[Julie] Funke, a certified public accountant who lives in Royal Oak and commutes downtown, and [Melissa] Damaschke, who recently moved from Ferndale to Detroit, are bike-and-busers by choice – a rare but growing population segment, aided by recent regional upgrades, including bike racks on buses and miles of new bike lanes in Detroit.

In 2010, the friends made a pact, agreeing to use pedals and public transportation to get to work and social engagements as frequently as they could.

As the article mentions, they are documenting this commitment on their blog, Two Women, Four Wheels.

Like Funke and Damaschke, “Tig3rzhark” is documenting his bus/bike experience with a blog called, The Trials and Tribulations of a Detroit Bicyclist. He’s been sharing his stories since the summer of 2009.

Of course there are many other Detroiters living car-free and getting around by bus and bike. Given the route cutbacks at SMART and DDOT, those numbers are likely to grow.

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All SMART buses and about half of DDOT buses now have bicycle racks. DDOT expects all of their buses to have racks by the first quarter of 2011.

Weren’t they talking about possibly three-bike racks? Yes, but we were told there was an apparent design problem with those racks. When loaded, they blocked the bus left headlight. Not good. DDOT is also looking at funding bike racks near their transit stops.

DDOT’s Bikes on Buses brochure is on-line (PDF).

Lighting the viaduct

Model D is reporting on an effort by 100 Points of Light to light the W. Vernor viaduct at the Michigan Central Station.

Armed with a grant from Kresge Community Arts, the group — comprised of siblings Mary Beth and Patrick Carolan and Robert Reese — propose a series of solatubes paired with chandeliers inspired by those once found in the depot that are powered by light stored in solar panels. Eventually, excess power generated would be sold back to the grid, creating the possibility that the concept becomes not only self-sustaining, but profitable.

Over the next few months, 100 Points of Light will focus on cleaning up the underpass and replacing existing bulbs with high-efficiency LEDs while planning for installation gets underway.

A better lit viaduct will be very welcomed by cyclists. The darkness makes it difficult to see road hazard. Also, it’s difficult knowing how well motorists can see cyclists there. More light would be great.

The lack of light is one reason why the W. Vernor bike lanes (to be installed next year) end before going under the viaduct.

RiverWalk progress

A DNRE official was on the Craig Fahle show discussing the cleanup of the Uniroyal site. This site is on the Detroit River between two completed sections of the RiverWalk: Gabriel Richard Park and Mt. Elliot Park. Site cleanup could begin as early as next spring. This is a necessary step before this critical RiverWalk segment can be constructed.

And this Sunday the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is leading a free guided tour of the RiverWalk from 10am until 11am at the Rivard Plaza. There are more details on their Facebook page. They are asking attendees to RSVP by tomorrow by sending an email to rsvp@detroitriverfront.org.

Reaching our goals together

There was a Greens Streets and Highways Conference in Denver this week. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood wrote about it on his blog, including this quote:

We have the tools, and are developing even more tools, to make sure that transportation doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Highway advocates, environmentalists, car owners, truckers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and preservationists can all reach their goals–together.

No more excuses for Metro Detroit road agencies.

We need leaders who find solutions to problems rather than continuing to find problems with solutions.

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First, a contact to purchase bus bike racks was before council.

Brown, reso. autho. Contract No. 2824443 - 20% State Funding; 80% Federal Funding – To Provide Bus Bicycle Racks, Spare Parts and Associated Hardware – RFQ #33730 Sportworks Northwest, Inc., 15540 Wood-Red Road N.E., Bldg #A-200, Woodinville, WA 98072 – Contract Period: August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2013, with Two (2), One (1) Year Renewal Options – Items (2) Unit Price: $38.00/each to $546.00/each. Lowest Total Bid – Estimated Cost: $353,999.36/Three Years – TRANSPORTATION

DDOT has said they would get bus bike racks on their existing fleet. They’re new buses already have them.

