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Greenways Newsletter Safety & Education

News from the Trail – July 2018

Joe Louis Greenway Fundraiser Ride

Photo by Daniel Mears, The Detroit NewsThanks to everyone who participated and supported our very successful inaugural fundraiser bike ride for the Joe Louis Greenway. We had a great turnout to match the perfect weather. Media coverage before the ride, including this fun Fox 2 Detroit video, helped raise awareness of the future greenway.

Extra thanks to the Oloman Cafe, Wheelhouse Detroit, the Bikes & Murd3r club, and other volunteers — but especially Paul Vial.

Prior to the event, the city of Hamtramck received a $410K SEMCOG grant to construct bike lanes along Joseph Campau — a key part of the Joe Louis Greenway. We also partnered with the city of Highland Park on their $336K grant to build bike lanes on Hamilton Avenue which will help connect with the greenway.

Detroit Public Lighting Improvements Reducing Pedestrian Fatalities

In 2015, Detroit had the highest pedestrian fatality rate among major US cities. While still much too high, the fatality rate has decreased during the past couple years while the rest of Michigan has increased. There were 19 fewer pedestrian fatalities in 2017 compared with 2015. Based on our analysis, this is due to the major improvements in Detroit’s public street lighting.

This shows how investments in infrastructure can have dramatic affects on the health and safety of Detroiters. We expect this trend to continue as additional Complete Streets treatments, such as road diets, bike lanes and other pedestrian infrastructure improvements reduce motor vehicle speeding and pedestrian exposure. Read more at DetroitGreenways.org

Open Streets at Rouge Park

Rouge Park will host its first Open Streets event this Saturday from 1pm to 5pm. This event wills turn three miles of road in Detroit’s Rouge Park into a safe, open and car-free zone for local families and community members to run, bike, skate, shop and play together along Spinoza, Outer, and Rouge Park Drives. We’ll be there along with the University of Detroit Mercy Capstone project team focusing on the planned Rouge River Greenway. More information is available in this Event Flyer and Event Map.

Amazon Smile donates to Detroit Greenways Coalition

When shopping through Amazon Smile program, a percentage of your purchase goes towards the Coalition. It’s an easy way to give and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

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Greenways Newsletter Policy

News from the Trail – June 2018

Joe Louis Greenway Fundraiser Ride

We are organizing a 28-mile Joe Louis Greenway fundraiser ride on Sunday morning, June 24th. The objective of the bike tour is to create more awareness and raise money to help get the Joe Louis Greenway built. We’ll share the latest information on this major urban trail system — and you’ll also get a custom ride water bottle.

There will also be a midway stop at the Oloman Cafe in Hamtramck to rehydrate and refuel.

Limited tickets for this inaugural event are now available on-line. Don’t miss out!

Detroit Bike to Work Day

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2018 Detroit Bike to Work Day event sponsored by Henry Ford LiveWell.

It was a record turnout — and the weather wasn’t too bad at all!

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan addressed the crowd at Spirit Plaza this year and noted:

We want to have choices in the city, different ways to get around, different ways to get to work: to be able to walk, to be able to bike, to be able to take a bus, to be able to drive.

The Mayor mentioned this and you can see it in the photos. There were many city staff riding bikes to the event and of course Council member Scott Benson. As you might imagine, there  is no better way for staff to understand the bicyclist needs and perspectives than first hand.

Council member Benson also introduced a Resolution declaring May 18th, 2018 as Bike to Work Day and the month of May as Bicycle Awareness Month. The resolution was passed by City Council.

Thanks to our other event sponsors include the office of Detroit Council member Scott Benson, AECOM,  American Cycle and Fitness, Detroit Future City, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Giffels-Webster, HNTB, OHM Advisors, MoGo, SEMCOG, Tour de Troit, Wayne State University, and Wheelhouse Detroit.

Detroit Sustainability Agenda

The City of Detroit is crafting its first Sustainability Action Agenda and is asking that Detroit residents take this online survey. Of course Mobility is one of the major topics within the agenda: How can  Detroiters have more sustainable transportation choices to get where they need to go?

We need your involvement to craft an inclusive and equitable vision for a sustainable Detroit today and for years into the future. Simply put, meeting our needs of today without sacrificing the needs of future generations.

–Joel Howrani Heeres, Director, Office of Sustainabilit

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Complete Streets Greenways Newsletter

News from the Trail – May 2018

Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18th!

