Category: Greenways

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Complete Streets Greenways Newsletter

News from the Trail – September 2019

Iron Belle Trail bridge over I-94

I-94 Project

Riding with MDOT and Planning Director Maurice Cox on a tour of the I-94 project to discuss its impacts on walking and bikingWhy is the Greenways Coalition involved in a freeway project? Freeways in Detroit have disconnected neighborhoods across the city for those on foot or bike. They disconnect them for motor vehicles, too, which funnels all traffic to use high-stress bridges (e.g. Forest and Warren over the Lodge or Mt. Elliott and Conner over I-94.) While Detroit freeways have pedestrian bridges, they are often poorly maintained and have ramps that dump you onto the service drive with speeding motorists.

The I-94 project in Detroit is one attempt to make improvements. We didn’t like the early designs and starting raising issues a decade ago. With the city’s actions, MDOT has proposed major design changes. Key bridges we bike and walk over will no longer be permanently removed — and they’ll be improved. Those pedestrian bridges will be converted to Complete Streets with wide sidewalks, bike lanes, and no ramps. They’re will be fewer new service drives.

One major highlight is the new Iron Belle Trail/Conner Creek Greenway trail segment and bridge over I-94. This provides a safer alternative to the busy (and getting busier thanks to FCA) Conner Avenue.

We’ve written more about this update on our web site with links to MDOT’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement or DSEIS.

Public comments on the DSEIS can be submitted through October 28th. MDOT is hosting two public meetings on October 10th in Midtown and on the Eastside. The email address for comments is MDOT-I94comments@michigan.gov.

Though not part of the DSEIS, the Second Avenue bridge over I-94 is getting rebuilt next year and it will be a major improvement for non-motorized users. The Cass bridge will be replaced in 2021. The entire project won’t be done until about 2036, so stay healthy in order to be around for the grand opening.

Joe Louis Greenway

Discussion of affordable housing & economic development on the Joe Louis GreenwayThe City of Detroit has wrapped up a second round of public meetings for the greenway. This time the conversations dove into more details regarding design, affordable housing,  economic development, and more.

One of the biggest changes has been the greenway’s routing in Southwest Detroit. We had originally proposed that the greenway follow W. Vernor since it already had bike lanes and was part of the Southwest Detroit Greenlink. However, the current bike lanes are not ideal and certainly not family friendly. The road is not wide enough for other designs that would preserve the well-used vehicle parking. So, the city is routing the greenway further south and using W. Jefferson. This change connects more points of interest, including the recently renovated Riverside Park, Fort Wayne, the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Woodmere, and Patton Park.

The Framework Plan is expected to be completed by February.

History of Greenways in Detroit

We worked with Gwen Gell from the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan who created this amazing report: The Legacy of Bicycles in Detroit Michigan: A look at greenways through time.

Detroit’s automotive heritage casts a heavy shadow over its trails and bicycling history. This report helps shine a light on the latter.

As summary of it with the graphic timeline is now on our web site. There’s also a link to the full PDF version.

Other News

  • Atwater Beach/Valade Park construction continues on the RiverWalk. There’s no announced opening date as of yet but we expect it to be in late October.
  • Spirit Plaza is under construction as it receive an $800,000 upgrade after Council voted to make it permanent.
  • The city’s numerous Complete Streets projects are under construction as well, including Jos Campau (part of the Jos Campau greenway), Bagley Street (part of the Iron Belle Trail), and Livernois (part of the Joe Louis Greenway.) These are major reconstruction projects that are affecting local businesses along them. Please consider supporting these businesses.
  • We recently biked over to Windsor (using the Tunnel Bus bike racks!) to present at the Trans-Canada Trail – Ontario annual meeting. They were very interested in learning what is happening with Detroit and Michigan trails now that we will eventually  be connected via the Gordie Howe International Bridge. There is a great deal of interest in how we promote trail tourism on both sides of the border.
  • We were recently featured on the Beaumont Housecall podcast with Dr. Asha Shajahan. We talked about biking, trails, health and much more.
  • We continue to be involved in the electric scooter discussion, including this recent Bridge article, E-scooters are fast, unregulated and all over Detroit. What could go wrong? We think scooters are another good reason to have a protected bike lane network in Detroit.

