grand Traverse Commons — would need to get together, come up with a plan and survey users on what they want. Another challenge for a Commons trail is that it would likely cost much more than Glacial Hills did. Because of its topography, and because the Commons’ existing trails are so often used by hikers, the effort would require the construction of separate hiking and biking trails — something that would require professional engineering and is likely to cost a lot of money.

Read more about the possibility of bring a world-class trail system to the Grand Traverse Commons in this week's Northern Express story, "Study Shows Bellaire Mountain Bike Trail Is Worth Millions: Could A Bike Trail At Traverse City's Commons Bring Similar Reuslts?" The Northern Express is available to read online, or pick up a copy at one of nearly 700 other spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.