By Kiff Hamp
Executive Director, Huron-Waterloo Pathways Initiative
Dear Community Members,
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for non-motorized trails in Washtenaw County. Your passion for outdoor recreation and access to the natural beauty of our region is what motivates us to work to develop some of the best trails in Michigan!
In partnership with Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC) and other agency partners, this past year saw continued progress on the Border to Border Trail (B2B Trail). We completed a 1.1 mile segment of trail from Veterans Park in downtown Chelsea to Werkner Road, connecting 6.3 miles of continuous trail west of Chelsea; added 0.4 miles of trail east of Dancer Road along Dexter Chelsea Road; and broke ground on a 1.3 mile segment from Delhi Metropark to Zeeb Rd, which when complete will connect 4.6 miles of trail into downtown Dexter and link all three Washtenaw County metroparks along the B2B Trail.
Beyond the B2B Trail, HWPI helped secure funds for a new section of trail in Van Buren Township in western Wayne County. The first 1.6-mile segment of this trail broke ground in September, connecting the easternmost edge of the B2B Trail to the Van Buren trail. Once complete, this trail will connect the B2B Trail through Van Buren Township, the city of Belleville, and eventually into the Lower Huron Metropark.
In addition to trail progress, HWPI experienced growth in a number of other areas, including: an updated organizational website; a new B2B Trail Facebook page and Instagram account; multiple new team members; and many first-time individual donors. We were also able to bring back many of our annual community events for the first time since the pandemic.
All-in-all, it has been a very successful year at HWPI and for the B2B Trail – all thanks to our many supporters and trail users like you.
We hope you enjoy the updates included in our Year End Report, and look forward to seeing you on the trail in 2023!
