Clinton River Trail: Bridge Groundbreaking

MDOT and the city of Pontiac are hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for the new trail bridge over Telegraph. The ceremony is August 12th at 10AM on the eastern edge of the bridge near Old Telegraph.

This bridge will connect two important pieces of the Clinton River Trail that are currently very difficult to connect using surface streets. A rendering of the bridge is shown on the right. This project is being funded primarily with ARRA (a.k.a. stimulus) money. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is also contributing.

This still leaves one major gap in the Clinton River Trail for Pontiac: from Bagley Street west of Downtown to the Auburn Hills border at Opdyke.

We are clearly ignoring the trail’s improper signed routing of the Clinton River Trail through Downtown Pontiac on sidewalks. Yes, a newly signed bicycle route on sidewalks.

We’re not sure how such obvious mistake could have been funded by MDOT given the AASHTO bicycle guidelines clear instructions against it — especially within a central business district. It’s unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians.

Macomb Orchard Trail: More Asphalt

The Detroit News is reporting that nine more miles of the Macomb Orchard Trail will be paved.

Officials recently authorized the county to seek a low-interest loan to pay for paving those parts of the trail.

“We’ve already submitted our application and it’s being reviewed,” said Bob Hoepfner, the county’s chief highway engineer. “Hopefully we’ll know if it’s approved in about a month. We’d like to get it paved this year if we can.”

There were many complaints about the existing pea gravel surface, so this is certainly good news for cyclists and pedestrians.

Milford Village: Seeking Sidepaths

Another Oakland County government with its DDA was looking to build a side paths for bicyclists (calling them “safety” paths) in spite of the AASHTO bicycle guidelines against it. This sidepath would include 18 intersections in less than one-third of a mile: 2 sidewalks, 3 roads, and 13 residential driveways.

“We asked how can we do this economically,” [Village Manager Arthur] Shufflebarger said. “The DDA went through the options, and said this one was the least expensive.”

They apparently didn’t go through the AASHTO bicycle design guidelines for options. The least expensive option would be an safe, on-road connection.

That said, the?sidepath project was stopped within the same month due to other reasons.

I-275 Metro Trail: Open House

MDOT is scheduling another 5.5 miles of trail reconstruction along I-275 for next spring. This includes rehabilitating “six bridges and two boardwalks, install a pedestrian signal at Ecorse Road and upgrade signs.”

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting an open house-style meeting to provide an overview on the 2011 construction work on the I-275 Metro Trail in Wayne County. The project includes reconstruction of the bike path between US-12 (Michigan Avenue) and I-94. Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn details and provide feedback regarding this project.

The open house is August 10th, from 5pm until 7pm at the Fellows Creek Golf Club (2936 South Lotz Road in Canton.)

New Trail: Midtown Loop

The official ground breaking ceremony for the Midtown Loop is scheduled for next Thursday, April 15th.

From WLNS:

Construction starts next week on the Midtown Greenway, which will begin as a route for pedestrians and bicyclists circling through Detroit’s Cultural Center area and Wayne State University’s campus.

It’s the first part of a four-phase project that by fall 2012 is expected to link the area with Eastern Market and the Detroit riverfront. Construction crews begin work Monday and an event to mark the start is Thursday.

University Cultural Center Association President Susan Mosey said the project will widen walkways to create more room for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as add landscaping, bike racks, benches and small park areas.

The greenway is designed make the area, which includes the Detroit Institute of Arts, more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.

One thing to keep in mind is that this trail is not geared towards commuters or fast cyclists. It’s a trail for a relaxed, family and touristy rides.

New Bike Shop: Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop

There’s a new bike shop opening in town and there’s a official opening celebration tomorrow, April 9th at 2pm. The shop is located at 163 W. Nine Mile in Ferndale.

Volunteers needed: I-275 Metro Trail Cleanup

From the Detroit Free Press:

Volunteers are needed Saturday for spring cleaning on the I-275 bike path just east of Meadowbrook Road.

Friends of the I-275 Pathway plan to work from 9 a.m.-noon removing litter, trimming overgrown brush and shoveling mud from the path, said communications chair John Bailey, who is a WWJ-AM (950) radio traffic reporter.

Volunteers can park in the commercial parking lot at the northeast corner of Bridge Street and Meadowbrook, on the east side of Meadowbook just south of I-96. Bring flat shovels, rakes and other tools to scrape mud off pavement, he said.

For information, call 248-994-3074 anytime.

Donations sought: Beaumont Bike Day

From My Fox Detroit:

Kids riding on bikes is a sure sign of the season. But for special needs children, riding a bike seems like just a dream. But thanks to Children’s Miracle Network , that dream can come true.

