U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, arrives into Marquette Wednesday morning as part of his statewide motorcycle tour. Peters discussed shoreline erosion and what he’s doing to protect the Great Lakes. Peters is traveling over a thousand miles across Michigan as part of his campaign efforts ahead of the general election on Nov. 3. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

MARQUETTE — U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, made a stop in Marquette on Wednesday morning as part of his annual statewide motorcycle tour.

The stop fell on day three of Peters’ 1,000-mile trek across Michigan, rolling up through the newly constructed roundabout at the corner of Wright Street and Lakeshore Boulevard just after 9:30 a.m. and getting a firsthand look at the ongoing Lakeshore Boulevard relocation project.

Peters, with his entourage of fellow motorcyclists following behind, was greeted by members of the public, Marquette Mayor Jenna Smith, city commissioners, other prominent community leaders and the media, to whom he made remarks regarding conservation of the Great Lakes and restoration of the Marquette shoreline by moving the road inland.

“It’s great to see this project,” Peters said. “It’s a project that’s been a long time coming. I’m pleased that we were able to help by getting several million dollars to move the project forward. We still have more to go, but it’s an example of the types of infrastructure projects that we need to be doing across the state of Michigan, while also preserving the Great Lakes and making sure that we’re able to keep this watershed vibrant and clean for generations to come.”

Phase one of the Lakeshore Boulevard relocation project involves elevating the road and moving it 300 feet inland in order to tackle longstanding erosion issues along the shoreline. The first phase cost an estimated $3 million to $4 million while the entirety of the project is estimated to total roughly $12 million. The Marquette City Commission approved $3.275 million for phase one, including contingencies, along with $773,000 to construct a multi-use path and parking area, which was contingent upon the city receiving a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a previous Mining Journal article.

Phase two of the project is still in the works, and funding for the project still needs to be secured, potentially through several grants sources.

Peters commented on the importance of securing funding for these types of projects along the Great Lakes.

“When you think about the 40 million people that drink water out of the Great Lakes, that should tell us that we need to do everything we can to keep them safe and keep them clean going forward,” he said. “That’s why I’ve always worked to expand the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which allows us to engage in projects that keep the lakes clean, and it also allows us to clean up old, toxic sites and create the kind of natural types of structures as well, whether it’s marshlands or other types of projects that feed water into the Great Lakes.

“I worked to get a record amount of money for the Great Lakes Restoration Fund this year. We’re hoping to get long-term appropriations going out for future years and have some stability.”

The mayor praised Peters for his efforts along the Great Lakes.

“We certainly appreciate Sen. Peters’ support for this project and other Great Lakes projects around the Midwest,” she said. “He’s done a really excellent job helping us secure funding where it’s needed. This project is going to make a nice addition to our community, which helps us with tourism, economic development and a number of things that’s going to help our city move forward.

“I know he’s continuing to work on legislation to help get us the additional funding we need, because at this point, we’ve only approved phase one of this project and we’ve got to work on phase two at some point here. We certainly appreciate the support, and we’re really glad that (Peters) has joined us here.”

The section of Lakeshore Boulevard from Wright Street to Fair Avenue has been open for a few weeks, while crews continue to work on the section from Wright Street to Hawley Street.

“I look forward to working with officials here throughout the Upper Peninsula and Marquette, but we have a lot of work to do,” Peters said. “We have to be focused, but the mission is very clear and that’s to make sure we’re building sustainable infrastructure while also protecting the Great Lakes for future generations, which is something I think all of us know is essential.

“All of us as Michiganders can speak to this, we basically have the Great Lakes in our DNA. We understand how exactly important the Great Lakes are, and I’m committed with the help of my partners at the state and local levels to make it a reality. It’s great to be here to see this project firsthand and it’s an example of why we need to make these kinds of investments.”

Peters has been holding his annual motorcycle tour for several years now and is grateful for the support he gets along the way.

“I love riding motorcycles and I’ve been doing this since I was very little,” he said. “This is one of my passions, to be able to get on a motorcycle and feel the wind in your face. I travel all across the state and have meetings across the state. I always figured, if I’ve got to get from Point A to Point B, why not do that on a motorcycle? I grew out of that desire over the last several years, so we’ve started doing this as an annual event.

“I’m privileged to have guest riders join me that come from all sorts of backgrounds. Whether they’re members of a Harley owner group, veterans, a labor union or business people, we all share a passion in riding, especially across Michigan. This is an incredibly beautiful state, and certainly folks who live in the U.P. are blessed to live in this amazing place. I’m glad to share it on the road as we travel across the state on these motorcycles.”

Peters’ Senate spot is up for grabs in November with Republican challenger John James going up against him in the general election. James. a U.S. Army veteran, ran for Debbie Stabenow’s Senate spot in 2018, but was defeated in the general election, 52.3% to 45.8%.

Peters said campaigning has been different in the age of COVID-19, but says it’s still important to get out as much as he possibly can.

“This is a different kind of campaign where you don’t see the big kind of rallies and group events that are kind of the staple of a political campaign,” he said. “Like most people now, I do a lot of Zoom calls and have a lot of outreach using the technologies available, but I still think it’s vitally important that you get out. That’s why we’re here, and why I get out regularly through the pandemic.

“We make sure we wear our masks and maintain social distancing and do all of the protocols. I still think it’s important to be out and to see projects like I’m seeing here. It’s the only way you get a sense of these projects, to see them with your own eyes. Having the opportunity to have those conversations with people across Michigan are so important. It’s always about making sure we’re doing it safely.”

Other issues Peters said his campaign is working on are rising lake levels, the economy and making skilled training programs more available for veterans.