MDOT Director to remain

We heard a rumbling last week that a new director of MDOT would be named. That would have been a shame since Kirk Steudle has been very supportive of Complete Streets and non-motorized transportation.  However, his support of the DRIC had cost him Republican support, to the point where some asked the state attorney general to look into allegations of MDOT publishing misleading data.

The Free Press is now reporting that he will continue to lead MDOT. We think this is a big positive for Michigan bicyclists.

West Bloomfield trail to grow

The West Bloomfield rail trail just added 2.3 miles of new abandoned rail line according to the Spinal Column.

“This acquisition has been over three years in the making. We are excited that all the past work and negotiations will eventually result in a universally-accessible trail in a few years,” said Parks and Recreation Director Dan Navarre. “It’s wonderful that the grant funding made this acquisition possible by funding the majority of the purchase.”

We’re not sure when the trail will be resurfaced to match the existing trail conditions. The article makes it sound as though cyclists and walkers could use the trail before it is completed. That would  be similar to what happened with the Clinton River Trail (part of the same railroad corridor) in Rochester Hills.

Windsor’s Riverside Drive

The Windsor Star is reporting on continued, thought apparently limited opposition to redeveloping Riverside Drive.

The project, which would see bike lanes and new pedestrian crossings installed across the city’s entire riverfront from east to west, would produce a huge improvement to the quality of life for a large number of Windsor residents at a relatively low price, while providing a major boost to the city’s image.

City planners had considered widening parts of the road, which was originally built on a narrow right-of-way to service cottages along the Detroit River.

But widening the road for vehicular traffic was rejected as unwanted by a majority of city residents, who cherish the road’s rustic, tree-lined character for jogging and cycling, not to mention Sunday drives with the top down.

That plans sounds like a Complete Street to us. We hope to see it built.

An Oxnard Car Accident Attorney produced a report showing bicycle crashes from 2004 through 2009  in Michigan and the degree of injury for each cyclist. We ran the report for cyclists with and without helmets.

For the majority of crashes it is not known whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet. We dropped those numbers. And in some cases, the police report said the cyclist was wearing a safety belt. We ignored those as well. According to the local bicycle accident lawyer, only 40% of the police crash reports properly reported whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet or not. That shouldn’t be acceptable. Do we need an improved police reporting form or more training? We’re not sure. 

But among those crashes that were properly reported, about 17% said the bicyclist was wearing a helmet in the crash. Find out more here on this site about what to do with your accident case.

Michigan Bicycle Crashes, 2004 – 2009

Now, let’s look at the information via localaccidentreports of just the adult cyclists 18 and older. Helmets were worn in about 23% of the crashes.

Michigan Bicycle Crashes, 2004 – 2009, Adults only

One conclusion to make is that there are a few things that a safety-conscious motorcyclist should do to prevent accidents, even though there isn’t much difference in injury severity between those wearing a helmet and those that are not. There’s a slightly higher fatality rather for non-helment wearers but helmeted cyclists do suffer from higher injury rates.

However, there’s not enough information to say these differences are due to helmet use.  Experience, risk taking, riding styles, rural vs. urban roads and more all play a role in the types of crashes that occur. A study would need to remove those factors to really determine the affect helmets have on injury severity.

Tonight (December 22nd at 7pm) is a fundraising event for Fender Bender Detroit. In short, they are raising funds for a mobile bicycle workshop trailer in Detroit.

More details are below.

From Fender Bender Detroit:

Hey lovely friends!

Fender Bender Detroit officially presents a group art show composed of many local detroit artists works at Motor City Brewing Works tonite!  7pm

The show is comprised of many local Detroit artists works generously donated. There will be a variety of mediums and subject matter.  Part of the show will be part a silent auction while other craft items and FBD mechandise will be sold as priced.  If you are unfamiliar with the silent auction style we will explain how to participate that night.  We are really enthusiastic to see all the creative works in one room and hope you are too!   So come out for this interesting and unique event in celebration of art and people and of course BICYCLES as we pace towards the actualization of our mobile bike shop.

This is a fundraising event for FBD and we hope to raise the remaining money neccessary in order to purchase the 6×12 enclosed trailor for build-out of our mobile “storefront” as well as one set of basic bike repair tools and a repair stand and truing wheel.Not to mention the Soltice has begun…which means winter night time darkness is only getting lighter!

The Future Is Mobile!

Sarah and Liz xo

Now and then an old Souvenir of Detroit item will appear on eBay.

These souvenir items often highlight the most memorable or unique locations within the city — the “must see” public spaces. This blue plate is one example.

If one were to make the plate for Detroit today, it would be a bit difficult choosing among the many site candidates: Campus Maritius, RiverWalk, Ambassador Bridge, Spirit of Detroit, Comerica Park, Fox Theatre, Dequindre Cut, Belle Isle, Renaissance Center, Book Cadillac, and the always-required Michigan Central Station.

The same cannot be said for many Detroit suburbs. What would you put on a Rochester Hills plate besides the Clinton River and Paint Creek Trail? It seems Troy’s choices drop off fast once you include Somerset Mall and their historic area. And what about Clinton Township?

So what? What’s the market for souvenir plates nowadays?

But it’s really not about plates. It’s about building memorable and unique public spaces that help attract and retain residents — something we’re not doing very well in Michigan.

According to a presentation given by Gary Heidel, Interim Director for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (October 2010):

Heidel also adds that urban/city placemaking should include:

Expanding a waterfront walk and bicycle system, and promoting and contributing to an integrated regional bicycle trail system with excellent connections in the city and adjoining jurisdictions.

So placemaking is just another justification for promoting bicycling and trails in Detroit.

And good placemaking means good plate making.

Anthony Wayne Drive on Wayne State’s campus was recently rebuilt. It was supposed to get bike lanes added, but where are they?

The answer is the weather has become too cold to apply the thermoplastic tape used to mark the lanes.  It will get completed once the weather warms in the spring.

Why mark use tape rather than paint. Tape costs more but lasts longer. However, the tape can get pulled up by snowplow blades. You may have noticed some of that occurred on the Dequindre Cut last winter.

One solution is to grind down the pavement just a little wherever you apply the tape. Having the tape just a little bit below the road surface keeps it from getting scraped by snowplows. We’ve been told that doing this means the tape can last up to ten years, while a painted line may need to be re striped every year.

Why did MDOT use paint then on Michigan Avenue? Our guess is this reflects their uncertainty about the future of these bike lanes. They have mentioned that the lanes would be removed if it became a major safety issue. It wouldn’t make sense investing in tape if you thought you might be pulling it up in a year or two.

New Atwater Bike Lanes

Also, what about the new bike lanes on Atwater near the Wheelhouse Detroit.  They’re not in yet the last we checked and we suspect it’s due to the cold weather as well.

It just means our new bike lanes mileage for 2011 will be that much higher with these projects as well as the Conner Creek Greenway additions, the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink, West Vernor, Second and Third Avenue. Detroit will likely be one of America’s top cities for newly constructed bike lane miles.