Living up to its reputation as one of northern Michigan's premier waterfront downtowns, Petoskey developed Bayfront Park to increase public access to Little Traverse Bay and to link the commercial district to the waterfront. Waterfront Park Tunnel under U.S. 31 enables pedestrians to walk by way of a central promenade from downtown to the one-hundred-slip marina and waterfront. Here is a playground, softball tournament field, boardwalk, public service buildings, open picnic and activity greens, and arboretum. Funding for the development was through the Petoskey Tax Increment Finance Authority, with the Michigan Waterways Division and Recreation Services Division of the Department of Natural Resources.