MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township residents will see a millage renewal proposal for pedestrian and bicycle pathways on the August 2nd primary ballot.

If the millage renewal is passed it will begin in January of 2017 and go through 2028. The proposal for renewing the proposal is asking for the millage to rate to increase to .33 mils. It is currently at .27 mils.

This millage has existed since 1974.

The passage of the renewal could generate an additional $100,000 per year to help fix the pathways in Meridian Township.

Derek Perry, the Assistant Township Manager and Director of Public Works & Engineering talked about what would happen if the millage is not renewed.

"Let's say the initiative were to fail you wouldn't have any available dollars that would be dedicated to the pathways so you still have an existing system, so then it would become basically it would have to be balanced with all the other priorities through the general fund."

Perry said that if the millage is renewed then there may be construction of additional pathways in Meridian Township. The Township currently has a little over seventy-six miles of pathways.

The construction of the pedestrian bridge over the Red Cedar River is one of the projects that was able to happen because of the existence of a millage for the pathways in Meridian Township

Township residents like Richard Baumgartner think the pathways are good for the Township.

"Well I, I ride on a lot of the bike trails in the community as well as the Lansing River trail and others around Michigan and it helps to alleviate some of the traffic on the highways and it's a much more enjoyable ride," said Baumgartner.

Even non-residents like Sara Stadt, a Lansing resident, also frequently use the pathways.

"They get people outside, they increase people's recreation opportunities, they increase people's fitness," Stadt said.