m-bike.org

Author: Todd Scott

  • Metro Detroit Trail Updates

    m-5-path-cross-sectionStimulus Funding for the I-275 Bike Path

    If you haven’t already contacted your legislator about this, please do so. Reports are coming in about legislators on the west side of the state trying to get this worthy project removed from MDOT’s stimulus funding list. Although nothing is official yet, it may have already been significantly downsized.

    I-275/M-5 Path Extension

    As we noted earlier, there are plans to extend the I-275 bike path north along the M-5 corridor. Initial plans for the segment between 13 Mile and 14 Mile are on-line.

    If you missed the recent public meeting on this project, you can still send your comments to the Wade-Trim project manager, Jamie Brown.

    Huron Valley Trail Extension

    The Spinal Column is reporting that local officials are continuing to meet to discuss an eastward extension of the Huron Valley Trail. This extension would connect the trail with a planned extension of the West Bloomfield Trail.

    Wixom City Manager J. Michael Dornan said … CW3 officials used last week’s meeting to discuss applying for grants to purchase the former Coe Railroad property in three of the communities.

    B. Allen Brown, president and CEO of Railmark Holdings, Inc., who owns the railroad, has entered into negotiations to sell the railroad property. West Bloomfield, Walled Lake, Wixom, and Commerce Township officials are discussing the viability of collectively purchasing the 8.08 miles of rail corridor to complete the Huron Valley Trail and West Bloomfield Trail.

    Chuck Montange of Montoff Transportation, LLC, known for buying up railroads and converting them into trail systems, is the acting intermediary in the talks. The transaction must be handled by a transportation company. Montange has paid for an appraisal and made arrangements with both Brown and a bank.

    This is great news for a key east-west connector that would also tie into the M-5/I-275 bike path.

  • Wrapping up the National Bike Summit

    Mike Reuter, Todd Scott, Cullen Watkins
    Mike Reuter, Todd Scott, Cullen Watkins

    Here’s additional information from the National Bike Summit.

    Bicycle Respect and Recognition

    We reported earlier that Congressman Oberstar said, We need to make bicyclists a standard transportation mode by law.

    BikePortland.org published more information on Oberstar’s initiative last week:

    Today at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C., Oberstar will meet with the country’s top bike lawyers to discuss the potential of a new legislative initiative to draft the country’s first piece of legal policy that would directly relate to the respect and recognition of bicycles as users of our roadways.

    Portland bike lawyer Ray Thomas… describes the initiative as a way to create a federal law to ensure equitable treatment of people on bicycles who are involved in crashes. Too often, he says, drivers do not receive serious charges in collision cases. The way the system is set up now, police officers and prosecutors (for a variety of reasons) will often not even attempt to press serious charges against motorists.

    Oberstar wants to fix the system so there’s a better chance that justice will be done.

    A Plan for Circuit City Stores

    One of the most interesting ideas I heard at the Summit was at an IMBA advocacy session. Sitting next to IMBA trail guru Rich Edwards, I began discussing potential indoor mountain bike facilities in Detroit.

    Rich mentioned another more suburban opportunity.

    567 Circuit City stores have closed around the U.S. These stores are large, well-lit, have concrete floors, heat, water, and very few uses — especially in this market.

    One alternative idea is to make them into indoor dirt parks.

    John Burke (right) holds a Detroit Gets Green pin
    John Burke (right) holds a Detroit Gets Green pin

    Trek Ride in Detroit

    I attended the Summit with Mike Reuter and Cullen Watkins from American Cycle and Fitness. They invited me to a Trek dealer event at the Summit hosted by President John Burke.

    After giving John a brief overview of what we’re achieving in Detroit, he offered to come to town this spring for an urban tour.

    Detroit is 140 square miles with zero bike shops stocking new bikes on their floor.

    Cyclists are Important Users

    Ray LaHood, the Department of Transportation Secretary has a blog where he recently left comments on attending the National Bike Summit.

    On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of addressing the National Bike Summit. I was invited to speak as a member of the Obama administration, but I have been a supporter of bicycling for many years and was a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus when I was in Congress.

    Still, I don’t think the League of American Bicyclists knew what to expect when they invited me to their summit.

    I hope they were pleasantly surprised because I am committed to investing in programs that encourage bikes to coexist with other modes and to safely share our roads and bridges. And there’s strong support in Congress for these goals as well.

    Secretary LaHood also noted his excitement for the Active Transportation pilot program. The city of Detroit has submitted a proposal for participating in this program under the next federal transportation bill.

  • Complete Streets Bills Re-Introduced

    Photo courtesy of Dan Burden
    Photo courtesy of Dan Burden

    While meeting with members of Congress at the National Bike Summit, Complete Streets legislation was re-introduced. The same bill was introduced in the Senate in 2008 but died in committee.