Register your pledge to ride to work and receive a free commemorative Bike to Work Day embroidered patch. It’s free.

Henry Ford LiveWellWe very excited to announce our 2018 title sponsor, Henry Ford LiveWell. Henry Ford LiveWell is Henry Ford Health System’s wellness center of excellence and aims to optimize the well-being of Henry Ford employees, patients and community members.

Other event sponsors include the office of Detroit Council member Scott Benson, AECOM,  American Cycle and Fitness, Detroit Future City, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Giffels-Webster, HNTB, OHM Advisors, MoGo, SEMCOG, Tour de Troit, Wayne State University, and Wheelhouse Detroit.

As in prior years, we’ll have morning commuter convoys that converge Downtown.

Since not everyone works downtown, there are two additional pit stops. All three gathering spots are open from 7am to 9am (except Midtown/WSU is open to 10am).

  • Spirit Plaza on Woodward between Jefferson and Larned. Free bike parking is provided by Wheelhouse Detroit from 7am to 6pm. Mayor Mike Duggan will address participants between 8am and 8:30am. PLEASE ATTEND TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR BETTER BIKE COMMUTING OPTIONS IN DETROIT.
  • Midtown/WSU Cass and Puntam. Hosted by Wayne State University.
  • New Center Park at Second and W. Grand Boulevard hosted by Henry Ford Health System

There will be free snacks, coffee, vendors, local discounts and giveaways at these locations for those participating.

Don’t forget to register and if you can, try to be at Spirit Plaza next Friday morning when the Mayor speaks between 8am and 8:30am.

D Brief Podcast

We dropped by the D Brief studios last week and talked about all the recent Detroit bike- and trail-related activities. It’s all captured on a podcast and available online. Give a listen.

Other Meetings this Month

  • There will be a public meeting on the West Riverfront Park on Monday, May 21, 6 to 8pm at the Roberto Clemente Recreation Center, 2621 Bagley, Detroit. There will be a project overview and a conversation with bothe the Community Advisory Team and the deisgn team.
  • An I-94 Resident Roundtable community meeting for District 5 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22 from 6 to 8 pm at Next Energy, 461 Burroughs Street, Detroit. The I-94 project is being changed to improve biking and walking compared with the initial plans. Come to meeting to get the latest updates.
  • West Vernor Corridor Framework Community Meeting is Tuesday, May 22, 2018 from 6pm to 8pm at the Plaza Del Norte at the Mexicantown Latino Cultural Center, 2835 Bagley Avenue, Detroit. The City will be presenting on near-term projects for this neighborhood and wants to collect your feedback.
  • Jos Campau Greenway community meeting and public input session is Wednesday, May 23 at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2751 Robert Brady Drive, Detroit from 5:30 to 7pm. The City will be investing in improvements to the existing recreation path, including new play equipment, landscaping, and security measures. They are interested to hear what features will improve the path for your household. They will also discuss on street improvements to Jos Campau south of E Jefferson to the RiverWalk.

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Complete Streets Newsletter

News from the Trail – District 4 Meeting

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our bike lanes meeting last week. Our goal was to get 30 people in the room and we had about 80. If you were unable to attend, John Gallagher of the Detroit Freep Press wrote this article about why the city should continue building a bike lane network.

Tonight is a Community Meeting with Mayor Duggan for District 4 residents. It’s from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Salvation Army offices, 3000 Conner Avenue just north of E. Jefferson.

If you live in District 4, please try to attend. (If you need a ride to the event, contact us.) Mayor Duggan wants to know whether or not District 4 residents support building better bike lanes within the district.

If you don’t live in District 4, don’t worry. These community meetings will come to every district. What we’re trying to avoid is having a large number of people from outside of District 4 speaking at tonight’s meeting about bike lanes. That could reinforce the thoughts of some residents that these are being built for others.

We recently captured these comments from Mayor Duggan where he emphasizes the bicycling benefits for those within the District.

Bike to Work Day

Another opportunity to influence the Mayor is Bike to Work Day on May 18th. He is scheduled to address the group at 8:15am that morning at Spirit Plaza/CAYMC.  A great turnout would show that Detroit bicycling is more than recreational. We will be emailing more information about the event soon.

Book Discount

Lastly, we have a 25% discount code to share for this new book from Island Press. As you may know, Copenhagenize has been involved in planning work for the Detroit’s Greater Downtown.

