Detroit’s Bicycling Sesquicentennial

The “irrepressible” Ben Fletcher was the first to ride a bicycle in Detroit 150 years ago on December 18th, 1868. He rode a French-built velocipede that weighed around 100 pounds along Jefferson Avenue near Woodward. The Detroit Free Press colorfully reported the milestone and predicted that before long, bicycles will be “as plenty as carriages in the streets” – and they were correct.

However, this new mode of transportation caused a public outcry. Through this point in history, there had been no major cause to build good roads. Pedestrians had sidewalks, the streetcars had rails, and automobiles had not yet been invented. Horses could slog through the mud and dust.

To avoid the poor road conditions, early bicyclists used the sidewalks. This caused conflicts with pedestrians and nearly led to a Detroit Common Council resolution banning them. In 1878, the Free Press called them a “grave annoyance” but noted that the solution was to pave the streets so that “the sidewalk will no longer be a necessity to the comfort of those who [ride].”

Detroit bicyclists agreed.

In 1893, Edward N. Hines led efforts to change the Michigan Constitution and allow counties to build and maintain roads. Horatio S. Earle successfully ran for Michigan Senate on a “Good Roads” platform, became our first state highway commissioner and founded what is today known as the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Earle later wrote in his autobiography, “The bicycle is to be given credit, not only as the pioneer of the good roads movement but also as the parent of the automobile.” This is certainly true, for it was Detroit’s bicycle industrialists, mechanics, salesmen, and racers that helped give this city its nickname, the Motor City.

Of course the introduction automobiles generated a far greater public outcry than bicycles had (or even today’s motorized scooters.) They significantly impacted the city’s transportation status quo.

Detroit never abandoned bicycling. It’s been overshadowed by the automobile, but that’s changed of late. Just like the rest of the world, Detroit is adopting more diverse, green, and healthy transportation options. Trails and bike lanes are being added to the city’s mobility landscape to the benefit of pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter riders.

The answer to “if you build it, will they come” is yes in Detroit. Over a thousand bicyclists and pedestrians are counted on the Dequindre Cut daily. Our electronic counters registered 374 bicyclists per day using the E. Jefferson bike lanes within weeks of their installation. Since MoGo’s launch in May of 2017, the public bike share system has had 237,000 rides. Detroit’s Slow Roll has become the largest weekly bike ride in the U.S.

One of the most unexpected statistics? There are over 70 bicycle clubs in the Detroit – perhaps more than any other U.S. city. These are unlike your typical suburban bike clubs. They ride at a comfortable pace wearing more cotton than Lycra with more hats than helmets. Their demographics reflect those of the city’s neighborhoods. They’re interested in the social aspects of riding together, the customization of their bicycles with music and lights, as well as giving back to the community.

As the Detroit clubs help launch sister clubs in other cities, this “#bikelife” movement is spreading across America. This is really just an expansion of Detroit legacy of putting America on wheels. This time it’s redefining what bicycling looks like as we roll into the next 150 years.