Our January 2024 newsletter is online with stories on the Joe Louis Greenway, Complete Streets, and much more.
Author: Todd Scott, Executive Director
Our December newsletter is now online with updates on greenways, Complete Streets, safety funding, and much more.
This was a seriously good year for making biking, walking, and rolling better in the City of Detroit. Here are some of the highlights.
Greenway Openings
- Southwest Greenway – This 0.6-mile rail-trail sibling of the Dequindre Cut opened in May and provides a very convenient connection between Corktown and the RiverWalk. This also includes the 15th Street pedestrian/bicycle connection to renovated Michigan Central and Roosevelt Park.
- RiverWalk Uniroyal Site – The long anticipated segment between the Mt. Elliott and Gabriel Richard Parks opened in October. Thousands of people came out for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy‘s celebration. This closed the biggest gap on the East RiverWalk.
- Joe Louis Greenway – The City of Detroit officially opened the Warren Gateway trailhead on Halloween. Calling it a trailhead doesn’t do it justice. It’s a great community gathering and play space. It’ll be a major destination along the JLG. The Meade Cut-Thru north of Hamtramck opened this year as well and provides another neighborhood connection to the greenway.
Complete Streets
- East Warren saw some of its separated bike lanes upgraded with concrete curbs, landscaping, and much more from 3 Mile Drive to Cadieux. We’re advocating for extending the East Warren separated bike lanes west of St. Jean to the (future) Joe Louis Greenway, WSU, Woodbridge and more — especially since we expect this to be part of the Iron Belle Trail route.
- Rosa Parks streetscape is a newly opened cycletrack from West Grand Boulevard (near the Motown Museum) to Gordon Park (near the Congregration). This project also removed a couple unnecessary vehicle lanes, which reduces stormwater runoff and nearly doubles the size of the adjacent MLK Jr. Memorial Park.
Road Safety
- Safe Streets for All funding – In February, the City of Detroit received $24.8 million in federal funding to improve its most unsafe streets. The city reapplied for additional funding from the same program and received another $24.8 million grant to address 56 high-crash intersections served by DDOT. This latter grant will also “conduct a Level of Traffic Stress analysis to address gaps in bicyclist/pedestrian networks, update the City’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, and pilot training for DDOT bus operators to ensure safe operations around people walking and biking.” This funding will lead to some community meetings and major street improvements in 2024.
- Under state law, nearly all residential streets in Detroit have a default 25 MPH speed limit. No speed limit signs are required. During an earlier state legislative session, changes were made to this section of state law that would remove this default on January 1st, 2024. We supported a bill to keep the current residential speed limits, and when it got held up in the House, we worked to get it unstuck. It passed the Senate and was signed by the Governor.
(Dis)connecting Communities
- Pedestrian Bridges – Freeways divide Detroit neighborhoods, so when they were first constructed, pedestrian bridges were added to help reduce this disconnection. Through the years, MDOT has not maintained these bridges and many of them are now closed. We’re involved at the local, state, and federal levels to address the lack of maintenance, non-compliant ADA designs, and their outright closures, most recently with the Canfield Bridge. We are expect to have more updates in 2024 as we stay on top of this.
- I-375 Reconnecting Communities – We are pleasantly surprised that there’s been more vocal opposition to the overbuilt replacement boulevard than the freeway removal itself this year. This continued pressure along with new post-COVID traffic counts could lead to a tighter boulevard design that’s better for bicyclists and pedestrians. It’s much less expensive to do a road diet before you build it. Stay tuned for updates and more public meetings in 2024.
| Miles of Bike Infrastructure (Centerline) | New for 2023 | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Trails | 1.3 | 24.8 |
| Bike Routes (sharrows) | 0 | 42.4 |
| Bike Lanes (includes 0.25 miles removed on 14th Street in Corktown) | 2.5 | 93.2 |
Back in February, the City of Detroit received a $24.8 million road safety grant from the US DOT’s Safe Streets for All program (SS4A).
Apparently lightning does strike twice.
The US DOT just awarded the City another $24.8 million SS4A grant. While the first focused on infrastructure improvements to streets with the highest crash rates, this grants focuses more on high-crash intersection near transit stops.
