Oxford Township gave the green light to Treasurer Joe Ferrari last week to apply for a grant to fund a walking/biking audit of M-24 in the hopes of using the results to expand the community’s safety path network.

“I think it’s a win-win for everybody,” said Ferrari, who chairs the township’s safety path committee.

The township is applying for a grant of up to $50,000 from the Traffic Safety Plan Implementation Assistance Program through the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

If selected, the township would use the grant money to conduct a walking and biking audit of M-24 between Indian Lake Rd. and Harriet St.

This would consist of reviewing the existing walking and biking conditions in order to improve safety, accessibility and transportation efficiency. It would focus on addressing issues “such as location and quality” of sidewalks, crosswalks and bikeways, street furniture, signage, signalization and intersection design.

The goal is to conduct a “thorough study” that can be used to justify to the Michigan Department of Transportation why it needs to install safety paths/sidewalks on both the east and west sides of the busy state highway when the M-24 construction project happens in 2020.

“This isn’t just some local elected officials telling you what we want,” he said. “Here’s a study saying this is what we need.”

As part of the M-24 project, Ferrari said he’s heard MDOT is looking at possibly installing new safety paths on just one side of the road, not both, which is the township’s preference.

The M-24 project will extend from Goldengate St. in Orion Township to Harriet St. in Oxford Township and encompass the villages of Lake Orion and Oxford in between.

The grant requires a cash match of at least 20 percent, which could be as much as $10,000 if the maximum of $50,000 is awarded.

“We may not even get $50,000,” Ferrari told the board. “We may get $20,000. We may get $30,000.”

Because the audit would include the stretch of M-24 that runs through Oxford Village, Ferrari previously asked the municipality’s council if it would be willing to contribute up to $3,500 toward the match.

Council turned him down.

“Their argument when I went there (was) they’re already township taxpayers,” he said.

The village recently agreed to sponsor the grant application because the program is only open to Act 51 eligible agencies in SEMCOG’s region and those agencies sponsored by an Act 51 eligible agency.

Act 51 agencies have the authority under state law to receive federal transportation funds. These agencies include incorporated cities and villages, county road commissions and public transit agencies, but not townships.

SEMCOG has $300,000 available for the program. The maximum grant request is $50,000 per proposal. The application deadline is May 22.

It’s anticipated the grant funds will be available beginning July 1 and have to be expended by June 30, 2019.