m-bike.org http://www.m-bike.org/blog Promoting non-motorized transportation in the Motor City Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:17:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The Ordinary bike http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/03/the-ordinary-bike http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/03/the-ordinary-bike#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:17:42 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4547 The Henry Ford blog has a new post which gives a basic but brief early history of bicycles.

“Hurry out to Greenfield Village — the summer season with all its old-fashioned games on the green, period-clothed strollers and ordinary bicyclists ends this Sunday, August 22!”

It’s too late to see the bikes firsthand, but you can see them in this video.

If you do get a chance to visit Greenfield Village, don’t forget to see the Wilbur and Orville’s Wright Cycle Company building, which Henry Ford bought and moved to Dearborn in 1937.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/03/the-ordinary-bike/feed 0 42.3053169 -83.2246475 Complete Streets on the Craig Fahle Show http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/complete-streets-on-the-craig-fahle-show http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/complete-streets-on-the-craig-fahle-show#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:53:12 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4598 Did you catch today’s discussion on Detroit’s Complete Street effort? It was on WDET’s Craig Fahle Show.

If you missed it, you can still listen to the podcast. The segment on Complete Streets begins about 54 minutes into the program.

Earlier today, Governor Jennifer Granholm had a ceremonial signing of Michigan’s Complete Streets legislation at the Capitol. We had a roomful of supporters from the Michigan Complete Streets coalition as well as State Representatives (and bill sponsors) Pam Byrnes and Jon Switalski.

The Governor is an active cyclist and pedestrian — and noted how blessed Michigan is for trails.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/complete-streets-on-the-craig-fahle-show/feed 0 42.7336617 -84.5539093 Support Complete Streets in Detroit http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/support-complete-streets-in-detroit http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/support-complete-streets-in-detroit#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:25:02 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4584 This is just a reminder that the city of Detroit wants to know if you support Complete Streets in the Motor City.

If so, it’s easy to register your support and you don’ t need to be a city resident. It only takes a minute.

For more information on Detroit’s Complete Streets effort, visit the Detroit Health and Wellness Promotion (DHWP) web site.

One of DHWP’s main objectives is to support and promote healthy and safe lifestyles; that includes physical activity such as walking and biking. Safe, community-centered roads and streets help encourage these healthy lifestyle choices. Thankfully, Detroit has established a Complete Streets project to build better routes for all Detroit residents.

DHWP is anticipating having a Complete Streets ordinance before the city council before next Spring.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/02/support-complete-streets-in-detroit/feed 0 Livonia to consider non-motorized plan http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/livonia-to-consider-non-motorized-plan http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/livonia-to-consider-non-motorized-plan#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:44:17 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4594 The Free Press is reporting about a non-motorized planning proposal before the Livonia City Council this evening.

Tonight, a Livonia City Council committee will consider a proposal from [Frank] Kalinski, a city resident since 1993, to create a non-motorized transportation plan for the city.

Kalinski’s proposal includes designated biking and walking paths that would not only cross the city, but also would connect Livonia with surrounding communities such as downtown Farmington. Because it would connect the two communities and presumably add economic benefits, the plan would be in better position to help the city secure federal transportation funds, he said.

Livonia Councilwoman Maureen Miller Brosnan sees merit in the effort, and wants her city of almost 99,000 to become one of 10 communities in the state with a non-motorized transportation plan. She cited the timing of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s signing on Aug. 1 of Complete Streets legislation. Although it lacks a funding component, the legislation is designed to make future transportation projects in the state consider all transportation users, not just motorized vehicles.

It’s unexpected but much welcomed to hear Livonia discussing a non-motorized transportation plan. This is the best first step for communities to become more bike friendly and more walkable. As noted in the article, Detroit has done this, as had Troy. Novi and Royal Oak are currently developing their plans.

It’s unclear from the article whether Livonia would hire an outside planner with experience in non-motorized plans. The “plan” shown in the diagram is not a plan.

Hiring experienced planners would clearly be preferred. Expecting a workable plan from city staff not familiar with non-motorized planning (beyond sidewalks) is prone to fail.

And, a good non-motorized plan is more than just engineering. It should include action plans for education, encouragement, and enforcement.

Afterall, the goal is not to build a bunch of cycling facilities. It’s to get a city to bike more.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/livonia-to-consider-non-motorized-plan/feed 0 44.3148460 -85.6023636 Making Safe Routes to Burns Elementary http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/making-safe-routes-to-burns-elementary http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/making-safe-routes-to-burns-elementary#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:08:59 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4578

Congratulations to Robert Burns Elementary in Detroit for its recent Safe Routes to School grant.

Here’s the official announcement from MDOT:

Burns School will implement safety improvements and educational programming. Project components include improving sidewalks and crosswalks on Lyndon, Terry, Intervale, Lauder and Robson streets and Grand River Avenue, and implementing several school-based programs, including pedestrian and personal safety workshops for parents and students, a walking school bus, and a Walking Wednesdays program. The project budget is $231,253.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/09/01/making-safe-routes-to-burns-elementary/feed 0 42.3936882 -83.1909866 Updates on the Macomb County Loop http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/updates-on-the-macomb-county-loop http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/updates-on-the-macomb-county-loop#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:47:03 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4497 The Free Press recently ran a article on the proposed 70-mile Macomb County Loop.

Joggers, bikers and walkers in Macomb County can anticipate a light at the end of the bike path, as nearly two-thirds of the Macomb Orchard Trail is completed this summer.

And no one’s looking more forward to progress on the 70-mile loop through Macomb County than business owners and officials in downtown Utica, anticipating a healthy bump in business from a soon-to-be-completed path that leads to their doorsteps.