Second, and we’ve mentioned this already, but a grant application for extending the Dequindre Cut was approved by council committee.

Brown, reso. autho. Endorsing the Application to MDNRE Right of Way Acquisition. (DPW intends to submit an application to MDNRE for an amount of $500,000.00 to acquire the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for the construction of Dequindre Cut, Phase II Project.) (REPORTED OUT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE 07-26-10) WAIVER OF RECONSIDERATION

This grant request would be for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which this year is flush with money. That means it’s very likely the Dequindre Cut grant will be approved. This grant is only to acquire the right-of-way. Additional funds will be required to improve existing bridges over the Cut and to build the trail itself.

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9. Bus racks on DDOT buses

SMART buses already have racks and DDOT says their fleet should have them by the spring — or so we’ve been told.

8. Milliken State Park

Okay, technically this was opened in December, but given the weather, not many may know about this RiverWalk connection. One key is it brings the RiverWalk trail much closer to the Dequindre Cut. The DNR has already received some funding to continue the pathway around the large grassy mound.

7. Dequindre Cut Trail Extension

Construction is underway on this trail extension which connects the existing Dequindre Cut to Atwater and Milliken State Park. Construction should be completed by the fall.

6. Bagley Street Pedestrian Bridge

This critical non-motorized bridge over I-75 reconnects Bagley Street in Mexicantown. While the bridge appears complete, the ramps were not the last we’d seen them. We expect the construction to be completed early in 2010.

5. Anthony Wayne Drive/Third Avenue

Anthony Wayne Drive through the Wayne State Campus is being reconfigured to add more on-street parking and bike lanes.

4. Second Avenue

New Center Council is looking at reconfiguring Second Avenue between Grand Boulevard and the Wayne State Campus. It’s expected that the new configuration will become two-way with either bike lanes or shared-lanes.

3. Conner Creek Greenway

Two miles of this greenway are already completed near the city airport. More segments should be constructed this summer, including bike lanes along St. Jean between Mack and Jeffererson. Clairpointe from Jefferson to Maheras Gentry Park will also get bike lanes. A third segment along the Mt. Olivet cemetery and continuing north to Eight Mile is becoming ready to go as well.

2. Midtown Loop (Phase I)

Construction of the first mile of this new greenway should begin this spring along Kirby and John R. Phase II will complete the rectangular route along Canfield and Cass.

1. Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink

Construction is expected to begin this year. The end product will be 16 miles of bikes routes and bike lanes throughout the Corktown and Mexicantown neighborhoods.

There are two other MDOT road projects that should have bike lanes but MDOT is providing flimsey excuses to not do so. Advocates are still pushing MDOT on those and if MDOT does the right thing, Detroit would surpass Ann Arbor’s bike lane mileage.

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The Detroit Department of Transportation is set to receive more than $500,000 in federal money to install bike racks on the fronts of all city buses.

The DDOT bus fleet would follow other local bus lines in installing bike racks under the buses’ windshields. The intent is to extend travel options for bus riders, especially those without easy and affordable access to cars.

“This is definitely something we’ve urged DDOT to do for a number of years to increase the usability for their service,” said Megan Owens, executive director of the advocacy group Transportation Riders United. “It really expands the area people can get to.”

Link: Detroit News article

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Celebrating the first SMART bus bike racks at the State Fairgrounds in April 2004

Prior to the high gas prices, the question was often asked if the SMART bus bike racks were a success.  SMART thought so.  They attributed increased ridership to the bike racks.

SMART can’t run buses to every address.  Being able to use a bike to get from ones true starting point to a bus stop makes buses more viable for many folks, but especially those in less densely developed areas.

Of course fewer asked about the bus racks’ effectiveness during this year’s bump in gas prices.  The answer was quite visible as many more buses had bikes on them.

At yesterday’s Model D speaker series, a SMART representative said they transported bikes 16,000 times last month.  Wow.

