On June 12th, the busiest North American international border crossing will be closing very briefly for bicyclists riding in the Bike the Bridge event.

The only way to register for this event is on-line and that is now open.

This is a very special Biking event. The Ambassador Bridge, spanning from Detroit to Windsor, is shut down to car traffic. Canadians will be able to ride across the entire bridge. American riders will ride to the middle of the bridge, meet the Canadians, and ride back to Detroit. Breakfast will be provided after the bridge ride, on the Detroit Riverfront, at William G. Milliken State Park. Then one of two tours can be selected. The short tour will be approximately 15 miles in length. The Long tour will be approximately 45 miles in length. The details of the tours are still being planned.  If you want to attend this event you must have a valid Passport, Passport card, enhanced driver’s license, or Nexus.

No riders under age 16 please.

Registration closes early — May 27th — so that the information can be forwarded to the U.S. and Canadian Customs. Don’t delay!

There is also a Bike the Bridge page on Facebook.

So often m-bike has focused on Detroit bike history prior to 1900.  However, much history was made after that, especially through the Wolverine Sports Club.

Last year the Wolverines’ Clair Young passed. He was a ten time Michigan State Champion during the 1940s and 1950s. That’s dominant.

His daughter Sheila Young went on to a very distinguished racing career in both cycling and speed skating — winning some Olympic medals along the way.

Endless Road Media produced this excellent mini-documentary on Clair Young.

The Detroit RiverWalk remains closed near Hart Plaza. This closure is due to the construction of the new port and wharf for cruise ships and ferry service.

There is a ribbon cutting being planned for June. However there’s a chance this section of RiverWalk will be opened closer to the beginning next month.

The Detroit Free Press recently had an article regarding this project.

The port authority is working with officials in Windsor, local businesses and private ferry consultants on a market study to determine the feasibility of ferry service between Detroit and Windsor, Kerr said. Service could begin as early as 2012.

Supporters say a ferry could have a built-in demand from tourists and an estimated 6,000 commuters who work in one country and live in the other, including about 4,000 health care workers.

As we mentioned before, this international ferry service would be invaluable for cyclists wanting to get between Detroit and Canada.

The Detroit Works Project is hosting a series of topic-specific meetings to continue gathering community input in the effort to re-imagine Detroit.

Thursday, May 5th from 4pm until 8pm is the Environmental Summit which includes transportation among its many topics. It will be held at the Gleaners Food Bank (2131 Beaufait in Detroit.)

We will discuss: air, waste, water, land, pollution, energy, zoning, green jobs, greenways, environmental justice, remediation, sustainability, energy efficiency, recycling, composting, agriculture, and more…

Share what you are doing to make Detroit a greener city.

Tell the City your environmental vision for Detroit.

Learn about major issues and key opportunities.

Bring your environmental perspective into the Detroit Works Project

Dinner will be provided.

If you’re really industrious, you can review the policy audits which were developed earlier in the Detroit Works Process through consultants. The City Systems – Infrastructure, Transportation, and Sustainability audit covers roads. It’s long and rather dull.

The Landscape, Ecology, and Open Space audit does cover trails, greenways, and parks, while Land Use and Urban Form touches on roads, walkability, bike lanes, and more. The Environment, Remediation and Health audit does connect transportation with health impacts.

There’s much data here and unfortunately it’s spread between these four large PDFs. Still, it looks like a very good starting point.

The Detroit Environmental Summit artwork is by Bec Young. Her artwork is available on-line at justseeds.org.

Detroit Greencycle

By signing up for their services, Detroit Greencycle will pick up your recyclables transport them by bike to the recycling center. They also pick up compost items for eventual use in local gardens. They currently operate in the Corktown and Woodbridge neighborhoods.

This business fills a gap created by the lack of curbside recycling in the city of Detroit (except the two neighborhoods where it is being tested.)

Their services are given on their web site:

Detroit Greencycle offers curbside pick-up of recyclables and compost on a weekly ($20/month) or biweekly ($15/month) basis.  Pick-up is limited to one 18 gallon bin for recyclables and one 5 gallon compost bin. Additional bins for each are available for an additional $10/month.

Detroit Greencycle can make deliveries of 300 lbs in weight and less from local businesses including the hardware store, grocery store, local farms, and between neighbors.

They also have a Facebook page.

Corktown Cycles

According to the Corktown Cycles web site, they plan on being “the Newest Bike Shop In Detroit’s Oldest Neighborhood.”

Services will include new and used bicycles and equipment as well as full service repair and restorations

Our focus is to be a friendly neighborhood bike shop. We plan on offering discounts for kids, college students, and area residents.

They are located on 14th Street just north of Michigan Avenue and I-75.

Detroit could use more bike shops, so this will be a much welcomed addition.