Leor Barak on the Detroit Riverfront

Green Teas are monthly meetings to promote green activities within the City of Detroit. Past topics include urban gardening and greenways.

The August 28th Green Tea is about biking, including what current projects are underway and how can folks can more involved.

If you plan on attending or need to rent a bike, RSVP to Jeff Williams via email or call 313.894.1030.

Here are the details:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2008, 4:30 PM at Wheelhouse Detroit (located at Rivard Plaza on the Riverwalk, Atwater and Rivard.)

BYOB (Bring your own bike or rent one from Wheelhouse!)

Meet other folks who bike, share what you think would help facilitate biking in the city, connect with bike organizations, learn about biking opportunities along the riverfront and the Dequindre cut, find out about the Detroit non-motorized plan and how you can support it, share your favorite routes, find a commuting partner!

We will also take a short ride to the Eastern Market for refreshments! (In case of rain, the meeting will take place under Shed 2 at the Market).

After recently experimenting with a custom handlebar camera mount, I took some sample video along the soon-to-be-officially-opened Dequindre Cut trail in Detroit. Yes, the video is a little jittery, which was due in part to the stiffer ride of my road bike. Future trials will be from a mountain bike.

We believe the Monkey was lost due to the Lafayette Ramp access

The Detroit Free Press is reporting today that the Dequindre Cut is at least 6 weeks away from opening.

The graffiti, some of it spectacular, is staying. It decorates the old bridge abutments and helps to create a dazzling visual effect — gritty artwork, old walls and big shade trees contrasting with the newly paved path, plantings and modern lights and security phones. Fixtures for the lights and phones are in place but remain unfinished.

Above the trail, you can see the Mies van der Rohe towers of Lafayette Park and the 19th-Century steeple of St. Joseph Church. The dominant sound, at least on a Sunday, was bird songs.

Although it’s not open yet, the Dequndre Cut biking and walking trail in Detroit is making huge strides. It’s now paved from Woodbridge (just south of Jefferson) to Gratiot.

Construction is still underway on Detroit’s Dequindre Cut Greenway.  Light posts and emergency call boxes are still being installed.  It appears the trail surface base is ready for paving.  The Antietam bridge has not been completed and it appears to still require considerable work.

Will it be ready for the planned grand opening in August?  We hope so.