m-bike.org

Author: Todd Scott

  • Michigan Ranked 12th for Bicycle Friendliness

    For the first time, states are now being ranked according to how well they accommodate bicycling:

    The League of American Bicyclists has announced our first annual ranking of Bicycle Friendly States, scoring all 50 states on more than 70 factors. The states were scored on responses to a questionnaire evaluating their commitment to bicycling and covering 6 key areas: legislation; policies and programs; infrastructure; education and encouragement; evaluation and planning; and enforcement.

    Andy Clarke, president of the League, said, “While every state has room to improve in making bicycling a preferred mode of transportation and accessible form of recreation, Washington is making the greatest strides to make this a reality.” Clarke points to Washington’s model bike laws, signed and mapped statewide bike route network, dedicated funding from the state for bicycle related programs and projects, and an active statewide bicycle advisory committee as a few examples of why Washington ranked the highest.

    Michigan is near the top at number 12.  The reasoning cited was:

    Michigan has a rumble strip policy with a minimum 4 feet of clearance and dedicated state funding for bicycle projects. However, there is no routine accomodation or complete streets policy.

    There is a very cool interactive map on-line they lets you easily compare states by clicking on them.

    (more…)

  • MDOT Adding Paved Shoulders

    E.J. Levy recently sent me an article about Colorado State Highways and how many of them have paved shoulders 4 feet or wider — a great way to make roads safer for bicyclists.  Colorado has had a policy since 1999 to add these shoulders to their state highways.  Nine years later, 72% of their state highway roads have them.

    I am not sure if this includes Interstates, where in Colorado they are sometimes open to biking (e.g. I-70, I-76.)

    So what’s the story in Michigan? As of last year, 35.8% of MDOT trunklines had paved shoulders 4′ or greater.    That percentage does not include Interstates, which are not currently opening to Michigan bicyclists.

    That’s 3,031 miles of state roads with wide paved shoulders.

    According to Josh Debruyn, MDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, “In the last two years, MDOT has added 365 miles of paved shoulder suitable for bicycling and the number continues to grow every year.”

    We expect these to grow as well now that the Governor has directed MDOT to do more.

    And don’t think paved shoulders are just for bicyclists.  They help roads last longer, provide a safe pull-off area for vehicles, and allow vehicles to pass bicyclists more safely.

    Now if we could only get the Metro Detroit road agencies (e.g. Road Commission for Oakland County) to step up and make this same committment to bicyclist safety.

  • 2007 Troy Bicycle Crash Map

    2007 bicycle-vehicle crashes in Troy
    2007 bicycle-vehicle crashes in Troy

    This is a map of bicycle-vehicle crashes in Troy for 2007.  Troy had 20 such crashes in 2007, which was the second highest in Oakland County, 10 crashes fewer than Royal Oak.

    While it’s difficult understanding how and where each crash occurs, it appears that all but a few crashes occured on sidewalks and crosswalks.  This coincides with national studies showing sidewalks are the least safe place to ride a bicycle.

    It should be noted that, Troy is being very proactive and is looking to improve biking and walking safety within their community.

  • Bike-Friendly Cities Worth a Visit

    Okay, so this USA Weekend article is Photoshopped. Detroit was not listed.

    Still it could be listed in the future.

    A stunning network of trails and greenways is being developed. There is a plan for 400 miles of bike lanes.

    And because Detroit is under one government, it’s going to be much easier to implement consistent city-wide biking plans compared with nearby counties. In the counties, bike advocates need to convince many individual city, village, and township governments to get on board, which is no small task.

  • Royal Oak is #1 for bike-car crashes

    Royal Oak had the most bike-car crashes among all Oakland County municipalities in 2007
    Royal Oak had the most bike-car crashes among all Oakland County municipalities in 2007

    As noted earlier, last year Royal Oak had more reported car-bike crashes than any other city, village, or township in Oakland County.  In fact no one even came close.

    We’ve now mapped those crashes so you can get a rough idea of where they happened.

    For many years now we’ve been trying to push Royal Oak to improve biking within the city.  Neither city officials nor commissioners seem all that interested in taking any meaningful action.

    Most recently I’d arranged a deal that would bring Dan Burden, one of the nation’s foremost biking and walking experts to Royal Oak for consultation on MDOT’s dime.  I even offered to complete the necessary paperwork.

    Weeks later, my calls and email are still unanswered.

    This free opportunity to get start improving biking and walking safety in Royal Oak has passed.

    It’s time to move on to Plan B.  Stay tuned.