    The basic premise is road agencies should adopt a policy that ensures all transportation modes are reasonably accomodated, includinng biking and walking.

    According to bill sponsor Senator Tom Harkin:

    When Americans choose to leave their car at home and walk or ride a bike to school or work, they are making a healthy decision. We need to ensure streets, intersections and trails are designed to make them easier to use and maximize their safety.

    This legislation will encourage Americans to be more active, while also providing more travel options and cutting down on traffic congestion.

    Everyone is encouraged to use this quick online form letter to ask your Senator and Representative to support this legislation.

    We typically got receptive but uncommitted support while in Washington DC, perhaps in large part because the bills were only recently introduced.

    More details from the Complete Streets web site: (more…)

  • Help the I-275 Bike Path get Stimulus Funding

    If your state senator is on this list, it would be extra valuable for you to contact them regarding the below message. They are members of a new senate committee that will be reviewing the stimulus spending:

    • Ron JELINEK (R-Three Oaks)
    • Jud GILBERT (R-Algonac)
    • John PAPPAGEORGE (R-Troy)
    • Roger KAHN (R-Saginaw)
    • Mark JANSEN (R-Gaines Twp.)
    • Mickey SWITALSKI (D-Roseville)
    • Deb CHERRY (D-Burton)
    • Irma CLARK-COLEMAN (D-Detroit)

    From Nancy Krupiarz:

    As some of you know, the I-275 Pathway was listed on the MDOT list for federal stimulus dollars. Now that the federal stimulus package has passed, MDOT is wrestling with priorities. The Pathway does rise to the top in terms of priorities. However, there are already constituent letters to legislators from readers who have seen the Pathway on the list and have declared it a waste of money.

    Since the final approval of projects will probably end up going through the legislature somehow someway, it is important that the legislators especially with districts along the pathway hear plenty of support from their constituents for this project. This would help a lot in getting these dollars on the ground on the Pathway. So, please contact your state Senator and Representative today. Let them know that:

    • This is a major nonmotorized artery for Southeast Michigan, a 43+ mile trail linking up 3 counties and 14 communities. The trail will eventually link up to trails at both the north and south terminus and at several junctures along the way, including Huron Valley Trail, Hines Drive, Canton Township Trails and the Monroe trails.
    • This trail is used for commuting to work and school, for recreation, and also serves as a greenbelt along the freeway that is valuable for aesthetics and wildlife habitat.
    • It is needed as a framework for active living. As Richard Jackson from the US Center for Disease Control, has said, “It is dishonest to tell our citizens to walk, jog, or bicycle when there is no safe or welcoming place to pursue these life-saving activities.”
    • The communities all along the way will be enhanced as they make nonmotorized linkages to this trail. Bikeable/walkable communities are noted as one of the top desired features listed by those seeking homes according the National Association of Homebuilders.

    If you don’t know who your legislator is, you can go to http://www.michiganlegislature.org and click on Legislators on the left sidebar. At the bottom of that page, click on Find your representative and Find your senator and fill in your county and zip code and you will get all the information you need.

    Thanks for giving your support to the I-275 Pathway!

    Nancy Krupiarz
    Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance

  • National Bike Summit Breakfast: Day Three

    img_2189Thursday began with a National Bike Summit breakfast. I took the opportunity to speak briefly with Congressman Earl Blumenauer about biking and walking in Detroit.

    I didn’t need to provide much background.

    He immediately noted how his cycling city roll-model Portland is different in that it’s a growing city, whereas cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and others are dealing with shrinking populations, jobs, vacant land, and more.

    I spoke about the collective effort with the support of Mayor Cockrel to reinvent Detroit as a green city, where biking and walking are a strong component. I noted our non-motorized plan, greenways network vision, and our application for Active Transportation 2010 funding.

    He added that we need to make sure our bike solutions at the federal level are not one-size-fits-all.

    Although it seemed longer, it was perhaps only a minute of conversation. Still, it was one of the most rewarding minutes during my stint at this summit. It was very good to know that one of the primary congressional leaders in biking and walking advocacy was already on point with urban non-motorized perspectives outside of the Portland’s and Boulder’s of the world.

    After our discuss, Congresssman Blumenauer addressed the entire group on his new Multimodal Commuter Credit legislation. It basically addresses some flaws in the current implementation of bike commuter tax credit and provides more flexibility.

    Why was the bike commuter act flawed from the start? BikePortland.org asked Blumenauer’s staffer Tyler Frisbee that question.

    Frisbee said the reason is that it was passed as part of the financial bailout package, “instead of a more orderly process.”

    We reported on this back in October. Blumenauer’s bike commuter bill was added to the bank bailout bill perhaps to garner his vote — it didn’t work. He voted against the bailout and the commuter language was flawed.

    Fortunately the Congressman’s commited to correcting these flaws.