The Detroit Green Task Force visited Philadelphia earlier this year to learn from that city’s sustainability efforts. The group included city councilmembers, department directors, sustainability advocates and others. As co-chair of the GTF Transportation and Mobility committee (and executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition), my focus was learning what they did best in helping people use green travel modes.
One big takeaway was Philly had a very decent bike network in their Center City — a sharp contrast with Downtown Detroit, which only has the Cass bike lanes and RiverWalk.
It got us to thinking what would a bike network look like in Detroit?
We came up with this vision map. The solid lines are existing bike lanes, though we did fudge things to include the forthcoming bike lanes on Michigan Avenue east of Cass. We also could have made Wilkins and Grand River solid but those bike lanes need some improvement.All of the dashed lines are proposed bike lanes. Some could get built in the near-term, too:
MDOT will be constructing Hastings and Montcalm as part of the I-375 Reconnecting Communities project.
MDOT has initial designs for Gratiot Avenue.
DDP has plans to build an Adams cycletrack.
A portion of the Second Avenue is getting built with the Water Square and Huntington Place improvement project.
What about Woodward? It should have bike lanes, but of course the curb-running Q Line makes that much more difficult.
What are your thoughts? Would building out this bike lane network help you get around Downtown Detroit?
As a 501c3 non-profit, we cannot endorse candidates for elected office. However, we can share what they’ve said about things that matter to us.
Detroit Environmental Agenda
We’re a founding member of the DEA and this is the group’s third voter’s guide. While the entire guide is worth reading, here are their responses to topics most related to our work.
Environmental Issues
Doubling the DDOT budget
Doubling the budget for the Office of Sustainability
Expanding truck routes ordinance citywide
Continued implementation of the City’s Streets for People Plan
Continued implementation of the City’s Climate Strategy
Mayoral candidates Jonathan Barlow, Fred Durhall III, Saunteel Jenkins and Mary Sheffield answered yes to all of the above. Joel Haashim did not specify.
There were more varied answers among the council candidates
Name
District
1
2
3
4
5
Valerie Parker
At-large
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Mary Waters
At-large
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Coleman A. Young III
At-large
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Roy McCallister
District 2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Angela Whitfield Calloway
District 2
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Scott Benson
District 3
NA
NA
Yes
NA
NA
Latisha Johnson
District 4
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Willie Burton
District 5
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tatjana Jackson
District 5
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Michael Steven Ri’chard
District 5
Yes
NA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tyrone Carter
District 6
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Gabriella Santiago-Romero
District 6
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Denzel Anton McCampbell
District 7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Regina Ross
District 7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The candidates did provide additional text answers to these five question, which are included in the DEA Vote Guide.
Note that not all of the mayoral and council candidates responded.
Mayoral Candidate Forum
The Detroit Parks Coalition and Bridge Detroit hosted a forum in July. Unfortunately the event ran long and we were unable to ask our question about greenways. Even still, those that participated spoke highly of parks and greenways.
I-375 Questionaire
The ReThink I-375 Community Coalition asked the mayoral candidates questions about the MDOT I-375 project. One question was, “While not all of the new roads developed through this project will be in the City of Detroit’s jurisdiction, what do you think your role as Mayor should be in ensuring safe, vibrant roadways for both motorized and non-motorized use result from this project?”
Candidates Durhall, Jenkins, Perkins, and Sheffield all provided answers, but some added more detail on the non-motorized aspect:
Jenkins: “The non-motorized pavement for walking and biking need to be clearly separated from the heavy traffic of the surface streets. Safety has to be a top priority.”
Perkins: “Ensuring Safety for All Users: Road safety should be a top priority, and I will work to ensure that all new and redesigned roads include features that protect both motorized and non-motorized users. This includes dedicated bike lanes, safe pedestrian crossings, improved signage, and well-lit areas to ensure that everyone can safely navigate the streets, day or night. I will advocate for a “complete streets” approach, ensuring that the infrastructure supports all modes of transportation, whether it’s driving, biking, walking, or using public transit.”
Sheffield: “Designs that prioritize pedestrian and bike safety must also be premiered here, just as we are prioritizing redesigned and safer roadways within our neighborhoods.”
This was a seriously good year for making biking, walking, and rolling better in the City of Detroit. Here are some of the highlights.
Greenway Openings
Southwest Greenway – This 0.6-mile rail-trail sibling of the Dequindre Cut opened in May and provides a very convenient connection between Corktown and the RiverWalk. This also includes the 15th Street pedestrian/bicycle connection to renovated Michigan Central and Roosevelt Park.
RiverWalk Uniroyal Site – The long anticipated segment between the Mt. Elliott and Gabriel Richard Parks opened in October. Thousands of people came out for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy‘s celebration. This closed the biggest gap on the East RiverWalk.
