M-DOT has just announced another $3.8 million in Transportation Enhancement funding for 11 projects across the state. These grants will be used to develop non-motorized trails, pave roadway shoulders, purchase bus bike racks and more. All projects will take place during the 2008 construction season.

Unfortunately the bus bike racks aren’t for D-DOT. Flint and Marquette requested those.

However, two of the grants are in Detroit and will undoubtedly improve biking in the City.

Here are the details from MDOT:

Midtown Loop

The city of Detroit, in cooperation with the University Cultural Center Association and the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, will construct a non-motorized path in the University Cultural Center area of midtown Detroit. This project is Phase One of a four-phase project that will create a Midtown Loop. The Midtown Loop will be a 2 mile urban greenway connecting existing campuses and institutions, including Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, to greenway initiatives in surrounding areas. This will provide a key component of a larger greenway network linking New Center to downtown and the Detroit River. The main loop will follow existing urban street patterns along Kirby Street, John R Street, Canfield Street, and Cass Avenue. Phase One construction will occur along Kirby Street (from Cass Avenue to John R Street) and John R Street (from Kirby Street to Canfield Street). The project includes the construction of the pathway, along with the installation of barriers to separate vehicular traffic from the path. In addition, benches, bike racks, bike storage lockers, pedestrian lighting, landscaping, and trash receptacles will be added. This trail will transform midtown Detroit into a more walkable community by offering a safe and convenient route for pedestrians and cyclists going to museums, galleries, restaurants, and other businesses adjacent to the trail. The total project budget is $2,318,081, with $1,182,221 in federal TE funds, and matching funds of $1,135,860, which includes $510,000 from a federal earmark and $625,860 from the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan’s GreenWays Initiative.

Detroit Riverwalk

The Detroit Wayne County Port Authority is constructing a public dock and terminal in the city of Detroit between the General Motors Renaissance Center World Headquarters and Hart Plaza. This facility will serve as the port of entry and welcome center for the passengers from cruise ships and other vessels, such as naval frigates, historic tall ships, racing yachts and dinner cruises. As part of this project, the Port Authority will construct a portion of the Detroit Riverwalk that extends from the MacArthur Bridge at Belle Isle to Cobo Hall. The project will provide various safety and aesthetic enhancements, such as lighting, security cameras, landscaping, and seating, in order to make this an attractive site for pedestrians. In addition, this enhancement project will provide an alternative Riverwalk around the terminal building for those times when an international ship is docked at the terminal and, per requirements of the Department of Homeland Security, the Riverwalk must be closed. The total project budget is $1,105,145, with $884,116 in federal funds, and $221,029 in matching funds from MDOT.

Some additional links of interest:

• Midtown Loop plans
• Detroit Riverwalk Conservancy 

Tags: Detroit Riverwalk, MDOT, Midtown Loop, Transportation Enhancements

This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Detroit, Funding, MDOT, Trails. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.