Detroit Greenways Coalition
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!
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.
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.
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…
For all events, even those not starting on the island, you need a permit when…
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
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:
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?
As a 501c3 non-profit, we cannot endorse candidates for elected office. However, we can share what they’ve said about things that matter to us.
We’re a founding member of the DEA and this is the group’s third voter’s guide. While the entire guide is worth reading, here are their responses to topics most related to our work.
Environmental Issues
Mayoral candidates Jonathan Barlow, Fred Durhall III, Saunteel Jenkins and Mary Sheffield answered yes to all of the above. Joel Haashim did not specify.
There were more varied answers among the council candidates
| Name | District | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Valerie Parker | At-large | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Mary Waters | At-large | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coleman A. Young III | At-large | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roy McCallister | District 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Angela Whitfield Calloway | District 2 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scott Benson | District 3 | NA | NA | Yes | NA | NA |
| Latisha Johnson | District 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Willie Burton | District 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tatjana Jackson | District 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Michael Steven Ri’chard | District 5 | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tyrone Carter | District 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gabriella Santiago-Romero | District 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Denzel Anton McCampbell | District 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regina Ross | District 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The candidates did provide additional text answers to these five question, which are included in the DEA Vote Guide.
Note that not all of the mayoral and council candidates responded.
The Detroit Parks Coalition and Bridge Detroit hosted a forum in July. Unfortunately the event ran long and we were unable to ask our question about greenways. Even still, those that participated spoke highly of parks and greenways.
The ReThink I-375 Community Coalition asked the mayoral candidates questions about the MDOT I-375 project. One question was, “While not all of the new roads developed through this project will be in the City of Detroit’s jurisdiction, what do you think your role as Mayor should be in ensuring safe, vibrant roadways for both motorized and non-motorized use result from this project?”
Candidates Durhall, Jenkins, Perkins, and Sheffield all provided answers, but some added more detail on the non-motorized aspect:
Jenkins: “The non-motorized pavement for walking and biking need to be clearly separated from the heavy traffic of the surface streets. Safety has to be a top priority.”
Perkins: “Ensuring Safety for All Users: Road safety should be a top priority, and I will work to ensure that all new and redesigned roads include features that protect both motorized and non-motorized users. This includes dedicated bike lanes, safe pedestrian crossings, improved signage, and well-lit areas to ensure that everyone can safely navigate the streets, day or night. I will advocate for a “complete streets” approach, ensuring that the infrastructure supports all modes of transportation, whether it’s driving, biking, walking, or using public transit.”
Sheffield: “Designs that prioritize pedestrian and bike safety must also be premiered here, just as we are prioritizing redesigned and safer roadways within our neighborhoods.”
This video about Detroit — our history and bike infrastructrure — is really one of the best and we’re not saying that just because we’re in it. Nic Laporte created a well-balanced overview of where we’ve been and where we’re heading.
The video also has us talking about the history of stop streets and stop signs, which is something we plan to write more about. We believe this is an important perspective, especially when it comes to bicycling and Idaho stop laws.