Karen Heining (Detroit Derby Girls) with Mayor Cockrel

Early Friday morning, Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. became Detroit’s new mayor.

As many have said, this opens a new and exciting chapter in this city’s history.  And while this is certainly true in many ways, it’s especially true for biking in Detroit.

Mayor Cockrel and his staff were instrumental in getting  Detroit’s Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan moving through city council and approved just last Tuesday.  And with walking and biking being the greenest transportation, it certainly fits with the Mayor’s green agenda, which he mentioned in his inauguration speech.

But also, Mayor Cockrel is a Detroit cyclist.  He rides a few times a week, often before the start of his work day.  Even during these transitional times, he’s still finding some time to ride.

However, he said he was planning to put the bike away soon due to the lack of morning daylight.  We promised to get him information on bike lighting options so he can continue riding.

Just a little over a month ago we lamented Al Fields leaving Mayor Kilpatrick’s office.  He was cyclists’ main if not only advocate in the mayor’s office.  Al had gotten a lot done for Detroit biking, so his leaving left behind a huge vacancy.

We can safely say that that vacancy has been filled.

Al Fields (DTE) and Greg Johnson (MDOT)

Al Fields was the primary bicycling proponent within the City of Detroit Mayor’s office. He was our “go to” guy for helping cycling advocates get things done, such as the mountain bike trail at Rouge Park. He was also responsible for getting bike lanes on Belle Isle. Outside of cycling, Al was instrumental in the success of Detroit’s Super Bowl and Red Bull Air Races. He also played bass in Torch with a Twist — and if you know what that is, I don’t need to highlight its coolness.

Unfortunately Al recently changed jobs. He’s now working for DTE. However, he does expect to still be quite involved in promoting cycling.

So thank you, Al, and we wish you the best of luck in your new job at DTE.