Upcoming October Events

  • Conant Streetscape Project community meeting, October 2nd 5:30pm at the Lasky Recreational Center, 13200 Fenelon Street. More details
  • Free Bikes 4 Kidz is looking for donated used bikes for Detroit youth. The big donation day is Saturday, October 5th from 9am to 2pm at 22 Henry Ford Health System locations across Metro Detroit. They are also seeking volunteers. Please help make this program even more successful than last year’s.
  • There isn’t an Open Streets in Detroit this year, but Dearborn is hosting their first! It’s Sunday, October 6th from 11am to 3pm. More details
  • Two community workshops are planned for Corktown on October 9th and 10th. They are focused on transportation, including parking, streetscapes, circulation (e.g. 1 & 2-way traffic), and mobility. These workshops are also in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) who is kicking off a Michigan Avenue Planning & Environmental Linkages Study. This 16-month MDOT study will “formalize a future” for Michigan Ave., from Campus Martius to I-96/75 interchange.
  • Lastly, the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is having their Annual Meeting on October 19th at Belle Isle. It’s a free event but you must register. As part of the event, we are leading a short bike tour at 10am, but there’s also a paddle trip and history walk.

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Complete Streets Greenways

Newly proposed I-94 design looks much improved

Riding with MDOT and Planning Director Maurice Cox on a tour of the I-94 project to discuss its impacts on walking and biking
Riding with MDOT and Planning Director Maurice Cox on a tour of the I-94 project to discuss its impacts on walking and biking

MDOT is reconstructing nearly seven miles of I-94 through the heart of Detroit. The original approved design in 2004 removed many bridges that bicyclists and pedestrians rely on. It also called for new service drives to be added, widening the freeway’s footprint and making the urban environment less walkable and bikeable. The impacts were alarming.

Fortunately there are new design changes being proposed that address these issues — changes that have been supported by the City of Detroit, Detroit Greenways Coalition, and others.

Those changes are in MDOT’s recently released Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for the I-94 project.

This DSEIS looks at:

  • Using existing city streets more effectively as local connections instead of building new, continuous service drives adjacent to the freeway
  • Modifying local access ramps to and from I-94, M-10 and I-75 to improve operations and safety
  • Using the “Complete Streets” approach to design bridges and service drives, making them user-friendly for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians
  • Reducing the overall Project footprint to avoid and minimize impacts

The DSEIS did not reevaluate the need for two additional freeway lanes.

Public comments on these design modifications can be submitted through October 28th. MDOT is hosting two public meetings on October 10th in Midtown and on the Eastside. The email address for comments is MDOT-I94comments@michigan.gov.

Our Initial Thoughts

What we like:

  • Iron Belle Trail/Conner Creek Greenway – The separated trail bridge just west of the Conner Avenue interchange is great. It separates trail users from the heavily trafficked road as well as the on- and off-ramp traffic. It adds some parkland, too. This is a major improvement.
  • John R, Canfield & Ferry bridges – These bridges provide key non-motorized connections and all remain in place with the new plan.
  • Complete Streets bridges versus pedestrian bridges – We don’t like narrow, elevated pedestrian bridges with long ramps as proposed in the original plan. All of the pedestrian bridges will now be narrow roads with bike lanes and wide sidewalks. They will provide the shortest travel distance with no climbing, awkward turns, or blind run-outs on to service drives.
  • Re-aligning bridges – The Holden bridge lines up with Holden! It’ll be a straight shot for all traffic and it helps complement a greenway and streetscape project in that area. Also, the Canfield bridge gets shifted south and will not longer terminate at the northbound service drive. Four Tops will connect to Calumet.
  • Reconnecting city grid – Yes, there are still some bridges lost, but there are many got added back in as well as new ones, e.g. Hastings and Harper.
  • Reducing service drive impacts – Many of the new service drives proposed in the original plan have been dropped. They ones that remain won’t be as wide and will have narrower travel lanes to help slow speeding. Some will be converted to two-way as well.

What we don’t like:

  • Losing the Third Street bridge – There’s no real way around this. What we continue to ask for is a better non-motorized connection from Third Street to Second along the north side of I-94. Ideally that connection would avoid the school vehicle traffic on Antoinette.

