Just when we thought it was safe to publish a collection of recent news stories on biking in southern Oakland County communities…

Today the Daily Tribune has an article, Royal Oak, Berkley work to make cities biker friendly.

The wheels of government are catching up to cyclists determined to use pedal power as their mode of transportation whenever possible.

Now that’s a lead in statement we need to read more often in Oakland County!

And we need more political leaders like Berkley councilmembers Steve Baker and Lisa Platt Auensen. The Tribune had this quote from Baker.

“To me, it’s about having a road system designed for everybody regardless of age and ability,” Berkley city Councilman Steven Baker said. “An incomplete street moves cars from Point A to B efficiently. A complete street moves people from point A to B. That’s a subtle but important difference for anybody riding a bike, pushing a stroller and using a walker, cane or wheelchair.”

Perhaps one point that was missed is Complete Streets are not just some local idea being pushed by those crazy cyclists. It’s a national movement which is backed but a large, diverse group. For instance, the National Association of REALTORS is a major sponsor. Health organizations, such as the American Heart Association, are supporters.

And AARP has been a huge advocate for Complete Streets. If you live in a community with incomplete streets (and sub-optimal transit options), driving becomes a requirement for mobility. A 2007 survey of seniors found that they feared losing their driver’s license much more than they feared dying.

The Tribune also mentioned last night’s Progressive Bike and Dine between Royal Oak and Berkley. Despite the chilly weather, there was a very decent turnout of spirited residents.

The ride started with drinks at Lily’s Seafood, then pizza at Amici’s, and a meal at the Royal Oak Brewery. Even though we passed on desserts, we likely consumed more calories than we burned.

No problem. It was a lot of fun.

Despite the downturn in the weather, there’s been an upturn in media coverage for bicycling news among communities in southern Oakland County.

And while we’ve already covered these stories, it’s great to see them in the media before a much larger audience.

Metromode has two new articles.

• Royal Oak non-motorized plan gets public jump start
• Berkley, Novi pass Complete Streets resolutions, other cities consider the same

The latter article includes a discussion of getting Complete Streets in Birmingham.

Jana Ecker, a planner with the city of Birmingham, said although that city is already a walkable community, there isn’t a resolution in place yet. For example, the city doesn’t have bike lanes. “It will require some changes from what we do now,” she says. She expects the city will take another look at the ordinance in November, after it’s reviewed.

The Detroit News published an article that covers both Royal Oak’s planning efforts and the local Complete Streets victories.

• Cities focus on cyclists’ safety

And even the Oakland Press provided some positive coverage of the recently passed Complete Streets legislation in Lansing.

• Michigan one step closer to more walkable and bikeable communities

All combined these articles reflect the significant (and relatively new) momentum behind making at least the lower portion of Oakland County a bike friendly environment.

Royal Oak Bike and Dine

Don’t forget that the Royal Oak Bike and Dine is tonight. Here’s the information:

Please join us for a Progressive Bike & Dine in Royal Oak and Berkley.  Royal Oak is conducting a non-motorized transporation plan, and Berkley recently adopted a “complete streets” policy, so this event will celebrate progress in both communities.

No RSVP is required but we would appreciate an RSVP so that we can alert each restaurant on how many guests to expect.  RSVP via the Facebook event (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/BikeWalkRoyalOak), or reply to this email, tregan3@hotmail.com, or phone 248-797-1075, or mail to 3126 Glenview, Royal Oak 48073.  The event will begin:

• Thursday, October 21st
• Lily’s Seafood, 410 So. Washington, Royal Oak MI 48067.
• Join us in the bar any time between 5:30pm to 6:30pm to register.

The pace will be leisurely–new and occasional cyclists are welcome and encouraged.  Our schedule is approximate but the locations are confirmed:

• Optional drinks at Lily’s, 5:30pm to 6:30pm.  We leave from Lily’s to begin the ride at 6:30pm.
• Appetizers at Amici’s Pizza, 3249 W. 12 Mile, Berkley MI 48072, 6:45pm – 7:15pm.
• Entree at Royal Oak Brewery, 215 E. 4th, Royal Oak MI 48067, 7:45pm – 8:30pm
• Dessert at Pronto’s, 608 S. Washington, Royal Oak MI 48067, 8:35pm, 9:00pm
• Optional after-dinner drinks at Lily’s, 9:00pm – ?.

