Statement Regarding County Road Millage Renewal on August 2020 Ballot

The Washtenaw Bicycling & Walking Coalition (WBWC) strongly encourages residents of Washtenaw County to vote to renew the expiring road and non-motorized millage that will appear on the August 2020 ballot. If approved by voters, this millage will contribute to improved walking and biking facilities in Washtenaw County. Running from 2021 through 2024, the millage is expected to raise a total of about $35 million, of which 20% (about $7 million) will be dedicated to trail projects, including the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail. The trail funds will be administered by the county Parks and Recreation Commission and are expected to be used for at least 10 non-motorized projects.

The expiring millage ran from 2017 through 2020 and raised approximately $30 million, of which 20% (about $6 million) went toward 17 trail projects. It has successfully improved transportation facilities in cities, villages, and townships throughout the county; renewal of the millage will allow this progress to continue. In addition, these funds have leveraged more than $11 million of additional support in private donations and non-motorized grants. The recent progress on trails throughout the county has depended on these funds.

For a summary of the plans for the new millage and the results of the expiring millage, with links to additional information and maps, see: https://www.wcroads.org/road-work-construction/road-millages/. For information on how to vote in Washtenaw County, see: https://www.washtenaw.org/304/Elections.