In fact due to the increased usage, SMART is now looking to upgrade their bus bike racks so that they carry 3 bikes.

It sounds like that original question won’t be asked as much anymore.

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It began with a Transportation Riders United, MTGA, a bike petition, and others asking for bike racks on DDOT buses.

A bus rack manufacturer loaned DDOT some racks to try out on the Russell line.  Their Bikes on Buses (B.O.B.) program was started.  Meanwhile, DDOT requested funding to equip all of their buses with bike racks.

The great news is MDOT has approved that funding request.  Over a three-year period, all of DDOT line haul buses will get bike racks.

Model D Speaker Series: Bikes + Transit

Next Tuesday, October 21st, the Model D Speaker Series welcomes John Hertel and Scott Clein to the Motor CIty Movie House at the Russell Industrial Center.  The event begins at 5 PM with the presentations starting at 5:30 PM.

From Model D:

Hertel is the local transit czar, and will speak on the the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council’s recently released transit plan for Southeastern Michigan, including a light rail or streetcar system down Woodward Avenue. (Hear more about it here from Model D Radio/Michigan Now reporter Chris McCarrus.)

Clein is an engineer with  Giffels-Webster, the firm which recently helped design a non-motorized plan that calls for more than 400 miles of bike lanes in Detroit. The plan recently got approval from Detroit City Council. Read more about it here.

To sign up for this free event or to get directions, visit Model D.

We’ll see you there!

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SMART bus with a two-bike rack

DDOT has listened to our requests.

DDOT has announced that the Russell bus line will include bus bike racks.  They are doing this on a trial basis.  Eventually we may see all  DDOT buses with bike racks similar to what SMART has done.

DDOT is calling this Bikes On Buses or B.O.B.

There are B.O.B. details on-line along with a B.O.B. user guide.  Or you can call DDOT customer service at 313.933.1300.

Special thanks to DDOT and the Transportation Riders United (TRU) for helping push this project forward.  This is a great complement to the bus network, but also a great benefit for Detroit cyclists wanting to get to cycling destinations across the city (e.g. Belle Isle, Riverwalk.)

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For more information, visit this earlier m-bike entry regarding DDOT bus bike racks.

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So why don’t DDOT buses in Detroit have bike racks?

One big reason is they haven’t received many requests from their customers for them. That’s something we can change.

If having bike racks on DDOT buses is something you would use, please contact DDOT to let them know. Your options include:

• Writing them a letter (DDOT, 1301 E. Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48207)
• Calling their customer service line at 313-933-1300.
• Attending the upcoming DTOGS public open house on May 7th at Wayne State. Talk with the DDOT officials about bike racks on buses. The DTOGS plan would allow bikes on the trains.
• Testifying at the City budget hearing on May 8th, 5:00 PM, Coleman A. Young Center, 13th floor. Ask City Council for more money than what the Mayor has recommended to help pay for bus bike racks. This gets the message to City Council and the Mayor’s office.
• Speaking about it at the monthly Customer Comment meetings, which are every third Thursday, 5pm at DDOT, 1301 E. Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48207.
• Attending the monthly DDOT Advisory Commission meetings, which are held every third Wednesday at 10 am at DDOT, 1301 E. Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48207.  You have the opportunity to bring it up during the open public comment period near the end of the meeting.

Make sure you’re clear about requesting bike racks on the buses versus just installing bike racks at the bus stops.  And, the more times and ways DDOT hears this message, the better our chances for success.

It should also be noted that there was initial opposition from SMART officials for their bike racks. Some of those who originally opposed them are now singing their praises. The rack usage was “far greater” than what they anticipated. It was a noted reasons for their increased ridership. SMART has even discussed upgrading their current 2-bike racks to 3-bike racks.

As for funding, MDOT’s Transportation Enhancements grants program has funded bus bike racks in other Michigan cities. Increased ridership can help offset any additional maintenance that these racks require.

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