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Interesting links Anon. My concern is that cities should fund these types of projects on their own. We are up to our eyebrows in debt and having the feds involved with such local concerns is not good policy.

Although having walkable communities is a fine objective, federal programs and dollars should not be used to fund sidewalks.  There would just be so much money wasted in the process, and very little oversight would be conducive to fraud. 

Even at the state level, it would be hard to arrange an equitable arrangement for all communities.  Few cities in the UP and northern Michigan really need sidewalks, if they do it might just be for their main streets to make a difference. 

PM Township limited the places where sidewalks were needed, but made the property owner responsible for all costs of installing the sidewalks once they make any other improvement.  That could cause severe financial hardship to smaller businesses, who may forego needed improvements, or sell at a cost that may be prohibitive to potential buyers because of the added cost mandates facing them.  And as written, it will only result in piecemeal sidewalk coverage which is almost useless. 

Your first link has it right, and mirrors what I have been saying all along:  city (township) leaders need to make a plan with priorities for full sidewalk coverage in a strategic area, like around schools or other areas with a lot of foot traffic.  Property owners at such locations will balk, and loudly, if you don't offset the cost by having the public body put in half of the cost, as the City of Ludington wisely does. 

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