Categories
Complete Streets Events Greenways Newsletter Policy Safety & Education

News from the Trail – November 2023

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

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.

Categories
Climate Action Events Greenways Newsletter

News from the Trail – October 2023

Our October newsletter is now online! Many ribbon cuttings, public meetings, surveys, and more.

Categories
History

Some History of the Uniroyal site

  • The Morgan and Wright Tire Company was the largest bicycle tire manufacturer in the world during the 1890s.
  • They moved their factory from Chicago to Detroit in 1906 to start making tires for the growing automobile industry.
  • They eventually became a division of the U.S. Rubber Company then Uniroyal Inc.
Illustration of a bicyclist getting a flat tire from the 1896 Morgan & Wright Bicycle catalog
Illustration from the 1896 Morgan & Wright catalog

By now you’ve likely heard the RiverWalk segment between Mt. Elliott Park and Gabriel Richard Park called the Uniroyal site, but why? Since 1906, a large portion of this property has been used for tire manufacturing, the last company bearing the name Uniroyal.

However, there’s an interesting bicycle history connection with this site.

The first company to manufacture tires at this location was Morgan & Wright. They were the largest bicycle tire manufacturer in the world during the 1890’s and located in Chicago. Shortly after the turn of the century, with the end of the Golden Era of Bicycles and the rise of automotive manufacturing, they moved their operations to Detroit. They continued making bicycle tires but primarily manufactured tires for cars and trucks.

This is another example of how the bicycling industry was the parent of the automotive industry. Bicyclists brought many innovations to transportation, including the first use of pneumatic tires, which the auto industry benefitted from.

Last note: As far as we know, Morgan & Wright have no relationship with the Wright Brothers.

Categories
Events Greenways Newsletter

News from the Trail – September 2023

Our monthly newsletter is now online with updates on the Joe Louis Greenway, I-375 replacement, Bikes 4 Employees and much more.

Categories
Climate Action Complete Streets

MDOT 5 Year Plan Comments

Below are our comments on the draft MDOT 2024-208 Five-Year Transportation Plan. You can submit your own comments before September 8th, 2023.

  • I-94 Modernization Project. We are critically disappointed that funding for this project has apparently been delayed by two decades. The Complete Streets/Multimodal portions of this project were highlighted in prior five-year plans, but with the new time frame, we see these as broken promises to reconnect the community. 
  • Hubbell Street bridge deck replacement over I-96. We would like to see this bridge cross section improved to better accommodate bicyclists with bike lanes, preferably grade-separated bike lanes. This segment of Hubbell is very popular for Detroit bicyclists since it is easier to cross I-96 at Hubbell since there are no interchange nor grade changes. The popularity of this route is shown on the Strava heatmap for bicyclists.
  • Virgil Street bridge deck replacement. This bridge should be also designed to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, preferably with grade-separated bike lanes. This bridge provides a critical community connection across I-96 with  Eliza Howell Park to the north and Rouge Park on the south. City of Detroit plans envision this bridge carrying the Rouge River Greenway
  • Pedestrian Bridges. We like seeing the Vassar and Sawyer bridges being replaced as well as the addition of a Verne bridge over I-94. However, we want the Spruce bridge added to the plan as well. This is a critical community connection for North Corktown with no legal, direct, or viable alternative for bicyclists.
  • Fort Street (M-85) road rehabilitation from Rosa Parks to Griswold. We want this designed as a Complete Street. It provides a critical, direct connection between the Gordie Howe International Bridge and Downtown Detroit. 
  • US-12 and Gordie Howe International Bridge. We are glad to see these projects moving forward within this plan. We have led the non-motorized advocacy on these projects and look forward to celebrating their completion. 
  • Carbon Neutrality. We see no mention of MDOT plans to reduce GHG emissions and help make Michigan carbon neutral per the Governor’s commitment. In fact, the plan includes many major and minor widening projects that will induce higher VMT and increase GHG emissions.

At first glance, it appeared this five-year plan removed prior MDOT commitments for the Iron Belle Trail/Conner Creek Greenway bridge over I-94. After conversations with the City of Detroit and MDOT, we learned that it wasn’t removed. It was no longer individually identified and had been wrapped into another I-94 phase line item. This is confusing. We ask that MDOT consistently list projects for each five-year plan so the public can more accurately determine what changes exist or do not exist.