The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Birmingham’s City Commission may repeal their onerous bike registration ordinance.

City Commissioners are expected tonight to repeal the community’s 1963 bicycle ordinance — including its 25-cents-a-day charge to impound a bike.

Police Chief Richard Patterson, in a Sept. 11 memorandum to City Manager Tom Markus, pointed out that the ordinance was antiquated.

Birmingham police will continue providing free bike licenses to residents, the chief said in his memo. But he’d like the city to scrap the ordinance, which includes having cops charge 25 cents a day for impounding a bike if the owner lacks a license or is otherwise not in compliance with a litany of outdated bike rules.

This repeal is a direct result of our m-bike article highlighting some Metro Detroit’s ridiculous bicycle ordinances. In that article we noted that all bike in Birmingham sales and purchases must be reported to the police. The city also required all bicycles to be registered, including those of non-residents.

De light? Okay, bad pun, but it certainly seemed that most of the 2,000 cyclists who rode in yesterday’s Tour de Troit were enjoying themselves.

And for many, it shined a light on bicycling in Detroit and the city itself — the good stuff along with the blemishes.

For one reason or another, this event has not received a great deal of media coverage. That seemed to change this year as WXYZ had live TV coverage during the morning of the event, some of which is on their web site.

The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press also published post event summaries with photos.

State Representative Rashida Tlaib was also at the start and seemed very pleased to have so many cyclists in her Southwest Detroit district.

One very memorable (albeit unplanned) event during the ride was when the 100+ metric century cyclists passed the 30-mile riders heading the opposite direction on E. Grand Boulevard. Video of the larger group is on YouTube and it gives some idea of how large this event has become.

Compared with last year, this event grew by a whopping 80%. What’s going to happen next year? Will there be 3,000 cyclists?

It’s a great question and one that the Tour de Troit leaders are already discussing.

Both the Free Press and Daily Tribune are reporting on Ferndale Police efforts to catch bicycle thieves.

According to the Tribune:

Police have taken nearly 20 reports of stolen bicycles in the past six weeks. However, many such thefts aren’t reported and police believe the actual number of bike thefts in Ferndale is much higher.

“Basically they are stealing bikes to sell them for quick money,” Wilson said. “The suspects are a combination of adults who might have drug habits to support, and kids.”

One of their responses is to leave an unlocked bike under police surveillance. If someone takes the bicycle, the police can catch the thief. According to the Tribune it took 2 hours before the decoy was stolen by Browner, which doesn’t sound all that efficient.

Perhaps a better solution is finding where these stolen bikes are going and being re-sold to consumers. If there was less of market for stolen bikes, fewer might get taken.

Years ago the Royal Oak Police did just that and shutdown a bicycle shop on Eleven Mile Road that was selling stolen bikes.

The 2009 Oakland County Trail Summit: By Land, By Water is scheduled for October 8th at the Proud Lake State Recreation Area near Milford.

The details and agenda are on the registration page. Note that this event is limited to 150 registrants.

Later in the month (October 25th through the 28th) is the Mid-America Trails and Greenways Conference in Kalamazoo.

There is less than two weeks left to get the early registration price.

Here are some additional conference details from Nancy Krupiarz, executive director for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance:

The 4th Mid American Trails & Greenways creates an excellent opportunity for all those involved in trails and greenways to share our experiences learn from each other and continue connecting our trails and greenways.

Sponsored by eight Mid America states of Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky, and supported by a host of national, state, regional and local trail agencies and organizations, the conference will feature interactive educational sessions and exciting mobile workshops bringing together the best presenters from Mid America and the nation. An update on the state of trails and greenways in Mid America will be followed by informative sessions that will look at all aspects of trail and greenway development and operations.

An exhibit area with more than forty exhibitors displaying their products and services will be a part of this event!

In my job at MTGA, I’ll be presenting on our trail and greenway efforts in Detroit.

After the conference, we’re looking at meeting in Detroit to discuss a new Adventure Cycling bike route we are developing. It will be a spur off of their existing Underground Railroad route and will extend from Ohio, through Detroit, into Windsor, and over to Toronto. We’ll also be discussing the U.S. Bicycle Route System and how it might be routed through Detroit.

Metromode media has an article discussing Oakland University’s new bike sharing program for students and staff.

Oakland University plans to start two new alternative transportation programs this fall: a bike-share and van-shuttle programs. These environmentally friendly services will be available to all university patrons for free.

The bike-share program is a student-led initiative that will depend on the honor system. It will feature 30 bicycles for on-campus use only at 30 different bike racks across the campus. The bikes will be stored in the winter term.

Another seven bike racks will be added to campus to facilitate the program. Student and university officials are also working on plans to make the commuter campus more bike-friendly by adding bike lanes and trails throughout the campus.

The university’s web site describes more about how it works.

Oakland University will provide this campus service at no cost to users. Using an honor system, the program offers the campus community 30 bikes and 30 designated bike rack stations. Students, faculty and staff will have access to the bikes from bike rack stations located throughout campus, ride and return the bikes to another bike rack. The bikes will be restricted to on-campus use.

Bikes will be provided from March to late October. Based on winter weather conditions the program may end sooner.

This is certainly a much welcomed endeavor. And Oakland University’s road network certainly could use bike lanes and improved non-motorized connections with the surround community.

Thanks to Jon Levin for passing along this information.