This past week had a concentration of biking-related news and events in Detroit.

And if it weren’t for the dire automotive news and the thrilling Red Wings results, we may have had a bit more media coverage.

Monday: Bike Registration

Detroit City Council’s Public Health and Safety committee held a public hearing on a new voluntary bike registration program. MTGA, The Hub, and Detroit Bike Riders United were gave public testimony in support of the new ordinance. The ordinance passed and went before the full council on Tuesday. We did not yet hear the results but expect it was passed.

Thursday: Dequindre Cut

Detroit’s newest greenway, the Dequindre Cut had its official grand opening.

It was a very exciting, event-filled, and sunny day. One could not ask for a better kick off.

Though just on the job for his fourth day, Mayor Bing attended and spoke positively about this trail. That shouldn’t be unexpected as Mayor Bing is a board member for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

As he hustled off to another appointment, I caught up to him and gave him a copy of the new Detroit Greenways Network brochure.

Media coverage: Metro Times and Click on Detroit video

Later that evening, the Green Garage hosted the Model D Speaker Series. Tom Woiwode from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan spoke about the Dequindre Cut, Bil Lusa highlighted the Detroit biking scene and Tour de Troit, while I covered the status of greenway development in Detroit.

There was a very solid turnout (over 190 had pre-registered).

Friday: Bike to Work Day

We had two groups ride this year, one starting in Royal Oak and the other in Grosse Point. Each had about 25 riders and both ended at Campus Martius.

The weather was perfect.

And we had bike commuters looking “normal” in blue jeans, baggy shorts and cotton T-shirts.

Detroit Synergy, American Cycle & Fitness, and a host of other sponsors made these rides (and the cool T-shirts) possible.

Media coverage: Metro Times

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has announced the many activities planned for Thursday’s much anticipated grand opening of the Dequindre Cut.

A community parade. The MLK Band. Guided tours. Cooking demonstations. Free pizza.

Just like the trail itself, the grand opening will be world class.

And in preparation for this event, the unwelcomed grafitti tagging on the call boxes has been removed. The asphalt which was damaged during the Antietam Bridge construction has been replaced. Landscaping is being cleaned up.

Speaking of grafitti, prior to the trail’s construction, we documented the best grafitti art in the Cut. Those photos are now on-line. Unfortunately some of that grafitti was destroyed during the trail’s construction.

The Free Press and Model D have published articles about the opening as well.

During the past week, at least three different trails have been written about in the Metro Detroit newspapers, though most of the information has already been reported on this site.

Here are some excerpts:

From The Oakland Press

Portion of dinner train route will soon be a trail

A section of railroad used for a dinner train will become connected to a West Bloomfield trail system.

A $1.5 million grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund will pay for the project.

Plans call for the section of railroad between Arrowhead Road and Haggerty Road to be abandoned, the tracks removed and the trail connected to the west end of the West Bloomfield Trail, a 4.25-mile trail that winds through the township and which was once rail lines.

From The Oakland Press

Pontiac to use $2.1 million grant to build bridge

A $2.1 million stimulus grant has been awarded to the city of Pontiac to build a pedestrian bridge over Telegraph Road to link pathways along the Clinton River Trail, city officials announced Thursday.

The bridge, north of Orchard Lake Road and south of Voorheis, will connect the 16-mile trail that links the cities of Sylvan Lake, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills and Rochester.

Department of Public Works & Utilities Acting Director Allan Schneck said Pontiac has been the weak link in the line to connect trails from South Lyon all the way to Rochester Hills in Oakland County. Most of the trail has been connected except for the portion through Pontiac.

From the Detroit Free Press

Recreational path in Detroit to open May 14

The much-delayed Dequindre Cut Greenway, an urban recreational path connecting the east riverfront with the Eastern Market district, will finally open to the public on Thursday, May 14.

There will be a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and activities and entertainment until 2 p.m., according to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that will maintain the Cut.

The 1.2-mile paved greenway was developed through a public, nonprofit and private partnership. It is part of a growing network of greenway paths developing around the city.

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is hosting a community planning roundtable for the Dequindre Cut on Tuesday, February 24th from 5:30pm until 7:30pm.

According to the invite:

We are planning the opening celebration and programming for the Dequindre Cut! As a member of the East Riverfront community; we want to hear from you! Space is limited. You must RSVP to attend. Refreshments will be served.

The rountable is being held at the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources on the river. Their address is 200 Walker Street Detroit, Michigan 48207.

RSVP’s were due Friday so don’t delay. As they note, space is limited.

One can RSVP using email or by calling 313.566.8206.

Al Fields (DTE) and Greg Johnson (MDOT)

Many years ago we often heard cyclists level complaints against MDOT for the lack of safe road accomodations in Metro Detroit. At the time, they were right, that is until Greg Johnson became head of the MDOT Metro Region.

Greg went on to create an MDOT Metro Region Non-Motorized Committee. It was at an early meeting that he mentioned the need for our road networks to let cyclists get where they need to go anywhere within the Metro Region (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair counties.)

Perhaps the biggest change Greg made was having MDOT take back responsibility for the I-275 bike path. After languishing without maintenance for 30 years, the bike path is getting repaired section by section. Money was spent to develop a plan on how to repair it, re-open the connection to Monroe County, and properly maintain it. Money is allocated to extend it north to Pontiac Trail.

Another huge change that is a little less evident is the MDOT Metro region’s trail bridge policy. When trails needed to build bridges over MDOT roads, there was always the question of who would maintain the bridge. Local governments often lacked the resources to even handle the inspections. Greg set the region policy where MDOT took responsibility for these bridges. This certainly helped trail bridge projects like the new Macomb Orchard Trail’s over M-53 and planned bridges like the Clinton River Trail’s over Telegraph.

And we can’t forget MDOT’s committment to bike lanes on future road projects involving Michigan Avenue and Fort Street in Detroit. Greg played a big role in making those happen.

And one final positive change. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy received a $29 million earmark from Senator Carl Levin. Since earmarks require recipients to jump to additional (and often unfamiliar) hoops, Greg committed MDOT to designing and managing the construction of new Riverwalk segments.

So even though Greg is leaving the top position at MDOT’s Metro Region, he’s not leaving MDOT. He’s moving up. Greg has accepted the position of MDOT Chief Operations Officer. And while he expects to maintain his interest in many of the projects listed above, he also hopes to spread the Metro Region’s non-motorized transportation message at the higher levels in Lansing.

Best of luck to you Greg!