Pedestrians along the banks of the Red Cedar River on campus will be able to commute more efficiently and safely, according to university officials, if a plan by the MSU Board of Trustees is approved.
The Red Cedar Greenway Master Plan calls for separate bicycle and pedestrian lanes, an expansion of the pathway along the riverfront, visitor information stands and the altering of campus roads. East Lansing and MSU officials have been collaborating on the project since last year.
"It's a great opportunity to have bicycles connect form the campus to the community. We could be opening a very exciting door," said Jeff Kacos, director of campus park and planning.
Kacos said the university would need to raise $5.26 million if the plan was approved, with about 75 percent of that money coming from federal and state funding. The remaining 25 percent would be financed locally.
But East Lansing City Councilmember Vic Loomis said funding issues should not stop the project from proceeding.
"All of us need to look at what we can do to interconnect our communities; so you really get a kind of a regional system going," Loomis said.
Trustee Colleen McNamara said she sees no problems with the plan.
"I think it's really terrific, and I'm interested to see students' reactions to it - that'll be the ultimate test," McNamara said.
And students are already voicing their opinion.
"It's a good idea, but how much of our funds do we want to diverge to pay for sidewalks?" no-preference junior Ivan Orlic said.
In the beginning of last year, city officials lobbied the Michigan Department of Transportation to fund a $39,000 study on the campus' traffic flow.
The study, which was completed in May, found the intersection at the Sparty statue - Kalamazoo Street and Chestnut Road - was dangerous and there were areas on campus that needed improvements. Kacos said there are about 35 bicycle accidents each year on campus.
French sophomore Denee Frazier said safety is a concern for pedestrians trying to walk past the Sparty statue.
"We're just standing in the road praying that we won't get hit," she said.
The greenway plan was created to compliment the 2020 Vision Plan, which plans to add green space to campus and help pedestrian and cyclist safety. Kacos said the small "spaghetti pathways" no longer serve the needs of modern cyclists.
"At the time, it was a very good solution," Kacos said. "(But) one, there were not as many riders then and most people only had a one gear Schwinn. Now you have people riding 24-gear bikes."
