Items on this page offer ideas for local planning, with examples of ordinances, Complete Streets policies and non-motorized plans within and outside our area. Please email us a link to your (more local or recent) plans or policies using our Comments form. Please let us know if any of the links don’t work anymore; we don’t have sufficient resources to continuously monitor them all.
BFK has posted a Non-Motorized Plan Resource Guide. The guide contains examples of best practices distilled from the literature by BFK volunteers in a project begun in October 2014 in an effort spanning two years. We hope it will be useful to those working on or studying non-motorized plans. BFK also has posted examples of Resolutions for Supporting/Adopting Non-Motorized Plans that jurisdictions can download and customize for their own use. These examples should help local governments to quickly adopt all or part of the non-motorized plan that KATS staff, technical, and policy committee members already vetted and adopted in the 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, saving time and money. Please use our Comments form to give us any feedback you may have.
The first major section contains local bike-related ordinances. The next two contain longer plans. The “Policy” category contains a mixture of resolutions that rise to the level of a policy, some of which incorporate another plan by reference (but don’t themselves contain, say, detailed maps, implementation plans, etc.) Some of the resolutions in the final section incorporate other plans by reference, so may also be considered as non-motorized plans.
Ordinances – Local
City of Kalamazoo (Section 36-99. The relevant subsection is 36-99(C).)
City of Portage (Sec. 78-3. – Overtaking and passing bicycles.)
Kalamazoo Township (506.005 – A. Overtaking and Passing of Bicycles by Driver of a Motor Vehicle.)
Oshtemo Township (150.005 – Motor vehicles overtaking and passing bicycles. Sec. V.)
Non-Motorized Plans – Local
City of Kalamazoo (as of 2009; updated plan forthcoming)
Gull Lake Area Trails (Draft Map as of July 2015)
Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (2050 KATS Metropolitan Transportation Plan, adopted November 17, 2021; Maps 13, 13A, 17 and 17A cover the regional bike routes now being signed as the Southwest Michigan Bikeway.
Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (2045 Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Plan, adopted April 27, 2016; see esp. Maps 6 and 7)
Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (2035 Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Plan)
Kalamazoo Charter Township (Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan)
Kalamazoo County (Non-Motorized Plan, adopted December 20, 2016)
KATS Commuter Bike Route (“Map 7”) Implementation Plan (superseded by items on our web page devoted to the Southwest Michigan Bikeway. The “Commuter Bike Routes” in the previous generations of plans refers to what is now being signed as the Southwest Michigan Bikeway and “Regional Bike Routes” in the 2050 KATS Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
Oshtemo Charter Township (Master Non-Motorized Plan)
Oshtemo Charter Township (Non-Motorized Plan Map)
River 2 River Trail Planning Study (Plan for multi-use path connecting Kalamazoo River Valley Trail to Kent County’s trail system)
South County Trails (Draft Map Received November 2015)
Southwest Michigan Non-Motorized Transportation Plan 2020 (Current plan for seven counties in Michigan’s Southwest Region, including Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties; see also a PowerPoint presentation covering the Plan and archived 2011 Plan)
Southwest Michigan Bikeway (web page of information about our precedent-setting regional bike route network)
Vicksburg Trailways Master Plan (Draft Map Received November 2015. Legend: yellow=existing; purple=planned 2017-2018; green=2019; orange=2020)
Village of Mattawan (Non-Motorized Plan Map)
Non-Motorized Plans – Elsewhere
The list of communities with comprehensive non-motorized plans outside our community is too long to attempt anything but a brief set of examples. Search for “bike plan” or “non-motorized plan” and the name of the community of interest using your favorite internet browser to find many more. Please let us know if you find an especially noteworthy plan or policy we may learn from!
Michigan
Macatawa Area Coordinating Council (MPO) (draft) Cover Contents & Intro Plan
Michigan Mobility 2045 Plan (MM2045)
Novi, MI (Executive Summary) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Ottawa County Road Commission, MI
West Michigan Shoreline Development Commission (MPO)
Out of State
Southern California Association of Governments
Policies & Resolutions – Non-Motorized and Complete Streets
Policies related to non-motorized facilities and Complete Streets in Michigan (also see our Resources>Standards and Guidelines tab). The Complete Streets Advisory Council provides education and advice to the State Transportation Commission, county road commissions, municipalities, interest groups, and the public on the development, implementation, and coordination of Complete Streets policies. Elements of a Complete Streets Policy is a web page that summarizes ten ideal elements contained in a complete streets policy, with helpful links (2018).
A map of communities in Michigan that have Complete Streets related policies can be found here. The map includes links to local ordinances, policies, and resolutions, among others; maintained manually; may not be up to date. Some of the resolutions have the effect of creating or adding to existing non-motorized plans.
