From Tom Regan of Royal Oak:

If you cycle frequently you have probably mapped out some safe and quick ways to get from here to there (say, from Royal Oak to Berkely, or from Clawson to Ferndale). Now it is time to share your knowledge.

We are collecting safe biking routes into one large regional biking map. With help from the Oakland County mapping department we will collate the data and publish this map sometime in the spring of 2012.

Residents of Berkley, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak are invited and encouraged to attend. If you live in another city and would like to join please call or email me directly and we will add you in.

Join us:

Detroit’s loss of population is well documented. No matter where the recent census counts fall, the reality is Detroit has a million fewer residents since the 1950s.

And since the 1950s, Detroit lost its streetcar network while gaining one of America’s most extensive urban expressway networks.

This has resulted in roads like Forest just east of Dequindre. Five lanes one-way with limited hours of parking.

Despite its one-way design, the road’s recent repaving and lack of traffic makes this ideal for biking.

And from 2004 to 2009, there are no reported motor vehicle crashes involving bicyclists or pedestrians on this segment of Forest from Dequindre to Gratiot.

Marked in Red

However, the MDOT and SEMCOG bicycle maps say otherwise. Both bicycle maps show this road in red, which means it’s generally unfavorable for bicycling due to the heavy traffic.

Huh?

We looked at the SEMCOG traffic counts and did not find any relevant traffic counts near this section of Forest. There was one count from June 2006 taken on Forest west of Dequindre however Forest is now closed at Dequindre. Even still, that traffic count was only 6,823 vehicles during a 24-hour period. The MDOT map says over 15,000 cars a day use this section of Forest.  SEMCOG map says there are over 10,000 vehicles per day.

Unfortunately it appears Forest is not the exception on these maps. There are other super wide, one way Detroit roads with little to no traffic that are shown in red, including Rosa Parks and 14th from Warren to I-75. Second Avenue from Forest to Temple is red on SEMCOG’s map despite its lack of traffic.

This really just reinforces the idea that Detroit needs a good bike map that is designed for cyclists and provides recommended routes — like Forest.

Road Diet?

Does road dieting a road without cars make it more bike friendly? Is a road with so few cars a Complete Street? These are questions that don’t get asked in most cities but are very relevant in Detroit.

Perhaps it makes more sense to approach this with a financial perspective. Could a road diet reduce the road maintenance costs and storm water runoff? Could we convert those outside travel lanes to half bike lane, half pervious surface. The pervious surface (perhaps as bio swales) would provide some separation between the parking/vehicle travel lanes and the bike lane while also absorbing the road’s storm water runoff. Could the city maintain (e.g. sweep) a physically-separated cycle track?

Eliminating vehicle lanes on Federal aid roads (such as Forest) affects Michigan’s federal transportation funding formulas. The state would get the same amount of funding, but less would be distributed to counties and cities like Detroit. There is a financial incentive for not losing vehicle lanes on federal aid roads, but is it enough to justify the added cost?

Hopefully the answer to these questions will emerge over time from the Detroit Works Project and more analysis.

But until then, go bike on E. Forest and enjoy the wide open road.

We recently received this notice from the Friends of the Clinton River Trail email list. And although we still have a dumb phone, we’re looking forward to using this someday and seeing  similar mobile applications that help promote biking in Metro Detroit.

Friends Group member, Doug Gordon, has created a free app for the Clinton River Trail.

Version 1.0 of the Clinton River Trail Android application is up and available on the Android Market. Those with Android smartphones should know how to install it. Search for “clinton river” and you’ll find it (just searching for “clinton” brings up too many political-related apps!).

This first version has a copy of our standard map that you can drag around on the screen to view different parts. Tapping on any of the 17 numbered points of interest brings up a short description. And that’s about it to start with.

Plans for the future include:

• Using GPS to show where you are on or near the trail, with possible distances to nearby facilities.
• Additional text about locations along and near the trail.
• Support for gestures to zoom in and out.
• Photos at various locations when you tap on them (e.g., at the Rotary Overlook).
• News feed for trail information (e.g., the upcoming construction closure).

Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) took first place and an honorable mention for their bike maps at the recent AASHTO GIS-T Symposium.

From the MDOT press release:

Michigan is a bicycling paradise with its scenic vistas and miles of picturesque orchards and waterfront. Now, two new award-winning bike maps are available to help plan your next trip.

First Place was for the “Bay Region Road and Trail Bicycling Guide,” which includes Saginaw, Bay City, Flint, and east to Port Sanilac. This map shows “road surface types, traffic volumes, paved/unpaved trails with regional significance, recreational facilities, points of interest, and other amenities that make cycling across Michigan more enjoyable.”

The Honorable Mention was for the “Northeast Region Road and Trail Bicycling Guide.”

MDOT has these biking maps and others on-line as PDFs.  You can also order paper copies of these and county-specific maps.

But, if you prefer something on-line, try the MTGA Trails Finder.

From MDOT. Note that this MDOT questionaire asks many questions relevant to cyclists. Please take the time to take it. Thanks!

Do you use the state map? MDOT wants to hear your opinions
Aug 07, 2007

August 7, 2007 – – Even with the growing popularity of Global Positioning System (GPS) units, most motorists carry a map in their glove box. And although yours may be years old, and folded over many times, you probably use your state transportation map often to find your way and discover the great attractions of Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) invites you to share your opinions about the state transportation map through a first-ever online questionnaire, available Aug. 6 through Sept. 7. To access the questionnaire, which takes a few minutes to complete, go to www.michigan.gov/mdot .

The questionnaire examines the features of the map, and how valuable those features are – – such as the mileage chart, location of state parks and hospitals and roadside parks – – and how you use the map.

“The state map is an exceptional value,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “We want to learn from the residents of Michigan and out-of-state travelers how they feel about the state map and how we can improve it. This feedback will be taken into account as we develop the 2008 state transportation map.”

For anyone without access to a computer, a questionnaire can be requested by calling 877-627-6368. Questionnaires also will be available at Michigan’s 13 welcome centers.

MDOT has published the state transportation map for nearly 90 years. It is printed every year and distributed free of charge at Michigan’s welcome centers and MDOT offices. This year, the map features the magnificent Mackinac Bridge, which celebrates 50 years of service in 2007.

The results of the questionnaire, which asks about 20 questions, will be shared this fall on the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/mdot .