They provide funding for Bike Day at Beaumont Children’s Hospital and you can help as well since these just aren’t any bikes. They’re custom made to suit each child.

FOX 2 and Gardner-White Furniture are asking you to support bike day. Every dollar you donate goes directly to the program allowing each bike to be provded for free. Drop by any Gardner-White Furniture location to make a donation. Or log on to www.beaumonthospitals.com/donate and select ‘Bike Day’ in the drop down to donate online.

MDOT is hosting a public open house to discuss the I-275 Metro Trail from Hines Drive to Michigan Avenue.

March 30, 2010 from 6 – 8 p.m

Plymouth Township Hall, Town Hall Room, 9955 N. Haggerty Road, Plymouth, MI 48170

MDOT and project team staff will host an open house to provide an overview of the project scope and boundaries of this approximately 7-mile section of the I-275 Metro Trail. This section is planned for reconstruction beginning this spring. There will be an opportunity to provide written feedback and input on various elements of the project including trail signs and bridge aesthetics.

For more information, please contact:

• Gorette Yung at 313-375-2400, yungg@michigan.gov
• Leah Groya at 313-961-3650, lgroya@wadetrim.com
• Jayson Nault at 810-220-2112, jayson.nault@tetratech.com

A third and final public open house regarding this section of the trail will be scheduled for April.

Also, Associated Online published an article on the I-275 Metro Trail reconstruction.

The work includes a complete reconstruction of the path between Michigan Avenue and Hines Drive, [John Bailey] said.

“The path will be upgraded to present-day standards, including widening it to 14 feet, constructing proper drainage and slopes, and bringing it in line with ADA compliance,” he said.

Repairs will also be made to the section from Hines Drive north to Meadowbrook Road, which Bailey said isn?t as badly deteriorated as the southern section.

The work includes four new bridges, too: over Fellows Creek, Tonquish Creek, Wiles Drain and Smith Drain.

There’s also positive news on the north end of the I-275 Metro Trail. The Commerce, Walled Lake, and Wixom Trailway Management Council is applying for trail grant funding after a public hearing. The public comment was nearly unanimously in favor of converting this rail line to a non-motorized trail. The lone opposition came from a local business that receives material deliveries from the rail line. Receiving those deliveries by truck would increase their manufacturing costs.

The council hopes to purchase the 5.33 mile railroad and turn it into a paved, non-motorized pathway that will connect to the Huron Valley Trail and the West Bloomfield Trail.

This grant would match an MDOT grant and allow for land acquisition. Later grants would be sought to improve the trail surface, signage, etc.

From MDOT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting an open house-style meeting to provide an overview on the upcoming construction work on the I-275 Metro Trail in Wayne County. The project includes reconstruction of the bike path between US-12 (Michigan Avenue) and Edward Hines Drive. Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn details and provide feedback regarding this project.

Scheduled to begin this spring 2010, MDOT will reconstruct approximately 7 miles of the Metro Trail, rehabilitate pedestrian bridges, install signals at certain intersections and upgrade signs.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 6-8p.m.

WHERE: Canton Township Administrative Building, Freedom Room, 1150 Canton Center Road, Canton
(Special accommodations: 734-394-5100)

You can optionally RSVP for this event on Facebook.

The Detroit News recently covered trails developments both Downriver and in Macomb County.

One interesting quote from Macomb County highlights the importances of biking and walking infrastructure investments as a means for attracting new companies and jobs.

Steve Cassin, the county’s director of planning and economic development, said surveys have shown that the top two factors for industry looking to locate a new operation include the availability of work force and quality of life. Greenways and outdoor offerings, he said, are a major factor in quality of life considerations.

I-275 Metro Trail

We’d mentioned earlier that the I-275 bike path (now called the I-275 Metro Trail) received $4 million in stimulus funding for reconstruct the trail from Michigan Avenue to Hines Drive. However, it did not get any round two stimulus funding.

However, bids for MDOT’s stimulus projects have been coming about 10% lower than anticipated. That has freed up additional money that MDOT will use to reconstruct the I-275 Metro Trail from Michigan Avenue south to Sibley Road, where it will connect with the Willow Metropark.

This is great news and a critical connection.

Detroit Trails

Some trail projects in the city of Detroit also received stimulus funding.

The biggest project is Phase I of the Midtown Loop. This project will transform the sidewalks on Kirby and John R into more of a RiverWalk design — wide paths with benches, art, and more. It also includes bike storage. The project has gone out to bid and construction is expected to begin in this spring.

Another project is a resurfacing project on St. Jean from Jefferson to Mack Avenue. Once resurfaced, St. Jean will have bike lanes and become another completed segment of the Conner Creek Greenway. This project has been awarded and construction should begin this spring as well.