Joe Louis Greenway – The City of Detroit officially opened the Warren Gateway trailhead on Halloween. Calling it a trailhead doesn’t do it justice. It’s a great community gathering and play space. It’ll be a major destination along the JLG. The Meade Cut-Thru north of Hamtramck opened this year as well and provides another neighborhood connection to the greenway.
Complete Streets
East Warren saw some of its separated bike lanes upgraded with concrete curbs, landscaping, and much more from 3 Mile Drive to Cadieux. We’re advocating for extending the East Warren separated bike lanes west of St. Jean to the (future) Joe Louis Greenway, WSU, Woodbridge and more — especially since we expect this to be part of the Iron Belle Trail route.
Rosa Parks streetscape is a newly opened cycletrack from West Grand Boulevard (near the Motown Museum) to Gordon Park (near the Congregration). This project also removed a couple unnecessary vehicle lanes, which reduces stormwater runoff and nearly doubles the size of the adjacent MLK Jr. Memorial Park.
Road Safety
Safe Streets for All funding – In February, the City of Detroit received $24.8 million in federal funding to improve its most unsafe streets. The city reapplied for additional funding from the same program and received another $24.8 million grant to address 56 high-crash intersections served by DDOT. This latter grant will also “conduct a Level of Traffic Stress analysis to address gaps in bicyclist/pedestrian networks, update the City’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, and pilot training for DDOT bus operators to ensure safe operations around people walking and biking.” This funding will lead to some community meetings and major street improvements in 2024.
Under state law, nearly all residential streets in Detroit have a default 25 MPH speed limit. No speed limit signs are required. During an earlier state legislative session, changes were made to this section of state law that would remove this default on January 1st, 2024. We supported a bill to keep the current residential speed limits, and when it got held up in the House, we worked to get it unstuck. It passed the Senate and was signed by the Governor.
(Dis)connecting Communities
Pedestrian Bridges – Freeways divide Detroit neighborhoods, so when they were first constructed, pedestrian bridges were added to help reduce this disconnection. Through the years, MDOT has not maintained these bridges and many of them are now closed. We’re involved at the local, state, and federal levels to address the lack of maintenance, non-compliant ADA designs, and their outright closures, most recently with the Canfield Bridge. We are expect to have more updates in 2024 as we stay on top of this.
I-375 Reconnecting Communities – We are pleasantly surprised that there’s been more vocal opposition to the overbuilt replacement boulevard than the freeway removal itself this year. This continued pressure along with new post-COVID traffic counts could lead to a tighter boulevard design that’s better for bicyclists and pedestrians. It’s much less expensive to do a road diet before you build it. Stay tuned for updates and more public meetings in 2024.
Miles of Bike Infrastructure (Centerline)
New for 2023
Total
Trails
1.3
24.8
Bike Routes (sharrows)
0
42.4
Bike Lanes (includes 0.25 miles removed on 14th Street in Corktown)
2.5
93.2
Detroit Greenways Coalition infrastructure database
The following document was sent to M-DOT on August 10th, 2023. On September 14th we had a productive meeting with MDOT and the City of Detroit to review these concerns and suggestions:
While we generally support a planned alternative to I-375, the design alternative (April 2023) has significant safety and connectivity concerns for bicyclists and pedestrians. Except for the cycletracks and some new sidewalks, this project does not reconnect the community as currently designed. The boulevard and intersections prioritize vehicle mobility similar to other major MDOT roads like Telegraph — a road that disconnects the community.
The boulevard with its wide roadways, sweeping curves, and overly-large intersections isn’t designed as an urban arterial. We believe this will encourage motorists exiting I-75 to maintain high travel speeds, especially north of Gratiot. Higher speeds result in more bicycle/pedestrian crashes with increased severity.
There also seems that reductions in vehicle commuting to Downtown post-COVID presents an opportunity to downsize and narrow roadways and intersections.
With today’s I-375, bicyclists and pedestrians avoid conflict with the below-grade vehicle traffic. Bringing this traffic to grade increases pedestrian and bicyclist conflicts with vehicles. The additional ad-grade vehicle traffic also leads to wider crosswalks and more pedestrian/bicyclist delay, both of which negatively impact connectivity and walkability.
We’ve outlined specific concerns and suggested solutions below.
Gratiot/Boulevard Intersection
The intersection design is not safe for bicyclists or pedestrians given its slip lanes and high-volume conflict areas. It’s not appropriate for an urban setting. We are especially concerned for bicyclists and pedestrians using the cycletrack and sidewalks when traveling north and south across Gratiot.
We expect the WB Gratiot to NB boulevard slip lanes will become an uncontrolled turning movement even with a No Turn on Red. If vehicles stop, they will likely not be looking for southbound cycletrack/sidewalk traffic. Having two lanes creates a highly unsafe multi-threat situation. Large vehicles in one lane can block sight lines for seeing vehicles in adjacent lanes. There is also a high likelihood that vehicles will block the cycletrack/crosswalk.
