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.
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.
Our October newsletter is now online! Many ribbon cuttings, public meetings, surveys, and more.
Our monthly newsletter is now online with updates on the Joe Louis Greenway, I-375 replacement, Bikes 4 Employees and much more.
The below comments on the Belle Isle Mobility Plan draft were submitted to the DNR on July 24, 2023:
While we attended the video presentation (and have since rewatched it many times), we don’t feel we have enough information to fully weigh in on the changes proposed in the mobility study. We still have many design questions that prevent us from offering our full support at this time. However, there’s quite a bit that we do like and there are opportunities to make further improvements –
10-foot vehicle travel lanes – We would like the plan to consistently use 10’ travel lanes. This will reduce speeding without other negative safety impacts.
Cycletrack on MacArthur Bridge – We like this design as it provides separation from the vehicle traffic. We also ask that:
Outer roads – We support the one-way to two-way conversions to improve safety, but think there’s still some opportunity for improvement. We think this will reduce the Vehicles Miles Traveled on the island, which is a benefit to those walking and biking, as well as teh environment. We do support the separated bike lane traveling clockwise around the island.
Other roads – We generally find these roads to be less of a concern for bicyclists compared.
Bike lane maintenance – We want to see that the DNR and/or MDOT is committed to a maintenance plan for all of the bike lanes. Too often we’ve seen separated bike lanes suffer from a lack of maintenance, resulting in debris and stormwater collecting at the curb.
Stormwater Management – We support adding infrastructure and trees that naturally manage stormwater. We also find that removing pavement and other impervious surfaces is an even simpler solution that should be considered in all mobility designs. It seems that this plan adds to the island’s total impervious surface area, which is a concern.
Belle Isle’s Bicycle Heritage – There is a unique opportunity to celebrate the island’s bicycle heritage, especially with the Bicycle Pavillion. Bicyclists were riding on the island well before the first car was ever driven in Detroit. There were many prominent bicycle events on the island from major races in the 1890s to the Wolverine 200 ride. We would like to see how this connection between history and mobility could be included within the plan.
Our April 2023 newsletter is now online!