Michigan Governor Rick Snyder gave a state of the state address tonight that touched on issues related to biking in Michigan, including this:
“I urge the prompt passage of a capital outlay bill that implements the recommendations of the Natural Resources Trust Fund. From the greatness of the land and the resourcefulness of the citizens of the Upper Peninsula to the unquestioned beauty and economic engine as our Great Lakes, natural resources and recreation have always been among our strongest areas. The Fund’s board of trustees has recommended 117 recreation and land acquisition projects totaling more than $100 million. These projects will positively impact every corner of our state from Iron County in the Upper Peninsula to Traverse City to Luna Pier in Monroe County. Also included is a significant expansion of the William G. Milliken Park on the Detroit Riverfront.”
That is excellent to hear and very welcomed. And it was good to see the bipartisan standing ovation it received.
However, it was just last Thursday when West Michigan legislators introduced bills (HB 4021, HB 4028, HJR B) that would raid the Natural Resources Trust Fund. It would divert upwards of 80% of its annual revenues. Twenty percent of the diverted funds would go towards the State Aeronautics Fund while the remainder would go to the Michigan Transportation Fund.
The intent of this Trust Fund is to take revenues from irreplaceable natural resources extracted from public lands and make longterm investments in new public lands and parks. This proposed Trust Fund raid would put most of the money into airports and road projects.
Having a deja vu? Yes, these same bills were introduced in the last session. They died in committee. It’s difficult to say if these bills will move further along given the new Republican control of the House.
Other items in the state of the state
The Governor said the state should reward municipalities that consolidate and share services. Does this mean they would provide incentives for counties governments to absorb their road commissions? Not sure.
It was great to hear the Governor promote wellness.
“We will look to build a system that encourages all of us to have an annual physical, reduce obesity and encourage a healthier, active lifestyle in our state”
As someone noted on Twitter, Complete Streets would help.
And lastly Snyder threw his support behind the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC). The DRIC’s current plans are to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. This could be one option for getting between Canada and the U.S.
Canada wants this new bridge so badly that they’ve agreed to cover Michigan’s capital investment. Canada’s loan would be paid back through bridge tolls.
The big news is the Federal Highway Administration has agreed to count this loan as Michigan’s match for federal transportation dollars. Without match dollars, the state could lose millions in road funding. This appears to be a huge win which removes some pressure to find transportation money in other places.
The City of Novi is now poised to take its bicycle and pedestrian facilities, policies and programs to the next level. This document, funded by the Federal Energy Efficiency Block Grant program, lays out a systematic way to support non-motorized transportation.
It is anticipated that the environmental changes will result in a greater number of individuals choosing walking and bicycling as their preferred mode of transportation for many local trips. These choices will lead to healthier lifestyles, improved air and water quality, and a more energy efficient and sustainable transportation system.
We haven’t had a chance to fully review the plan, but it looks very impressive so far.
This plan and more will be discussed at their Walkable Novi Committee meeting this Thursday at 6pm. The meeting is at the City of Novi Administration Building, 45175 West 10 Mile Road.
The meeting originally scheduled for 1/20/2010 has been moved back a week to January 27th.
The Detroit Free Press wrote about the Discovery Channel’s unsuccessful pitch to document the city’s stray dog situation.
It’s bad enough that Detroit’s poor economy has contributed to an epidemic of stray dogs. The city has no interest in turning some street mutts into reality TV stars, too, as the Discovery Channel wants to do.
Mayor Dave Bing’s film office has denied the cable network permission to film stray Detroit dogs, chronicling their miserable lives for a TV series called “A Dog’s Life.”
But beyond the show debate, are stray dogs a problem for Detroit cyclists?
Is it any worst than in the suburbs and rural areas?
It isn’t in our experience, but we’d be curious to hear what others think. We’ve found strays seem to mind their own business even when in apparent packs. Our best chases have come from peoples’ pets.
For those who are chased, this web site provides some suggested responses to the inevitable dog chase. Our favorites are shouting at the dog and simply out riding it.
Detroit 2020 is a WXYZ commitment to address the challenges facing the region. We will work side by side with our communities to listen, talk and take action. Our goal is to unify, inspire change and help make Detroit a better place to live, work and raise families.
Yesterday they aired a segment on the RiverWalk and Dequindre Cut which gives a brief introduction to a couple of world class trails.
Yes, it’s a $300 million development project.
And the video also talks about how projects like this are true public-private partnerships. Whereas in most other cities, it’s the government leading the trail development and operations, that’s not the case here. It’s the Conservancy and their staff — and it works well. However, it does skew results when national groups try to benchmark Detroit based on the number of city employees work on biking and walking. For example, the 2010 Benchmark Report from the Alliance for Biking and Walking ranked Detroit last in this category. They wouldn’t count the 24 staff working for the Conservancy since their not city employees.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is also looking for volunteers to serve as ambassadors this coming summer. If you’re interested, give them a call at (313) 566-8200 during business hours for more information.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder gave a state of the state address tonight that touched on issues related to biking in Michigan, including this: