By Doug Marrin, STN Reporter
The Border-to-Border Trail running through Chelsea and Dexter will soon connect via the Iron Belle Trail to the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, giving cyclists a gateway between the U.S. and Canada.
“There are many ways Michigan continues to earn its reputation as our nation’s Trails State, and this partnership shines an international spotlight on enviable trail resources and outdoor adventure on both sides of the bridge,” says Dan Eichinger, Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Recently, people have turned to state trails, parks and waterways like never before, seeking space, comfort and connection. The opportunities afforded by this partnership surely will provide even greater reward for getting outdoors.”
The Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest recreational trail network and the largest investor in trail infrastructure in Canada. Image: Trans Canada Trail https://tctrail.ca/Representatives from funding organizations gathered in Windsor on Sept. 9 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a binational Great Lakes tourism destination opportunity by 2024, coinciding with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The new bridge will include designated space for pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor.
The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a signed route of interconnecting roads and off-road trails, joining over 150 communities and First Nations along the Canadian shores of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Image: Great Lakes Waterfront Trail https://map.waterfronttrail.org/The binational partnership will continue to develop non-motorized pathways, which began in Windsor in the 1960s and ‘70s, and in southeast Michigan in the ‘90s, in response to increasing public demand for recreational modes of transportation. The international bridge will connect the Iron Belle Trail, of which the B2B Trail is a part, to Canada’s vast network of non-motorized pathways.
The Iron Belle Trail is a set of two trails that will span the state of Michigan. The two trails, one for hiking and one for biking, connects Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula and Belle Isle State Park in Detroit. When complete, the hiking trail will be 1,204 miles long, and the biking trail is 828 miles long. Image: Michigan.gov https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-trails/iron-belleFrom the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (2,200+miles), a part of the Trans Canada Trail (3,200+ miles in Ontario) to the Iron Belle Trail in Michigan (2,000+ miles) and The Great Lakes Way (300+ miles), the MOU partners will amplify these existing trail networks and assets and leverage the non-motorized transportation (cycling and walking) infrastructure features of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
The Great Lakes Way will be an interconnected set of 156 miles of water trails and 160 miles of shared pathways stretching from southern Lake Huron through western Lake Erie. Image Community Foundation for SE Michigan https://cfsem.org/initiative/greatlakesway/“Thirty years ago, the Trans Canada Trail began as a dream of a small group of Canadians who envisioned a national trail that would connect Canadians to nature and to one another, says Eleanor McMahon, President & CEO of Trans Canada Trail. “In this anniversary year, we are elated to expand on this foundational theme by taking it cross-border, opening doors to enhanced tourism and recreation opportunities, to active transportation corridors, and to activating Canada’s trail-based tourism economy.”
Source: Trans Canada Trail https://tctrail.ca/
Mist, with a high of 73 and low of 58 degrees. Mist during the morning, partly cloudy during the afternoon, clear during the evening, mist overnight.
