The city of Southfield is getting more than $1 million to continue making Nine Mile Road safer and more accessible for cyclists and pedestrians.
The money will go toward construction of a nearly mile-long, 10-foot-wide shared-use pathway in Southfield that will connect portions of Oakland County’s 9Line Trail project, which aims to improve safety, walkability and cycling transit along the county’s entire 30-mile stretch of Nine Mile.
The pathway will be situated on the south side of Nine Mile, from M-10 to Greenfield Road, at the far east end of Southfield. Besides improving safety, it will also give pedestrians better access to recreational opportunities in the city, like the trails at Bauervic Woods Park.
It also links to the City Centre Trail, a nearly nine-mile shared-use pathway and nature trail along M-10.
“This will literally give people access to hundreds of miles of trails when all is said and done,” said Southfield Director of Planning Terry Croad. “Not only will this benefit our residential community but also anyone visiting for ecotourism or recreation.”
The grant comes from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Transportation Alternatives Program, which doles out around $10 million in federal funding to local transportation projects each fiscal year.
SEMCOG’s Regional Review Committee voted to fund the Southfield project since it provides “a number of regional and local benefits … particularly safety of people who travel this corridor without a car in modes such as walking, biking, or using transit,” said Trevor Layton, SEMCOG communications manager, in a statement.
“A separated shared-use pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists will provide an environment away from motor vehicle traffic,” Layton said. “This separation is reflective of the Safe Systems Approach to transportation planning and will improve safety and comfort for all road users, including auto drivers.”
The 9Line program began in 2022 after SEMCOG awarded a grant to Oakland County to start planning a greenway corridor that would run through the county’s eastern communities of Southfield, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Hazel Park and Oak Park. The project later expanded across the entire county with Lyon Township, Northville, Novi and South Lyon signing on.
The Southfield award is technically for fiscal year 2027, Layton said, but construction may get underway in 2026. The new pathway will link Nine Mile in Southfield to what Layton called “a lovely linear park” completed in 2023 along the road in Oak Park.
SEMCOG officials are expected to discuss the award and celebrate the partnership during the Southfield City Council meeting Monday. Officials also will roll out new signs and branding plans for the 9Line project, Croad said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com