Traverse City Transportation & Land Use Study

Establishment of the Task Force
In 1988, the Grand Traverse County Commission and Road Commission formed the Grand Traverse Area Transportation Task Force. The task force was organized to investigate the long-standing issue of a bypass/beltline around Traverse City. Upon formation, the task force began working on the problem. In time, they decided on a preliminary alignment to be used by area planners to reserve right-of-way for the future project. Shortly thereafter, the group broadened its scope to include working with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) on a computer traffic model for the area.

TC-TALUS Proposal

Traverse City Transportation And Land Use Study (TC-TALUS) was proposed by MDOT to the Grand Traverse Area Transportation Task Force in early 1990. MDOT felt the Traverse City area would be very near an Urbanized Area designation as determined by the 1990 Census although the results of the 1990 Census and 2000 Census did not qualify the area for formal designation. MDOT officials felt the area's past growth history justified the organization of a formal transportation study. Each of the other 15 Urbanized Areas in the State of Michigan have similar transportation studies in place and are operating successfully. Urbanized areas must have a population of at least 50,000.

Approval of TC-TALUS
The Grand Traverse County Road Commission, with financial support from the other task force members, hired a coordinator in January 1990. The coordinator, with the help of MDOT personnel, began the process of reforming the task force into a structure similar to other transportation studies in the state. On August 30, 1990, the task force adopted by-laws and approved a memorandum of understanding, thereby, officially becoming the TC-TALUS.

Committee Structure
TC-TALUS is structured similarly to the other 15 transportation study areas in the state. This structure consists of 2 committees: Policy (or Board of Directors) and Technical. TC-TALUS was organized as a voluntary association by separate memorandums of understanding between the Board of Directors and each local unit of government. TC-TALUS will be operated by the Board of Directors which consists of elected officials, representatives and/or citizens. The Board of Directors is the decision making body of TC-TALUS. The study area is defined as the City of Traverse City, the Charter Townships of Garfield and Elmwood, and the General Law Townships of:
  • Acme
  • Blair
  • East Bay
  • Green Lake
  • Long Lake
  • Peninsula
  • Whitewater
The Technical Committee is made up of planners/engineers from the member units of government as well as police, fire, emergency services, school district, soil conservation, drain commission, Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA), and MDOT representatives. The Technical Committee advises the Board of Directors and the staff on technical methods, procedures, and standards to be used in developing transportation plans and proposals.

Contact Information

http://www.networksnorthwest.org
P.O. Box 506
Traverse City, 49685
Phone: 231-929-5057
Fax: 231-929-5012