Charter Township of Oshtemo Resolution of Support Kalamazoo Regional Bike Route Committee Sign Design for the Southwest Michigan Bikeway Adopted September 9, 2018. The Southwest Michigan Bikeway is also known as KATS “Map 7.”
City of Kalamazoo Resolution adopted September 6, 2016 supporting adherence to the general principles of Complete Streets and consideration of a more comprehensive Complete Streets Policy for City Commission review by April 2017.
City of Portage Resolution to Promote Bicycle Safety adopted November 15, 2016 supporting and encouraging implementation of KATS “Map 7” Commuter Bike Routes, in addition to taking other safety and bike friendly measures.
Complete Streets General Guidelines Report of the Road Commission for Oakland County, (Michigan) Complete Streets Review Committee (Sept 2012).
Comstock Township Resolution in Support of Non-Motorized Plan Adopted April 3, 2017. Resolution to incorporate the Non-Motorized Element of the KATS 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan into local non-motorized plans. The resolution encourages other jurisdiction within the KATS MPO to do likewise.
Cooper Township Resolution in Support of Non-Motorized Element Adopted July 10, 2017. Resolution to incorporate the Non-Motorized Element of the KATS 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan into local non-motorized plans. The resolution encourages other jurisdiction within the KATS MPO to do likewise.
Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Complete Streets Policy Adopted September 24, 2014. Applies to projects submitted for federal aid in urban areas.
Kalamazoo County Resolution Supporting the Development of Complete Streets Policies Policy supporting and encouraging development and implementation of Complete Streets Policies; adopted July 5, 2016.
Kalamazoo County Resolution Supporting Non-Motorized Plan Policy supporting and encouraging development and implementation of KATS Non-Motorized Element, among other measures (agenda item BB, page 10); adopted December 20, 2016.
Kalamazoo County Resolution Supporting Uniform Bike Route Signage Policy supporting the recommendations of the Kalamazoo Region Bike Route Committee regarding Southwest Michigan Bikeway signage and encouraging road agencies to do likewise (agenda Item 7, pages 10-11); adopted June 2, 2020.
Kalamazoo County Road Commission Non-Motorized Facilities Policy Guidance and application process for non-motorized facilities within KCRC jurisdiction. Projects should be submitted a year in advance to design engineering unless funding requirements make this impossible. Version dated November 3, 2015.
Kalamazoo County Road Commission Sign Policy Policy detailing, among other restrictions, which of the signs currently allowed/not prohibited under the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices are prohibited within KCRC’s jurisdiction. Version dated January 23, 2018.
Kalamazoo Township, MI Complete Streets Policy Kalamazoo Township, MI resolution in support of considering and incorporating Complete Streets policies adopted at their June 22, 2015 board meeting.
Kalamazoo Township, MI Resolution Supporting Implementation of “Map 7: Proposed Commuter Bike Routes” Network adopted in KATS 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Kalamazoo Township, MI resolution adopted May 8, 2017.
Genessee County Road Commission Pedestrian and Multi-Use/Non-Motorized Path Facilities Policy Policy for the development and maintenance of the facilities under the Genessee County Road Commission’s jurisdiction.
Grand Traverse County Road Commission Complete Streets Policy RESOLUTION 13-08-03; approximately three paragraphs in length, adopted August 22, 2013; incorporates more thorough policy by inference vs. by specific reference.
Ingham County Women’s Commission Resolution in Support of Active Transportation Infrastructure Example of an Ingham County citizen organization’s support of Complete Streets policies dated 2010; the supporting language is thorough and compelling, but to the point.
Portage, MI Complete Streets Policy City of Portage, Michigan resolution in support of, and copy of the city’s Complete Streets Policy adopted at their August 11, 2015 council meeting.
Ottawa County Road Commission Non-Motorized Facilities Policy with Plan Guidelines for non-motorized transportation facilities when located on a county road or right-of-way in Ottawa County, MI, as of October 2007. OCRC’s Transportation Plan begins on page seven, follow by general considerations that will guide their Network Selection and its Funding Program.
State Transportation Commission Policy on Complete Streets The State of Michigan’s policy statement. MDOT has adopted “Complete Streets” and now takes it into account when modifying and building elements under its jurisdication. Local adoption is optional; it varies by jurisdiction and the degree to which Complete Streets vision is codified.
Walkable Community Initiative For The Village Of Paw Paw (Resolution 12-02) “This Initiative is written to empower and guide citizens, elected officials, and government agencies in adopting effective and efficient approaches to incorporating the needs of all users in the design, reconstruction, and construction of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, trails, pathways, shared pathways, and roadway projects.” (First Paragraph of Section 1, Purpose)