The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission would like to invite anyone with an interest in Trails, Bike Lanes and Non-Motorized facilities to attend public input meetings in Branch, Allegan, St. Joseph and Berrien counties. Give your input at either of these public meetings. These events are free and open to the public.

A Branch County Trails Input Meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 at Andrews University, Chan Shun Hall, Whirlpool Room. The university is located at 4185 East Campus Circle Drive, Berrien Springs.

At these meeting attendees will accomplish the following:

• Create a vision of connected trails in southwest Michigan

• Discuss the prioritization of projects

• Test the usability of the existing Southwest Michigan bike map

The public input meetings will contribute to the progress of the nine-county Non-Motorized Transportation Plan for Southwest Michigan. The plan will be utilized by the Michigan Department of Transportation, local officials and advocacy groups to prioritize non-motorized investments in the region and will provide a vision for a non-motorized transportation network to secure private and governmental funding for implementation.

Plan development is being funded by MDOT. The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC) is facilitating and writing the nine-county plan with assistance from the Southwest Michigan Alliance for Recreation Trails. The SWMPC is working with several partners in each county to develop the plan.

For more information about this project visit www.swmpc.org/smart_ plan. asp.