m-bike.org

Author: Todd Scott

  • Ferndale Police nab suspected bike thief

    The Free Press is reporting that the Ferndale Police Department arrested a suspected bike thief:

    David Vincent McArthur, 36, a Ferndale resident, is to be arraigned on a four-year felony — larceny from a building; in this case, a garage — as well as on two counts of simple larceny, in the thefts of three bicycles within the span of about an hour, police said.

    “Community policing is something that’s always been this department’s philosophy. We try to be in touch with what’s going on in the neighborhoods,” Lt. William Wilson said.

    “So, we think going after a bike thief is just as important as nailing a bank robber, in terms of our residents’ feeling of security in their homes,” Wilson said.

    The Daily Tribune also covered the story, adding:

    “We suspect he has a drug habit and was stealing the bikes to trade them for small amounts of drugs,” said Ferndale police Lt. William Wilson.

    Police report that 10 bicycles have been stolen in the city this month.

    The man also is suspected of stealing bikes in Pleasant Ridge and Hazel Park.

    Thanks to the Ferndale Police for taking bike theft seriously.

    It’s also great to see that Ferndale has Police Mountain Bike officers on patrol. There’s perhaps no better way for police to understand traffic issues facing cyclists than by having officers experience them first-hand.

  • Ferndale adopts Complete Streets ordinance

    Last night, city councilwoman Melanie Piana’s tweeted, “Tonight, Ferndale city council unanimously adopted a Complete Streets ordinance.”

    Congratulations, Ferndale!

    They join Berkley and Novi as the three Oakland County communities with Complete Streets ordinances or resolutions.

  • PlanNYC: Some inspiration from New York City

    We typically shy away from posts not directly related to Detroit, but this one is too good to pass by.

    It’s a video about the non-motorized work being done in New York City being led by Mayor Bloomberg. They have aggressively moved forward with their greening efforts through increased public space, greenways, bike lanes (over 200 miles in 3 years!), and more. One  significant comment was when the Mayor mentioned New Yorkers have increased their life expectancy by reducing crash rates. With Detroit having the second highest rate of pedestrian fatalities among U.S. cities (Atlanta is #1), our efforts could provide that same benefit here.

    Link:  PlanNYC

  • Educating and empowering young green advocates

    To be successful, it is critical that bike and trail advocates have a diverse voice.

    That’s one reason we remind others that efforts like Complete Streets are not just about Lycra-clad cyclists.

    For example, the AARP is one of the major advocates for Complete Streets. Why?

    In a poll conducted for the AARP study, 40 percent of adults age 50 and over said the sidewalks in their neighborhoods are inadequate. Nearly 50 percent reported they cannot cross main roads close to their home safely, yet half of them would walk, bicycle or take a bus more often if the problems were fixed.

    Mobility activists assert that the best way to address these problems is with “complete streets” policies, which allow pedestrians, bicyclists and those who use public transportation to share the road safely and comfortably with automobiles.

    And at the other end of the age spectrum, MTGA recently led guided tours of the Dequindre Cut and Detroit RiverWalk to Councilmember Cockrel’s Green Task Force Youth Committee and the Great Lakes  Bioneers Detroit.

    Building an interest in trails for these younger groups is clearly important, as is making the connection between walking, biking and being green.

    But it’s also key that we encourage their active participation in programming and advocacy. They are a key stakeholder.

    The more they can be involved in these efforts now, the more likely they will continue making Detroit more walkable, bikeable, and green.

  • Novi bike and walk planning meeting this Tuesday

    From Novi City Councilmember Andrew Mutch:

    A friendly reminder that the second public meeting on Novi’s Non-Motorized Master Plan is taking place this Tuesday, October 26 starting at 7:00 pm at the Novi Public Library. This meeting will include the presentation of preliminary plans for various concepts and routes that will make up the final master plan proposal. This meeting will use an open-house format so if you can’t make it at 7:00 pm, please come by later in the evening to review and comment on the plans.
    More details are available here: