Genesee County Plans 70 Miles of New Trail Links by 2030. A 4-Mile Piece Would Cross Mundy, Grand Blanc and Fenton Townships.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission is leading a five-year, $80 million series of projects to build 70 miles of connector trails by 2030 and put about 180,000 residents within one mile of a trail (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has committed up to $25 million over five years to the effort (ABC12, June 18, 2026). The project list runs through 2028 and includes links in Grand Blanc Township, Mundy Township, Fenton Township and the Burton area (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026).

The plan targets gaps between trails that already exist

The county's existing trail segments do not form one connected system. "They're placed in chunks, not a cohesive network," McKenna Dutkeiwicz, a planning specialist with the Metropolitan Planning Commission, told the Grand Blanc Township Board of Trustees at a presentation on April 28 (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). Jacob Maurer, a division manager with the commission, said the county has been averaging about one and a half miles of trail construction per year. "We're looking to accelerate that process," he said (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026).

The strategy is laid out in a plan called "Healthy, Happy, and Resilient Communities by 2030," adopted in March 2026. ABC12 reported that the effort aims to speed up closing the gaps, which had been expected to take nearly 50 years (ABC12, June 18, 2026). Reported totals for the finished network vary by how they are counted. One ABC12 report described the project as building off existing paths "to bring together a 210-mile trail system" (ABC12, June 18, 2026). Another described "connecting 235 miles of future corridors to create a 364-mile regional trail system" (ABC12, June 18, 2026).

"Safe, connected trails and sidewalks are essential infrastructure for healthy, thriving communities," Mott Foundation President and CEO Ridgway White said (The Flint Courier News, June 19, 2026). Genesee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dale K. Weighill said the partnership "will further our reputation as a destination for outdoor recreation" (The Flint Courier News, June 19, 2026).

Two of the 2026 projects are in Grand Blanc Township

Countywide, an estimated $12.8 million is expected to be spent on 6.9 miles of new pathways in 2026, according to the Genesee County View (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). ABC12 put first-year funding at $12.9 million (ABC12, June 18, 2026).

The first is the Embury-Cook Road Connector, budgeted at $1.8 million for 1.3 miles, from Cook Road at South Dort Highway east to Embury Road, then north to Grand Blanc Road (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). It is already done. Grand Blanc Township cut the ribbon on the finished trail on Wednesday, September 2 (ABC12, September 3, 2026).

The second Grand Blanc Township piece is the final 1.1-mile stretch of the Perry Road pathway, estimated at $2.1 million and partly funded by donations. It would run from the existing trail at Grand Blanc East Middle School to the new trail in Atlas Township (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). That link is part of Michigan's Iron Belle Trail, which the Genesee County View reported is about 70 percent complete (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026).

A 4-mile Baldwin-Fenton Road connector is on the 2028 list

For 2027, the plan budgets $17.5 million for eight projects totaling 15.6 miles. One is a 2.3-mile, $1.4 million link from Mundy Miracle Commons to Dort Highway, crossing from Mundy Township into Grand Blanc Township (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026).

For 2028, the plan calls for 12.8 miles at $13.9 million. That list includes a 3-mile, $3 million project that begins at existing sidewalks on Reid Road in the City of Grand Blanc and connects to the City of Burton, and a 4-mile, $2.6 million Baldwin-Fenton Road connector through Mundy, Grand Blanc and Fenton townships (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026). These are budgeted plans, not finished trail.

"This is not just helping current residents' health, but it's also attracting people looking for this kind of lifestyle," Grand Blanc Township Supervisor Scott Bennett said. Joanie Towarnicky, founder and president of Friends of the Grand Blanc Grid, called the plan "transformative" (Genesee County View, May 7, 2026).

Grand Blanc Township is also chasing a grant for a Baldwin Road path

Separately, Grand Blanc Township's contracted grant writer, Linda Davis-Kirksey, has been authorized to apply for a $400,000 state Department of Transportation Trust Fund grant for a Baldwin Road pathway. The path would extend the trail from the existing pathway at Dort Highway east to the trail at Holly Road, which winds to Creasey Bicentennial Park. The project is estimated at $3.1 million and includes about 330 feet of boardwalk through wetlands. "Boardwalks are absolutely beautiful when to ride on, but they're also very costly to install," Bennett said. The township expected an answer on the Trust Fund grant by the first week in December (Genesee County View, April 9, 2026).

The Legacy Trails network also reaches the southern end of the county. ChoiceOne Bank announced the official opening of the ChoiceOne Bank Trail following a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, September 29, at the corner of Silver Lake Road and Jennings Road in Fenton, and says the trail is part of the Genesee County Legacy Trails network (ChoiceOne Bank release via StockTitan, September 30, 2026).

What this means if you are buying or selling in Grand Blanc or Mundy Township

Trail access is easy to verify and easy to show. If your home is near Cook Road, Embury Road, Perry Road or one of the planned corridors, sellers should note the distance to the nearest trail segment and photograph it. Buyers should look up whether a nearby segment is built, funded, or still only planned, since the 2027 and 2028 lists are budgets, not finished trail.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Grand Blanc Township, Mundy Township, Fenton Township, Burton, Atlas Township, and Goodrich. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.