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.

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.

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

Here’s the official announcement from MDOT:

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

Earlier this month we attended a public meeting in Southwest Detroit to discuss the westward expansion of the Detroit RiverWalk. This would be the 2-mile segment of RiverWalk from Joe Louis to West Grand Boulevard/Riverside Park.

The interest was very high as the room quickly filled to standing room only.

The initial plans looked great to us. This portion of the RiverWalk would look more like Belle Isle than the often hard-surfaced RiverWalk East. This is due in part to the larger land holdings, including the old Free Press printing plant site and Riverside Park. Of course the railyard in between adds a significant challenge.

It was noted that being able to bike and walk under the Ambassador Bridge would be quite a sight and quite a unique draw. It was good to see Dan Stamper of the Detroit Bridge Company in attendance to show their apparent support of the RiverWalk West concept.

A recent Model D article also added:

Faye Alexander Nelson, president and CEO of the Conservancy, had to remind the audience on several occasions that the planning is beginning now and the community will be a big component of the process.

“This will be challenging,” [Conservancy Chair Matt] Cullen says. “But a real exciting opportunity.”

The Conservancy says they’ll continue to have public meetings as the process for the West Riverfront moves a long.

Raising the millions in funding for this project is a major task, but the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has a track record of getting it done. We see no reason why this won’t come to fruition.