Bagley Pedestrian Bridge Concept from MDOT

There may be no better poster child for showing how expressways can divide a community than I-75 and Corktown/Mexicantown.

At this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, Bagley Street west of I-75 was closed to vehicles and packed with revelers in a huge community celebration.  On the other side of I-75, Bagley was devoid of people.  Even the coffee shop was closed.

It’s so apparent how I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge facilities have split these Southwest Detroit communities, but especially for those on foot or on bike.  Re-connecting Bagley would certainly be a  positive step forward.

Now MDOT is taking that step.

As part of their Gateway project, they are building a bike and pedestrian bridge over I-75, making Bagley Street contiguous once again.

For cyclists, Bagley is already a decent road to ride.  It has low traffic and low speeds.  Bagley east of I-75 will eventually have bike lanes as part of the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink Project.

Some of the many outstanding cycling destinations along Bagley include Clark Park, La Gloria Bakery, Los Galanes, Honey Bee Market, Cafe Con Leche Coffee House, Matrix Theatre, and my favorite Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Lupitas.

Also, MDOT is looking for artists to create public art along this bridge.  Here is their press release with further details: (more…)

Everyone is invited to a new trail opening in Canton on Thursday, October 23rd starting at noon.

This new trial runs from Haggerty Road and Michigan Avenue to the I-275 bike path.  It was constructed by MDOT in cooperation with Canton Township, Wayne County, and the Western Township Utility Authority.

The opening celebration is at the Fellows Creek Golf Club at 2936 S. Lotz Road in Canton.

Please RSVP to Brad Sharp via email by October 22nd.

Link: Canton Trail Opening

The current northern end of the I-275 bike path

Yesterday we did some preliminary scouting with MDOT for a possible extension of the I-275 Bike Path.

This extension would begin at the current north end of the I-275 path at Meadowbrook Road, just south of I-96.  The route would continue north and eventually head east to be within the M-5 corridor.

It would intersect the old Coe Railroad, which should hopefully become Oakland Counties next big rails to trails conversion.  It would also intersect 13 Mile and 14 Mile Roads — both popular east-west road bike routes.

The extension would end at Pontiac Trail.  From here one could continue north on the trails planned for Martin Road before heading west and picking up the Lakes Community Trail.

There are no shortage of challenges for building this trail.  From wetlands to steep rolling hills, it’s going to take some smart design to keep the price tag reasonable, but MDOT is committed to getting it done.

The insignificant traffic levels on Woodward during the early morning (left) make it an ideal choice for bicyclists

The Detroit Free Press ran a followup article on the bicyclist who was recently hit and killed in Royal Oak:

Who rides a bike along Woodward Avenue near 12 Mile at 1:30 a.m.?

The answer: a single mom raising two kids. With no car, she commuted by bike from southwest Detroit to Royal Oak to care for a 92-year-old man.

Friends and family members describe Jackie Robinson as a fighter who had battled adversity and was working hard for her two boys, Bruce, 13, and Keith, 11.

“She was a good person,” said Heather Weeks, a cousin. “She would give you the shirt off her back.”

You can read the entire article here.

As much as I enjoy and respect Bill McGraw, the article’s author, he does make one significant mistake.  He implies Woodward is always busy and perhaps not ideal for biking:

Riding a bike on multilane Woodward north of 8 Mile can be harrowing: The speed limit in Royal Oak is 45, and an average of about 75,000 vehicles pass 12 Mile every day.

Woodward Avenue south of 12 Mile at 1:30 AM is not harrowing.  The latest SEMCOG traffic count for this northbound stretch of road shows only 140 vehicles per hour on this well-lit, four-lane road.

That’s just one car going past every 26 seconds across four lanes of traffic.  Harrowing?  That’s an ideal road choice for a cyclist.  There’s plenty of room for vehicles and bicycles to share Woodward in the early morning hours.

And the frosting on the cake is according to MDOT, traffic levels have been declining on Woodward Avenue.

Don’t Forget:  Anyone with information about this hit-and-run is strongly urged to call the Royal Oak Police at 248.246.3515 anytime.

Last Tuesday, the full Detroit City Council approved two resolutions relating to the Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan.

Why a Master Plan?

Municipalities develop non-motorized master plans to look at their entire area and creates a vision for improved biking and walking facilities based on public input and various data sources.  Typically the plan calls for modifying existing road right-of-ways to better and more safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.  It would also consider non-motorized trails needs as well as related amenities, such as bike racks.

And of course, a good plan would make recommendations on how to change city policies in order to make the planning vision a reality.

Having a good non-motorized plan helps municipalities implement them as road construction projects are planned.  Similarly, it obligates other road agencies (e.g. MDOT) to implement the plan on roads they own within the municipality.

And finally, having system-wide plans such as these improves the chances for grant funding to help implement the plan.

Detroit’s Plan

MDOT funded a non-motorized plan for Detroit.  Giffels-Webster along with other firms and the City of Detroit developed the plan.   The plan calls for various improvements for walking and biking in Detroit, including nearly 400 miles of bike lanes.

Link to Detroit Non-motorized Transportation Master Plan

City Council Resolutions

The plan was first presented to Council President Ken Cockrel Jr.’s Green Task Force.  We received a very favorable response and Mr. Cockrel got this on a council committee agenda.  With a solid showing of public support, the committee created resolutions to approve it.

Both resolutions are shown below: (more…)