The City of Detroit, Michigan, is awarded funds to improve safety and bus stop accessibility at 56 high-crash intersections served by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus service. Improvements will support safer transfers between different routes and active/shared modes and include bus bulbs/transit islands; sidewalk widening and ADA curb ramp updates; highvisibility crosswalks; intersection lighting; and signal timing improvements. The City will also conduct a Level of Traffic Stress analysis to address gaps in bicyclist/pedestrian networks, update the City’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, and pilot training for DDOT bus operators to ensure safe operations around people walking and biking. The City of Detroit has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the country.
Safe Streets and Roads for All Fiscal Year 2023 Implementation Grant Awards, USDOT
We wrote a letter of support for this project because we believe it “will substantially reduce the risk of countless vulnerable roadway users being killed or injured at intersections in Detroit and it will help realize the region’s vision for improved transit.”
City of Dearborn
A major streetscape of Warren Avenue in Dearborn (near the Joe Louis Greenway) was also awarded $24.9 million.
The City of Dearborn, Michigan, is awarded funds for a road diet that focuses on a dual lane reduction on Warren Avenue. This 2-mile stretch of road currently hosts five lanes of traveling traffic and is a thoroughfare used to get to Detroit, Canada, and the Detroit Metro Airport. This project includes three primary objectives. First, the narrowing of Warren Avenue to calm traffic through the district. Second, infrastructural updates to the streetscape to incorporate a new demarcated bike lane and plant buffer to mitigate flood waters as well as beautify the grey urban area. Finally, this project will reimagine the streetscape with new LED lighting, which will lower the carbon footprint in the area, improve safety, and enhance visibility for pedestrians and motorists alike.
Safe Streets and Roads for All Fiscal Year 2023 Implementation Grant Awards, USDOT
SEMCOG
SEMCOG received $10 million for their “Safe Streets Now: Making Southeast Michigan roads safer for people of all ages and abilities” project.
This award will be used by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to complete demonstration activities focused on vulnerable road users. Demonstration activities will be located in equity emphasis areas, the High Injury Network, and/or Bicycle and Pedestrian Demand Areas. Examples of demonstration countermeasures that will be installed include bike lanes, cycle tracks, bulb outs, speed humps, pedestrian refuge islands, gateway treatments, and enhanced crosswalk pavement markings using temporary materials such as paint, bollards, planter boxes, and rubber curbs to separate users in space and time, and reduce impact forces through reducing speeds.
US DOT Notice of Award
Our letter of support stated that is “is a great opportunity to reduce traffic violence through a Safe Systems Approach – and we fully support that.”
SEMCOG confirmed to us that the City of Detroit would be eligible for this funding as well.
Action Planning
Other SS4A grants were awarded to nearby cities for developing new action plans, including Dearborn Heights “Safe Streets 4 Dearborn Heights” which received $396,700.
Other Metro Detroit cities also receiving this funding include Canton, Garden City, Inkster, Mount Clemens, Novi, Pontiac, Wayne and Westland.
Wayne County received $1 million to develop a “Comprehensive Safety Action Plan” as well.
Note: While these funding announcements are certainly positive, Metro Detroit received these competitive grants due to our region’s unsafe roads. If we had safer roads and had reached Vision Zero, we wouldn’t be receiving this much help from the US DOT.
Our newsletter is now online with updates on the Joe Louis Greenway, RiverWalk, Complete Streets, MDOT projects, and much more.
UPDATE: Note that the newsletter says MoGo-A-GoGo is on a Tuesday. November 9th is a Thursday.
Categories
Job Posting for B4E
Job Title: Outreach & Activities Manager, Bikes 4 Employees
Summary: The Detroit Greenways Coalition (DGC) manages the Bikes 4 Employees (B4E) program to distribute new outfitted and high-quality bicycles to Detroit residents, specifically those who rely on them for transportation to work or other daily destinations. In 2020 and 2021, B4E distributed 44 bikes to the employees or clients of partnering businesses, and 45 more to date in 2023. The DGC received grant funding in 2023 for a pilot program that will continue and expand the B4E program in 2024. Through this effort, DGC anticipates another 80 bikes will be distributed in 2024. The B4E Outreach and Activities Manager will be the primary point of contact for bike applicants and recipients, quantifying and optimizing their experiences and maximizing the positive outcomes of the B4E program.
