Categories
Greenways

Our Map Goes International

Map showing bike and train infrastructure in Detroit and Windsor
  • We’re working to make it easier riding in Ontario.
  • The updated online map shows bike and trail infrastructure in Windsor and Essex County.
  • Some Metro Detroit trails have been added with more to come pending SEMCOG open data updates.

The multi-use pathway on the Gordie Howe International Bridge changes everything. This new border crossing means bike rides are no longer constrained to one side of the river.

In partnership with Bike Windsor Essex, we’re working to make this easier thanks to Gordie Howe International Bridge’s Community Benefits Plan funding. One of the deliverables is making our existing online bike and trail map international. That work is largely complete.

We didn’t want to manually add Southwest Ontario bike and trail infrastructure like we had in Detroit. Fortunately both the city of Windsor and Essex County have this information available through open data portals. We now pull that information each night to ensure our map is up to date.

Bike sticker with a map QR code

We’ve also added some Metro Detroit trails outside of the city, e.g. Hines Drive and Downriver Linked Greenways. While SEMCOG has this data in their open data portal, it’s not designed for this use. The good news is SEMCOG is working to improve this, which should allow us to add more Metro Detroit trails in the future.

Another new feature? We now show ferry routes.

While the map only shows existing infrastructure, we had people ask about major projects that are under construction. So, the current routes for the Joe Louis Greenway, Iron Belle Trail, Windsor Loop, and Waterfront Trail can now be highlighted using their respective menu options.

More to come

There is one more item to add: Bird Canada’s bike and scooter rentals in Windsor. They don’t use docks like MoGo, so we do need to update our software. We are looking to make updates that would allow us to show Detroit’s dockless scooter, too.

Lastely, we are creating bike frame stickers with a QR code to the map. We envision bicyclists sticking this on their bike frame to make bringing the map up on their phone a little easier. We hope to have those stickers soon.

Categories
Policy

Active People, Healthy Nation

The government of Detroit, Michigan recognizes the importance of providing access to safe and convenient places to be physically active for people regardless of age, race, income, socio-economic status, disability status, and geographic location

At the urging of the American Heart Association, we wrote a proclamation expressing Detroit’s support of the Centers for Disease Control’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative. We submitted the proclamation to the Mayor’s Office, which was officially adopted.

While approved in a modified form without the resolutions, those resolutions were previously adopted in city plans.

Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design: The City’s Streets for People Plan will help to make it safe and easy to walk, bicycle, or wheelchair roll for people of all ages and abilities by improving the design of Detroit  with Complete Streets that connect destinations such as public transit, grocery stores, schools, worksites, libraries, parks, and health care facilities. 

Access to Places for Physical Activity: The City’s Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan will create or enhance access to places for physical activity, including parks, greenways, recreation centers, and programs

According to the CDC website, Kent County is the only other Michigan community to have passed a similar proclamation. However, it’s unclear if the CDC is actively maintaining the list of communities that have

Categories
Complete Streets Events Greenways Newsletter Policy

Looking back on 2025

When we started this work over 18 years ago, the pace of improvements for biking, walking and rolling was no where near as impressive as it is today. Where we used to have to scrape for news to share, we now have too much to report — and this is a good thing. So, if we were to put together a 2025 double-record greatest hits album, below are the tracks!

Read More

Categories
Complete Streets

I-375 Project Changes

Despite rumors of its eminent death, the I-375 replacement project is continuing to move forward albeit with changes.

In August, the Governor paused the project ($) primarily due to its increasing costs and local business concerns about disruptions during construction. In September, Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership offered the “only viable solutions” in an opinion piece ($): Break the project into two phases or just rebuild it as is. Needless to say, we didn’t support the latter solution. (Surprisingly, Mayor Duggan did appear to support an I-375 rebuild when we asked him.)

We continued our conversations with MDOT, DDP, and Kresge Foundation. In the end, we felt we could support a two-phase approach. It was better than what we had.

The first phase would replace I-375 south of Gratiot with a boulevard as previously envisioned. It would remove the “Jefferson Curve” and address the three failing bridges (Jefferson, Lafayette and Larned). It would also address the failing Gratiot bridge over the Dequindre Cut. It would include a two-way cycletrack from Gratiot to the RiverWalk, which we really like.

The second phase would be a redesign of the I-75 interchange and the removal of the Fisher Freeway stub connection to Gratiot. This gives MDOT more time to work with major stakeholders in that area, specifically Eastern Market businesses, and develop better strategies for limiting negative impacts during construction. Unfortunately, the Montcalm cycletrack between Ford Field and Eastern Market would get pushed back to this later phase. We didn’t like hearing that this could be pushed back by 10 years or so.

Will the USDOT support this? We’ll find out. Their grant covers a large portion of the costs.

If you missed the November 2025 community meeting that discussed much of the above, there is a livestream recording available. The presentation and displays will eventually be added to MDOT’s I-375 Detroit webpage.

Categories
Policy

Belle Isle event permits

Black Girls Do Bike contacted us about new permitting requirements for any bike group that rides on Belle Isle — even for group rides they didn’t start on the island. We felt these were impractical and burdensome, so we worked with the DNR and Belle Isle Conservancy to arrive at the more reasonable requirements outlined below. Most club rides won’t require a permit.

Belle Isle Permitting Requirements

Q. Does my group run or ride event need a DNR permit to be on Belle Isle? 

A. Maybe!

For events starting or ending on Belle Isle, you need a permit when…

  • People must pay or donate to participate
  • There are 20 or more people

For all events, even those not starting on the island, you need a permit when…

  • Natural resources or facilities are impacted beyond normal recreational use
  • Traffic pattern alteration is required (i.e. closing travel lanes)
  • Directional signage will be placed for the event
  • DNR oversight is required
  • The use of park facilities is not consistent with current rules (i.e. riding in an area not designated for bikes)

In some cases, the park may waive a permit requirement after reviewing your permit application.

Note that these rules aren’t unique to Belle Isle. They’re mostly the same for all state parks, including Milliken State Park.

To get a permit, or if you are still unsure if one is required, email DNR-BelleIsleParkEvents@michigan.gov

Belle Isle facility reservations and commercial use

Categories
Complete Streets

Downtown Detroit Bike Network Map

This post originally appeared on the Detroitography:

The Detroit Green Task Force visited Philadelphia earlier this year to learn from that city’s sustainability efforts. The group included city councilmembers, department directors, sustainability advocates and others. As co-chair of the GTF Transportation and Mobility committee (and executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition), my focus was learning what they did best in helping people use green travel modes.

One big takeaway was Philly had a very decent bike network in their Center City — a sharp contrast with Downtown Detroit, which only has the Cass bike lanes and RiverWalk.

It got us to thinking what would a bike network look like in Detroit?

We came up with this vision map. The solid lines are existing bike lanes, though we did fudge things to include the forthcoming bike lanes on Michigan Avenue east of Cass. We also could have made Wilkins and Grand River solid but those bike lanes need some improvement.All of the dashed lines are proposed bike lanes. Some could get built in the near-term, too:

  • MDOT will be constructing Hastings and Montcalm as part of the I-375 Reconnecting Communities project.
  • MDOT has initial designs for Gratiot Avenue.
  • DDP has plans to build an Adams cycletrack.
  • A portion of the Second Avenue is getting built with the Water Square and Huntington Place improvement project.

What about Woodward? It should have bike lanes, but of course the curb-running Q Line makes that much more difficult.

What are your thoughts? Would building out this bike lane network help you get around Downtown Detroit?