There is no fee outside of the bill at each restaurant.  Participants should:

• Bring cash in small bills (to make dividing up the tab easier).
• Wear reflective clothing, since we will be riding after dark.  Attach bicycle lights if you have them.
• We will NOT cancel in case of rain or cold weather.

The U.S. DOT announced the 75 winning transportation projects for the $600 million in TIGER II funding.

There were 1,000 applications asking for a total of $19 billion, so this was very competitive.

The good news is the city of Pontiac received a planning grant.

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today announced that the City of Flint will receive $1,570,233, Grand Traverse County will receive $395,000, and the City of Pontiac will receive $300,000 to promote economic development. The grants were announced as part of a joint funding collaboration between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The funding will boost local economic development by increasing access to affordable housing, redeveloping land, and investing in transportation infrastructure.

“This funding is critical to helping Flint, Grand Traverse County, and Pontiac create new jobs,” said Stabenow. “These grants will help our local communities increase access to affordable housing, redevelop land, and make important transportation improvements which will foster greater economic development.”

The City of Pontiac will use the TIGER II Planning Grant to help connect downtown, the Pontiac Transportation Center, regional trail system, and surrounding neighborhoods.

It’s important that bicycling advocates get involved in this planning process. Previous work with MDOT and Pontiac to extend the Clinton River Trail into downtown was poorly conceived. It signed a bicycle route on sidewalks in clear disregard of best practices and the AASHTO design guidelines.

Instead, they should be planning for Complete Streets, bike parking, and much more. We need to make sure they get that message.

The bad news is Detroit’s TIGER II grant application for the Inner Circle Greenway did not get funded. The request was on the high-side of $30 million and would have basically extended the Dequindre Cut around the city of Detroit. It included connections with Hamtramck and Highland Park. While portions would have used bike lanes, much of the route would be on an abandoned Conrail corridor.

But all hope for this project is not lost. MTGA is continuing discussions with the Conrail about converting this approximately 12-mile corridor into a trail. There are other funding sources that could pay for portions of this project, albeit in a more incremental fashion.

And there may be a TIGER III.

But it’s also a positive sign that in a city with so many infrastructure needs, they to chose to seek funding for this greenway project.

With the ongoing Complete Streets project, many miles of new greenways and bike lanes, the city has never been more in lockstep with the efforts of area non-profits to make Detroit more walkable and more bike friendly.

According to some recent news from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Michigan leads all other states for the number of rail-trail miles.

Michigan currently has 2,478 miles. Minnesota is a close second with 2,309 while Wisconsin sits in third with 1,788.

Not all of these trail miles are as well-developed as the Paint Creek or Dequindre Cut, but they’re open so they count.

It’s good to see Michigan leading the nation in a positive category.

A new custom-built bike rack at Eastern-Market

Desiree Cooper made an interesting post on her blog called, The Road to a renaissance is lined with bike racks.

Last month I attended one of the Detroit Mayor’s neighborhood forums on the re-imagining of the city. I was amazed at the diversity at the huge gathering (translation: many white people were there). When the residents started voicing their complaints, I heard many of the predictable gripes: Stop the foreclosures! Get rid of abandoned buildings! Fix the public schools!

And then one man raised his hand to be heard. He was young, white and a new Detroit resident. “Where are the bike racks?” he asked indignantly.

The room went silent for a minute. You didn’t hear one “Amen.” With all that faces the city, were we really going to haggle over places to park a Schwinn?

The surprising answer is yes; Detroit’s future might just lie in bike racks.

Of course, the city’s future is not literally dependent just on bike racks. If it were, we’d be one fat CMAQ grant away from solving our problems.**

No, Detroit has many concurrent issues, but the point being the increase in young people moving to the city and adopting bicycling had added one more issue to the list.

Cooper’s post goes on to highlight a Port Huron family that moved to the city. She had a great family photo on bikes.

And in a similar vein, Metro Parent has an article called, Raising Kids in the City of Detroit.

The article covers the serious challenges Detroit families face. One focus is on Lisa McNish. McNish works at the Wheelhouse Detroit so it’s not surprising she got a little plug in for biking in Detroit.

Biking is definitely catching on, [McNish] says. “Detroit doesn’t have as much traffic, per say, so it’s a lot easier to ride and a lot more flexible,” she says. “And you see things that you hadn’t seen before,” like little shops or a neighbor’s yard filled with pet ducks.

Okay. Who cares about where the bike racks are? Where are the pet ducks?

**Note: We should mention that the Woodward Avenue Action Association is now offering grants that could pay for bike racks along Woodward Avenue.