“It’s exciting,” Carla Grider, manager of Muldoon’s restaurant in downtown. The restaurant already does a healthy business from April to October, when patrons can eat outside on the patio. And Grider expects traffic from the trail to build on that.

It’s a pretty aggressive construction schedule. It’ll be interesting to see how realistic is truly is.

We do have concerns with some of this loop. From what we’ve been told, parts of it are on sidepaths — notably the portion along County Line Road. Wide shoulders and/or bike lanes would be the safer (and perhaps less expensive) design choice.

The sidepath along the Metropolitan Parkway actually works since the access across the path is tightly controlled. There are very limited intersections, which makes this design work. Unfortunately many other communities believe they can replicate that design without concern for the number of intersections, their sight-lines, etc.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/updates-on-the-macomb-county-loop/feed 0 Roll-on bicycle service for Michigan trains http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/roll-on-bicycle-service-for-michigan-trains http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/roll-on-bicycle-service-for-michigan-trains#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:07:10 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4551 MDOT is soliciting comments on the State Rail Plan.

Here’s a comment made by MTGA:

We would like to see roll-on bicycle service for all Michigan passenger rail lines. We need to make it much more convenient for rail passengers to bring their bicycles on the train without having to disassemble and box them. Roll-on service would complement the non-motorized transportation efforts underway in the city of Detroit. It would also complement Detroit’s light rail plans, as those trains are expected to have roll-on bicycle service from the start.

Currently, in order to bring your bike on a Michigan AMTRAK train, you must disassemble it and put it in a box. This is obviously not convenient.

Imagine catching a train in the New Center Area and heading to cycling cities like Chicago!

We’ve been told the reason the Michigan trains don’t have roll-on service is because the trains don’t have baggage cars. Apparently there are some baggage cars available but they would require some refurbishment before they could be used.

That said, it seems that other rail lines have installed bike racks in their coaches. That may require removing some seating, which certainly would generate some push back.

Either way, we encourage all cyclists to submit comments to MDOT about making our state train service more bike friendly.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/31/roll-on-bicycle-service-for-michigan-trains/feed 2 Making connections with Detroit Greenways http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/4540 http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/4540#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:54:40 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4540 The Heritage Newspaper’s Press and Guide had a recent article on greenways in Metro Detroit.

It’s a good article with a focus more on the Dearborn, Detroit, and Downriver areas.

Still, we’re a little unclear about some statements.

Detroit is leading the way in the endeavor, and currently has more greenways than any other city in the country, quite a change for a city that built its reputation on the automobile. In Detroit’s favor, it is a city with many, many miles of unused railways, which advocates hope will eventually be converted totally to greenways.

We’re not sure the city of Detroit has more greenways than any other city, but it could very well be among the leaders from an investment perspective.

And this is a great quote from Tom Woiwode of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

“Ultimately, the goal of the GreenWays Initiative is to connect all the communities in southeast Michigan and to link the system with projects outside the region,” said Woiwode. “In the meantime, watching as greenways are embraced by a region known for the automobile continues to be a pleasure.”

The article does end on a flat note.

“Every day, we are a little closer to being able to travel the whole tri-county area without ever setting foot on a road.”

That’s neither true nor realistic — and not even desirable. Many of the planned greenways in Detroit are partially, if not 100% on the road.

Riding on roads is not a bad thing to be avoided. What we need to avoid is building roads that don’t safely accommodate bicyclists. We need Complete Streets.

Chances are we’re not building a greenway to your front door. Or your school. Or your work. We just need to fix the roads between your starting and ending points.

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/4540/feed 3 Greenways survey for Detroit’s lower eastside http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/greenways-survey-for-detroits-lower-eastside http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/greenways-survey-for-detroits-lower-eastside#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:45:07 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4535

Please take 10 minutes to complete this survey on greenways, bike lanes, and more in Detroit. The survey only runs through Wednesday! For more information on this project, visit the Villages CDC web site.

Dear Friends,

Your participation in a survey is requested to assist in the planning of a network of greenways in the Greater Riverfront East District of Detroit. This area is also known as the Lower Eastside. Its boundaries are the Detroit River to the south, Mack Avenue to the north, the Dequindre Cut to the west, and Alter Road to the east.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. The survey will run until September 1, 2010. Please feel free to share this survey with others whom you think would be interested.

Please click on following link to complete the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/765DW9R

Thank you for your time and participation.

The Greater Riverfront East Environmental Network (GREEN) Task Force

P.S. If you would like to receive paper copies of this survey, or if you have a question, please contact:

Sheu-Jane Gallagher
The Villages CDC
theVillagesofDetroit@gmail.com

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]]> http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/30/greenways-survey-for-detroits-lower-eastside/feed 0 Greenway Bike-a-thon: September 6th near Windsor http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/29/greenway-bike-a-thon-september-6th-near-windsor http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/08/29/greenway-bike-a-thon-september-6th-near-windsor#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:59:23 +0000 Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=4527 A trail fundraiser ride from our friends south of the border at Bike Friendly Windsor:

Essex Rotary club has paired up with the Essex Region Conservation Authority to raise money for developing the Chrysler Greenway between McGregor and Essex.

They are holding a Bike-a-thon at 10am Monday, September 6th with two route choices: CO-AN park to Harrow and back (25km) or CO-AN park to Kingsville and back (55km).

Registration forms can be picked up at any United Communities Credit Union branch in Essex County.

Co-An Park is located at 11071 11th Concession, McGregor in Ontario, Canada.

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