Mount Clemens city commissioners unanimously approved moving forward with grant applications for a shared-use pathway designed to improve safety and non-motorized travel between Shadyside Park and South Main Street.

The commission closed a public hearing Monday and authorized submission of two grant applications seeking Transportation Alternatives Program funds through the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The project carries an estimated price tag between $500,000 and $1 million.

Ashley Carpenter of engineering firm AEW outlined a 10-foot-wide path that would begin at the pedestrian bridge crossing the Clinton River from Clinton Township, continue through Shadyside Park, cross northbound Gratiot Avenue, and run along Clinton River Drive and southbound Gratiot Avenue. to South Main Street at Robertson Street.

The federal grant program requires Mount Clemens to provide a local match of at least 20 percent. Carpenter projected the city’s preliminary share at roughly $45,000, though she cautioned that extensive property acquisitions could increase costs. The city cannot begin property negotiations with landowners until grants are officially awarded.

One challenging section sits in front of an apartment complex on Clinton River Drive, where the existing concrete sidewalk measures only 5 feet wide and utility poles and private driveways complicate expansion plans.

Safety improvements figure prominently in the proposal, particularly at the Gratiot Ave. crossing that residents and officials identified as dangerous for families traveling to local parks and splash pads. Enhanced pedestrian signals, potentially including a hawk overhead flashing signal or rapid flashing beacon, would be installed at that location.

The pathway would also feature a bike maintenance station equipped with tools and a tire filling pump. Commissioners suggested adding bike racks at nearby bus stops to support connections between cycling and public transit.

Beyond Mount Clemens, the pathway is designed to link with a broader regional network connecting Clinton Township, Harrison Township and Chesterfield Township. Security protocols at nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Base currently block bicycle paths near the military facility’s perimeter, and a regional study is exploring alternate routes.

One former resident urged commissioners during public comment to embrace an ambitious vision for the pathway, sharing historical plans from 1996 that showed early non-motorized transit proposals. He stressed the pathway’s potential to spur economic development downtown.

Written public comments on the project will be accepted through Sept. 28.

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