One area we want to further review is green stormwater management. It is mentioned, but it appears less specific than we would prefer. What’s quite specific is this project increase impervious surface area by 78.55 acres.

It’s also unclear how the new Harper Avenue extension would cross the proposed Joe Louis Greenway routing near the existing rail line west of St. Aubin. (The plan references the previous Greenway routing on St. Aubin.)

While not related to our work, it’s worth noting that the new plan  saves the United Sound Systems building by moving it one parcel north.

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Complete Streets Friends of the Joe Louis Greenway Greenways Newsletter

Joe Louis Greenway Updates – August 2019

More Public Meetings in September

The City of Detroit has announced four new public meetings for the Greenway Framework Plan next month. Each meeting has a specific topic and have a unique format. Per the city:

“Please note that to give each of the subjects we are covering adequate time, each of our 4 sessions during this round will be focused on one main topic. Come to one that interests you, or come to all four sessions! Bring your friends, family and neighbors! Your attendance at even one session can make a huge impact on the project!”

The meeting poster is on the city’s website and you’re encouraged to share it.

  • Walk & Talk — The Places, Spaces, & Connections Along the Greenway
    Tuesday, September 10th from 6-8pm
    Ford Resource & Engagement Center (2826 Bagley St., Detroit, MI 48216)
  • Public Picnic — Arts, Culture & Community Identity
    Wednesday, September 11th from 6‑8 pm
    Forest Park (4226 Riopelle St., Detroit, MI 48207)
  • Panel Discussion — Housing & Economic Opportunities
    Thursday, September 12th from 6‑8 pm
    Focus:HOPE (1400 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48238)
  • Community Dinner —
    What’s It Look Like? Deciding Greenway Design, Feel & Amenities
    Thursday, September 19th from 6‑8 pm
    Second Ebenezer Church (14601 Dequindre St., Detroit, MI 48212)

More details are available on the city’s Joe Louis Greenway webpage.

The City of Detroit has also just created a Facebook page for the Joe Louis Greenway. Please consider giving it a “Like”.

Wheelhouse Detroit Tour

We have partnered with Wheelhouse Detroit to lead a tour of the southern portion of the Greenway. The tour discusses the project’s beginnings, route planning, connections to Canada, and much more. We had a great tour last week. There is one more planned for this season on September 28th at 10am. Registration is through Wheelhouse Detroit. A portion of the tour proceeds benefit the Coalition, too.

Bagley Shared Street

A portion of the Greenway is currently under construction: Bagley Street between I-75 and 24th Street. The street is becoming the city’s first Shared Street. These designs are more pedestrian-focused and similar to a plaza. There will be improved lighting, brick pavers, plantings, and no curbs. It will be ideal for public events, or in the case of the greenway, just riding or walking through. There will also be much needed improvements to better connect the Bagley Pedestrian bridge to the street.

The road is completely torn up but the everything is still accessible on foot. Please consider supporting these local businesses during construction, which should be mostly complete by November.

Riopelle Street in Eastern Market also getting a similar Shared Street design.

Jos Campau in Hamtramck

Hamtramck/Wayne County received grant funding to improve Jos Campau from Hamtramck Drive to Caniff. Where the road is wide enough, protected bike lanes will be installed. The road narrows between Holbrook and Caniff, so the improvements will be limited to sharrow pavement markings. This project should be under construction in the Spring.

Yes, Hamtramck Drive from Jos Campau to E. Grand Boulevard is in terrible condition. It is scheduled to be reconstructed in 2021.

Hamilton Avenue in Highland Park

We’ve been working with Highland Park for some time to get improved biking and walking infrastructure on Hamilton Avenue funded primarily through grant funding. Though it’s not directly part of the Joe Louis Greenway, it would connect much of the city to it — which is why this was a priority. It will also connect to Palmer Park and more. That project recently received final approval from the Highland Park City Council. We expect it to be under construction by Spring.

Of courswe Hamilton Avenue needs more support than just improved crosswalks and bike lanes. We’re working with the city to look at other additional grant funding for street improvements, including tree plantings, green stormwater infrastructure, local business improvements, etc.

