A couple recent items popped up on the July 27th Detroit City Council agenda that area cyclists might be interested in. Though we’re not certain that they passed, it’s likely they did since they were successfully reported out of committee.

First, a contact to purchase bus bike racks was before council.

Brown, reso. autho. Contract No. 2824443 – 20% State Funding; 80% Federal Funding – To Provide Bus Bicycle Racks, Spare Parts and Associated Hardware – RFQ #33730 Sportworks Northwest, Inc., 15540 Wood-Red Road N.E., Bldg #A-200, Woodinville, WA 98072 – Contract Period: August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2013, with Two (2), One (1) Year Renewal Options – Items (2) Unit Price: $38.00/each to $546.00/each. Lowest Total Bid – Estimated Cost: $353,999.36/Three Years – TRANSPORTATION

DDOT has said they would get bus bike racks on their existing fleet. They’re new buses already have them.

Second, and we’ve mentioned this already, but a grant application for extending the Dequindre Cut was approved by council committee.

Brown, reso. autho. Endorsing the Application to MDNRE Right of Way Acquisition. (DPW intends to submit an application to MDNRE for an amount of $500,000.00 to acquire the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for the construction of Dequindre Cut, Phase II Project.) (REPORTED OUT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE 07-26-10) WAIVER OF RECONSIDERATION

This grant request would be for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which this year is flush with money. That means it’s very likely the Dequindre Cut grant will be approved. This grant is only to acquire the right-of-way. Additional funds will be required to improve existing bridges over the Cut and to build the trail itself.

Cars and pedestrians in the Belle Isle bike lanes

Belle Isle Survey

This is a short survey about Belle Isle that seemingly overlooks the value of its bike lanes. If you ride on Belle Isle, you may want to let them know. We noted that the lack of walking paths means many pedestrians are using the bike lanes. This is not a safe solution for either group.

The Detroit Recreation Department and several private groups that support Belle Isle – the Friends of Belle Isle, the Belle Isle Botanical Society, the Belle Isle Women’s Committee and the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium – are conducting a survey about Belle Isle. Your participation in this survey will help the City and its supporters to set priorities for Belle Isle management and capital improvements. To take the survey go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BelleIsle

League of Michigan Bicyclists Survey

From John Lindenmayer of the LMB:

The Board of Directors and staff of League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) are currently in the process of developing a five-year plan for the organization. The process will look at the internal and external environment we exist in today. We will identify key issues facing the organization in the following areas: Advocacy, Education, Promotion, Financial Resources and Human Resources. Once these issues are determined we will develop goals and action steps over the next five years to address these issues.

We need your input in helping us with a SWOT Analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths/Weaknesses and Opportunity/Threats. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out our online survey form. We have posted a slightly different survey for LMB members and a separate one for nonmembers. Please use the appropriate link below:

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was in Detroit this morning to announce the federal governments support of the M1 Rail project on Woodward. Crain’s Detroit covered the announcement.

As expected, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced this morning that the $400 million to $500 million Woodward Avenue light rail project is launching the required environment study process needed to qualify the effort for federal funding.

This study process will include discussions on how rail and bicycles will co-exist on Woodward. Mixing the two can be challenge. It would be best addressing those challenges from the start.

And biking can greatly improve access and use of the M1 Rail. Someone might walk a half-mile to use the train, but they might bike three times that, especially if the trains can carry bikes.

Secretary LaHood didn’t just talk about M1 Rail. He mentioned livability and the importance of biking and walking opportunities.

Also, the city of Detroit applied and received $25 million in TIGER funding from the U.S. DOT last year. That funding is going towards the initial development of the M1 Rail line. TIGER II grant applications are due this month and the city is applying again. This time for a major non-motorized project that will tie into the M1 project.

Stay tuned!

This Wednesday, August 4th is the 13th Annual Detroit Agriculture Network Tour of Urban Gardens and Farms. You must register in advance! Last year’s rides sold out.

The tour will feature five routes, including bus tours to eastside, westside, and central city gardens and two bicycle routes weaving through downtown gardens. All tours will leave from Catherine Ferguson Academy, located at 2750 Selden in Detroit. Sign-in begins at 5:00pm and tours will leave at 6:00pm sharp. After the tour, a reception featuring locally-grown food prepared by local restaurants and chefs will provide visitors with a delicious taste of Detroit! Registration begins July 6th and early registration is strongly recommended. You can register by contacting Ashley Atkinson 313-237-8736 or detroitagriculture@gmail.com. When registering, please give the name of every person attending the tour and specify which tour, bus (east, west, or central) or bike tour you prefer. The fee for the tours is a sliding scale of $1 – $20 to offset costs and help grow Detroit’s agricultural movement.

This is one of the most excellent bike tours you can do in the city of Detroit. It supports a great cause and the post-ride meal focused on Detroit-grown produce is the best.

Senator Tom George on an earlier ride through Detroit

Today I lead a Henry Ford bicycle tour for the Wheelhouse Detroit.

We had a couple unexpected guests: Senator Tom George and his son Matt. Senator George is running to become the Republican candidate for Michigan Governor. They were in nearby Milford this morning as Matt did the criterium race.

Although the polls aren’t in his favor, having Senator George in the top office certainly wouldn’t hurt the bicycling agenda — especially since he’s also a doctor who understands health and active living.

This was not his first ride in Detroit. The photo on the right is from an earlier ride.

It was his first ride on the Dequindre Cut and he was quite impressed.

We mentioned earlier that we suggested a Detroit ride with Congressman Pete Hoekstra — another cyclist running for Michigan governor. As of this posting, we haven’t gotten a response.

— Todd Scott