To address these concerns:
We want a non-motorized underpass for the cycletrack and sidewalk under Gratiot. This grade separation would not only improve safety, it would decrease delay for all road users and provide an opportunity for artwork within the underpass.
The dual slip lanes from WB Gratiot to NB boulevard should be removed. If this cannot be achieved, the at-grade crossing of a single slip lane should have a raised crosswalk/cycletrack and be No Turn on Red. Additional turning traffic could be accommodated beyond the slip lane.
E. Lafayette/Larned and Boulevard Intersections
The dual right turn lanes from WB E. Lafayette to the NB boulevard are a major concern for reasons similar to those mentioned above: vehicles will not stop, motorists will not look for southbound traffic, the cycletrack and crosswalk will get blocked, and the multi-threat concerns. In addition, very few bicyclists will find it safe traveling with two lanes away from the curb and with no physical separation from vehicles on both sides.
Also, we see no need for E. Lafayette to grow from its existing 4 lanes east of the boulevard to 7 lanes. This makes the intersection notably larger and less safe for those crossing it on foot or by bike. Larned suffers from the same design bloat.
To address these concerns either the dual lanes should become a single turn lane or move the bicyclists to a cycletrack on the southside of E. Lafayette.
Reduce the two dedicated turns lanes to WB Larned to NB boulevard to one lane.
All Intersections
It is imperative that every intersection is designed to prioritize pedestrian and bicyclist safety. To address this:
Bicyclists must have bike signal heads at every intersection with traffic signals. These are allowed under FHWA Interim Approval since they would “augment the design of a segregated counter-flow bicycle facility” and “Provide an increased level of safety by facilitating unusual or unexpected arrangements of the bicycle movement through complex intersections, conflict areas, or signal control.” These accepted uses also align with NACTO guidance. Bicyclists cannot be expected to use pedestrian signals, which have no application for cycletracks under Michigan law. Having a cycletrack travel through an intersection without any traffic control is clearly unsafe.
Cycletrack users should not be required to press actuation buttons to receive green bike signals.
Pedestrian delay should be minimized by employing “Rest in WALK” signaling. Pedestrian actuation should only be used when necessary, perhaps only used during peak vehicle travel.
While traffic signals might be optimized for vehicle movements during peak hours, they should be minimized for local users, including bicyclists and pedestrians outside of those time periods.
No Turn on Red and Leading Pedestrian Intervals should be used to reduce turning conflicts.
R10-15C signs should be used at intersections where vehicles turn across a cycletrack.
Crosswalks and cycletracks should be raised whenever possible to increase motorist yield compliance.
All intersections designed to minimize crosswalk distances through bumps outs and lane reductions.
Intersection curb radii should be minimized to reduce turning speeds and should follow NACTO best practices for urban streets.
Dual turn lanes should be downsized to a single lane to eliminate the multi-threat safety issue.
R10-15C sign
Sidewalks
We appreciate seeing sidewalks added along all non-freeway streets. However, the sidewalk within the median north of Gratiot could be a very unpleasant place to walk.
We want to see extra landscaping that could provide some buffering from the NB and SB travel lanes.
There especially needs to be hardened protection for pedestrians where the three I-75 exit lanes turn south on the boulevard. Vehicles will undoubtedly lose control by taking this turn too quickly and drive into the median.
Cycletrack Designs
The boulevard and Montcalm cycletracks should mimic the Hudson River Greenway design in NYC.
There should be increased greenspace between the vehicle lanes and the cycletracks.
The cycletrack widths should be 12 feet, which is the NACTO desired width.
The cycletracks should be designed to prevent road debris from accumulating in them and to require less maintenance.
No additional access should be granted across the cycletracks to minimize conflict points.
The cycletrack should be extended south to the RiveWalk.
One operational concern we have with the Montcalm cycletrack is on its west end. This area around the stadiums is often closed or restricted for bicycle use. We would like to see a city policy that keeps this bicycling connection open while also addressing any stadium safety issues.
Other Bike Lanes
This is an opportunity to add and improve other bike lanes within the project footprint..
The Wilkins bike lanes over I-75 should be made sidewalk-level and separated from the vehicle lanes.
Separated bike lanes should be added to the entire length of Gratiot Avenue.
The E. Jefferson bike lanes should continue west of the boulevard. The current design shows the removal of existing bike lanes on the EB side from St. Antoine to the boulevard.
Bike lanes or a cycletrack should be installed along Atwater.
Green Stormwater Management
The design appears to free up significant land between Eastern Market, Brush, and Crain’s. We would like to see this become green space that can manage stormwater from these surrounding properties. A walking/biking trail through this area (with access off of Montcalm) would be an ideal addition.
Additional clusters of trees (and not simply street trees) should be planted throughout the project to not only address stormwater, but reduce noise and air pollution for the surrounding community.
We made the I-375 replacement part of our successful pitch to get the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals Conference in 2024. This project will certainly be on the agenda and we want to make sure we can talk about it in a positive way. By incorporating the changes we’re proposing, it can be