Program Responsibilities and duties:
Serve as the primary contact for B4E applicants & recipients and develop supportive relationships with them to increase the use of the new bicycles for transportation, which includes:
- Coordinating efforts with the DGC/B4E team to identify bike recipients’ current and future needs, developing new ideas and expanding B4E program elements, successfully executing project plans, and working in partnership with DGC to fulfill its vision and mission.
- Assisting bike recipients in becoming bike commuters, which may include coordinating one-on-one bike rides to acclimate bike recipients to bike commuting; providing safety training; connecting to social media groups & providing bike commuting tips/resources; ordering equipment needed by bike recipients; identifying ways to improve the program’s effectiveness and overall rider experience.
Specific job responsibilities of the Outreach & Activities Manager:
- Participate in meetings with the B4E team, funders, evaluators, partners, and contractors.
- Manage, review, and score bike applications within a system that ensures continued tracking and evaluation.
- Order bikes and accessories, such as helmets, lights, and locks.
- Communicate and coordinate with bike recipients and recruiting partners regarding bike pick-up dates, locations, and other details.
- Prepare for and participate in bike distribution events.
- Schedule and conduct additional bike distributions by appointment to those unable to attend group events.
- Capture program activities through photos and videos via Smartphone.
- Gather and review evaluation data such as online surveys, in-depth interviews, and more.
- Provide regularly scheduled program updates, successes, and challenges with DGC and funders.
- Manage program inventory.
Preferred qualifications:
- Able to communicate effectively with all levels of program participants and management.
- Embrace program management with a creative but detail-oriented approach.
- Experience demonstrating the ability to carry out job responsibilities, including working with staff or clients in an employment or volunteer setting.
- Advanced office technology skills, including spreadsheets, word processing, social media, cloud storage (Excel, Word, Google Drive, etc.)
- Actively uses a bicycle for transportation.
- Familiarity with Detroit’s geography and culture.
- Self-motivated, ambitious, outgoing, compassionate, and curious.
Expectations:
- Follow through on all commitments.
- Share responsibility when things go wrong.
- Contribute ideas rather than relying on others to chart a pathway.
- Authorize a background check in the final contracting stage and sign a confidentiality agreement.
Compensation:
- Nine-month grant-funded contract position with plans for continuation and potential for permanent/employee status, contingent upon funding.
- $28 to $35/hour, with a typical schedule being 30 hours per week, beginning as early as mid-December 2023.
- Possible stipend for a new bicycle or electric bicycle.
Reports to: B4E Program Manager
Employment Classification: Part-time, Contract, Exempt
Working conditions and locations: Remote administration work with activities in various locations throughout Detroit.
Physical Requirements related to Job Function: Must be able to lift 32-pound bicycles and maneuver 75-pound electric bicycles.
Organization mission: to create, conserve, and promote greenways and green spaces to connect people, places, and nature.
Diversity and inclusion statement: The Detroit Greenways Coalition recognizes the long-standing and current societal inequities that have their roots in generations of unjust structural barriers, policies, practices, attitudes, language, and cultural messages that have disproportionately impacted many minority groups. This includes people with disabilities who have been denied access to transportation infrastructure through design. This also includes bicycling advocacy and industries designed for and catered to more affluent, experienced bicyclists. We strongly embrace the needs and desires of all trail and bicycle users of all ages and abilities, races, genders, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds.
We strive to make our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity evident in our organizational structure and policies, advocacy, programs, outreach activities, communications, and publications, and in the composition of our board of directors, staff, and programming participation.
The Detroit Greenways Coalition is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage Black, Women, LGBTQ+, and other minority individuals to apply for our open positions.
How to apply: To be considered for the first round of interviews, please email your resume and a statement of interest (no more than 2 pages) with references by 4 pm Eastern Time, Monday, November 27, 2023, to Todd Scott, Executive Director, Detroit Greenways Coalition, at todd@detroitgreenways.org and copy tim@thegreenwayguy.com.