Grand Blanc Township, MI — Residents, local leaders and community partners gathered Wednesday evening in Grand Blanc Township to celebrate the completion of the new Embury-Cook Road Trail, another major addition to the growing Legacy Trails network across Flint and Genesee County.
The celebration drew a large turnout, with many residents arriving on their bicycles and eager to participate in the “ride-through” ribbon-cutting event.
The Embury-Cook Road Trail is part of the larger Legacy Trails vision, which aims to eventually connect approximately 200 miles of nonmotorized trails throughout Flint and Genesee County, creating more opportunities for recreation, transportation and connections between communities.
Genesee County Commissioner James Avery, who represents District 5, said the investment in trails is about much more than recreation.
“We are not simply building trails in Genesee County, rather, we are building a legacy,” Avery said. “We are creating communities where our children and grandchildren will want to stay, where families can put down roots, and where new residents will see Genesee County as a place they want to call home.”
A driving force behind the expansion of trails throughout Genesee County has been the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which has committed up to $25 million to support the development and expansion of nonmotorized trails throughout the community. That investment, along with partnerships among local governments and community organizations, continues to move the Legacy Trails vision forward.
Ridgway White, the President and CEO of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, celebrated the trail’s opening as a sign of things to come in Genesee County. He talked about safe passages for kids wanting to walk or bike to schools, and creating new opportunities for residents with direct access, in the near future, to a state park in downtown Flint and another in neighboring Oakland County.
The opening of the Embury-Cook Road Trail represents another important connection in that growing network, and another step toward creating a more connected, active and welcoming Genesee County.
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