Other Updates

  • Support Livernois Businesses – The Livernois Streetscape project construction is causing a major disruption for local businesses. As with the Bagley project, please help support the Avenue of Fashion businesses during this time.
  • Atwater Beach – The newest section of the RiverWalk is getting close to opening. This Free Press article covers that but missed mentioning how the Jos Campau Greenway currently under construction will connect the neighborhood.
  • Road Diets – We were recently on Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson to talk about road diets and Complete Streets in Detroit. John Gallagher from the Free Press followed us with a conversation on how to make Jefferson more walkable through downtown and to better connect the Woodward parks to the riverfront.
  • MoGo Boost Bikes – Have you tried the new MoGo e-bikes yet? They just added 50 state-of-the-art electric, pedal-assist bikes. They’ve also added a station at the Dequindre Cut Freight Yard that will be available through this Fall.
  • How our Laws Make it so Americans have to Drive – Daily Detroit’s recent podcast features Greg Shill from the University of Iowa Law. He’s published a fascinating, 78-page research paper on how our laws and policies subsidize and favor motor vehicle use over other transportation modes. The podcast is a good summary of that work. It really deflates the “Bikes and pedestrians don’t pay their fare share” argument.
  • Detroit Bike Club Rides – We’ve been on many great club rides this year! They consistently attract a diverse, ethusiastic group of riders from around the city. It’s especially satisfying to see and hear how the bike infrastructure improvements are helping more people feel safe riding in Detroit. Below is the PedalUp Riderz Friday Night Groove ride using the East Jefferson protected bike lanes.

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Greenways Newsletter Safety & Education

News from the Trail – July 2019

New Detroit Bike and Walk Map

It’s finally here!

After many stops and starts, we finally got the funding we needed to complete the map and print 12,500 copies. Half of those have already been distributed at all the Detroit bike shops, runDetroit, the Lexus Velodrome, and Council member Scott Benson’s office at the Matrix Center. The Detroit Planning Department and Health Department also have copies they’ll be distributing at events across the city as will we.

The map shows all the current trails and bike infrastructure in Detroit as well as the Iron Belle Trail. It also include all the repair stations, bike shops, and kayak launches.

A substantial amount of effort went into including all the relevant laws pertaining to bicycling and pedestrians. Frankly, we’re not fans of the existing materials that fail to highlight laws motorists must follow around bicycles and pedestrians. We focus on those since they are the main determinant for improved safety. We also discuss the history of these laws, which were developed by the auto industry in the 1920s with no input from bicyclists.

The PDF of the map is available but it is a bit unwieldy. We’re going to work to get portions of it online in a more readable format.

Thanks to the DALMAC, the Office of Highway Safety Planning, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources for making this project possible.

Big Changes at the Planning Department

Major changes are coming to the leadership of the Detroit Planning and Development Department (PDD). Planning Director Maurice Cox and Deputy Director Janet Attarian are stepping down. Both have had a tremendous impact on moving Detroit forward, but especially with parks, greenways, and biking infrastructure. We’ve really enjoyed working closely with them and learning from them.

We’ve written more about the both of them and what they’ve accomplished while at the city on our website.

Spirit Plaza becomes permanent

On a close 5-4 vote, Detroit City Council approved making Spirit Plaza permanent by converting the public right-of-way to a public park. This change along with the approval of $800K in planned improvements mean we’ll see a much upgraded public space soon.

The vote reflected the split public sentiment. We supported the Plaza since it’s an opportunity for more park space while greatly improving the walking and biking connections between the RiverWalk, Hart Plaza, Monument to Joe Louis, and the Spirit of Detroit. It’s also where we hold our annual Bike to Work Day event.

The Plaza improvements will include an eating area, stage, children’s playscape, and landscaping.

Other Updates

  • Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda launches — The Agenda is available online and it includes many goals that overlap with our work, but especially “Increase access to healthy food, green spaces, and recreation opportunities” and “Make it easier and safer to get around Detroit without a personal vehicle”. We’re proud to have played a role in helping shape this agenda and will continue working with the city to reach these goals.
  • Joseph Campau Greenway under construction — The connecting trail between Larned and E. Jefferson is currently being built with improvements being made to the existing trail to the north. Jos Campau will also get bike lanes between E. Jefferson and the RiverWalk. It will also help connect everything to Atwater Beach, which should be opening later this year.
  • VooDoo Bike Rides comes to Detroit — This national tour comes to Eastern Market this weekend thanks to the Hotspot Rollers bike club. The itinerary is packed thanks to the many rides and events hosted by our local bike clubs. Bring your cool cruiser bike and maybe we’ll see you there!