Copenhagenize: The Definitive Guide to Global Bicycle Urbanism by Mikael Colville-Andersen has been officially released by Island Press! Copenhagenizeoffers project descriptions and stories of best practices alongside informative visuals to illustrate how to make the bicycle an easy, preferred part of everyday urban life. Use 25% off discount code BIKES to order your copy from Island Press today.
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Complete Streets Greenways Newsletter

News from the Trail – April 2018

Joe Louis Greenway

The City of Detroit is very close to signing off on the acquisition of 8 miles of abandoned rail corridor. Once that is complete, the city will begin Framework Planning for the greenway corridor. Unfortunately Detroit was not awarded a TIGER grant for construction, which is still a ways off.

In the meantime, we’ve update our Joe Louis Greenway map brochure with funding from the Doppelt Family Fund. We’ve updated the greenway’s web page on our site and included a link to a PDF of the map.

We’ve also been attending events to distribute the printed version.

Important Bike Lanes Meeting

We are hosting a public meeting on April 18th from 6pm to 8pm at the Northeast Guidance Center (2900 Conner St, Detroit, MI 48215) to discuss bike lanes in Detroit.

WE REALLY NEED DETROIT BICYCLISTS HERE!

We’ll be presenting on our vision — that the city build and maintain bike lanes, that it prioritizes creating safe connections, that it provides enforcement so that we’re not dealing with vehicles parking in the bike lanes, event barriers, or other obstructions, and that we don’t have standing water in the lanes.  

The Planning and Development Department will present on the new E. Jefferson bike lanes. The Public Works Department will be there to talk about their maintenance plans for these and other Detroit bike lanes. The Department of Neighborhoods will be on hand. We have asked that the Detroit Police Department and Municipal Parking have representatives present as well.

This is a great opportunity for bicyclists to show the city that this is more than just more plastic posts and paint. We need quality, safe infrastructure that will continue to encourage more Detroiters to ride more often.

Other Meetings this Week

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Complete Streets Greenways Newsletter Policy

News from the Trail – February 2018

The trails and biking momentum from 2017 has continued into 2018…

Belle Isle Strategic Plan

If you haven’t already heard, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is updating the 10-year strategic master plan for Belle Isle. This plan will shape how the park is operated and developed for years to come. There are two public meetings today, February 1st from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm at the Outdoor Adventure Center. At these meetings the DNR will present on the draft plan and give take your comments.

If you are unable to attend, the draft plan is online and comments can be submitted until February 12th.

Quick Updates

  • The Detroit Water and Sewage Department is looking to green up the medians on Oakman Boulevard while also adding stormwater management features. They’ve having  a public meeting about this project this Saturday, February 3rd from 10:30am to noon at the Detroit Police Department 2nd Precint (13530 Lesure Street). What they’re doing here could be a model for greening up other popular biking routes and greenways around Detroit. More details
  • The Michigan Trails Summit is February 6th. The last we heard, the event was very close to selling out. Whether you’re in the event or not, feel free to join us that morning at 6:30am for a casual 3K run from the Marriott Motor Lobby at the Renaissance Center.
  • The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy West Riverfront Park design competition is heating up. The four teams will be making their pitches on February 8th. You can register for that online. Afterwards, their display boards and models will be on display at West Riverfront Park Public Exhibition at 1001 Woodward from February 10 – February 22, with daily hours from 11am until 8pm.
  • Our Joe Louis Greenway map is in final draft form. We expect to have it completed and printed before too long.
  • Our Hamilton Avenue bike lane design project is over half complete. We will then continue to work with Highland Park to get grant funding for construction.
  • We’re working with the Detroit Fitness Foundation for a fundraising event at the new Lexus Velodrome. We hope to have a date in the coming weeks, but it’s looking like March.
  • We were approved by the Michigan State Police get bicyclist and pedestrian crash data and analyze what affects the city’s new public lighting improvements are having. (Hint: it’s positive.)
  • We caught a legislative typo that inadvertently made all local bicycle ordinances enforceable in Michigan without posted signs. Yes, you can now get ticketed for riding in Hamtramck without a bicycle registration or for riding in Highland Park without a bell. We’re working with State Representative Stephanie Chang to get this corrected.
  • Lastly we’re working with multiple parties on greenway along the Rouge River from Hines Drive to Eight Mile. Yes, that’s getting serious!

Special shout out to volunteers Paul Vial and Mark Hall who have been a big help tackling these projects and moving us forward!