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Complete Streets Greenways

A Change of Plans: Maurice and Janet

Major changes are coming to the leadership of the Detroit Planning and Development Department (PDD). Planning Director Maurice Cox and Deputy Director Janet Attarian are both stepping down. Both have had a tremendous impact on moving Detroit forward, but especially with parks, greenways, and biking infrastructure. We’ve really enjoyed working closely with them and learning from them.

One especially memorable moment with Maurice occurred shortly after he came to Detroit. He pulled together many of the long time bicycle advocates with city staff and we met in a Mayor’s office. Here he announced that he wanted to make Detroit the best bicycling city in America. There wasn’t much reaction. We were in shock to hear this coming from the city.

It was also Maurice who early on declared that protected bike lanes would be the design minimum for major Detroit streets. He promoted the 20-minute neighborhood idea, where every Detroiter could walk or bike for their non-work errands in under 20 minutes. He expanded the Joe Louis Greenway vision from a mere trail to neighborhood revitalization tool. He was adamant that the Detroit Riverfront should be developed with world class public spaces for Detroiters.

While he and his team achieved much more, we must mention that he also was a regular bike commuter.

Maurice will step down in September and begin his new role as Planning Director for the City of Chicago.

A Bike Infrastructure Rock Star

Bike to Work Day 2018 with Ashok Patel, Prasad Nannapaneni, and Janet Attarian

Losing Janet is equally tough. She came to Detroit via Chicago where she was their Complete Streets Director. She also led the development of hundreds of other projects, including the McDonald’s Bicycle Station, Bloomingdale Trail framework plan, and more.

We used to hustle to bring bike and trail design rock stars to Detroit for workshops, but with Janet, we had one here full-time. She brought a wealth of experience and a pragmatic approach to making safer streets for everyone. She led the design and development of the protected bike lane designs, such as the ones on Cass and E. Jefferson.

She was also instrumental for the framework planning currently underway with the Joe Louis Greenway. At that time, we weren’t certain that was necessary. Now we now it was the right decision. This greenway planning is bringing a much more diverse community voice into the project that strengthens the greenway’s support.

Janet’s last day with the City is July 26th. She’s being coy about where she is headed, but has said she “will not be going far.”

What’s Next?

It remains to be seen who will be the permanent replacements for these positions. We can easily imagine Mayor Mike Duggan seeking equally qualified candidates. In the meantime, there is still a fully-staffed planning department that supports greenways and Complete Streets. Two former members of PDD are now in DPW and GSD as this work has spread between departments.

In short, we’re not worried.

Continue reading “A Change of Plans: Maurice and Janet”
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Greenways Safety & Education

Hot off the presses: a Detroit Bike & Walk map

Long promised, finally here. Detroit has a bike and trail map again.

After many stops and starts, we finally got the funding we needed to complete the map and print 12,500 copies. Half of those have already been distributed at all the Detroit bike shops, runDetroit, the Lexus Velodrome, and Council member Scott Benson’s office at the Matrix Center. The Detroit Planning Department and Health Department also have copies they’ll be distributing at events across the city as will we.

The map shows all the current trails and bike infrastructure in Detroit as well as the Iron Belle Trail. It also include all the repair stations, bike shops, and kayak launches.

A substantial amount of effort went into including all the relevant laws pertaining to bicycling and pedestrians. Frankly, we’re not fans of the existing materials that fail to highlight laws motorists must follow around bicycles and pedestrians. We focus on those since they are the main determinant for improved safety. We also discuss the history of these laws, which were developed by the auto industry in the 1920s with no input from bicyclists.

The PDF of the map is available but it is a bit unwieldy. We’re going to work to get portions of it online in a more readable format.

Thanks to the DALMAC, the Office of Highway Safety Planning, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources for making this project possible.