Just some quick observations…

Michigan House

We lose cycling supporter (and Tour de Troit rider) Rep. Gabe Leland due to term limits. However, his replacement is cycling and trails advocate  Harvey Santana.

Former Detroit City Councilmember Alberta Tinsley-Talabi was elected to the State House. She was a solid supporter of Detroit’s non-motorized plan on Council.

Michigan Senate

Rep. Coleman Young II, who sat on the House Transportation Committee and supported the Complete Streets legislation, is now heading to the Michigan Senate.

Michigan Governor

We didn’t know if there was much of a difference between the two gubernatorial candidates. Though Rick Synder was called out on the pedestrian bridge comment, he noted that he supported bike-friendly, walkable communities. He also pledged to help strengthen the city of Detroit. And, insider talk says Bill Rustem may play a key role in they Synder administration. Rustem is a former board member of the Michigan chapter of the Rails to Trails Conservancy and a board emeritus for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

The bigger question is what will happen with MDOT. Will MDOT Director Kirk Steudle remain? Under his leadership, MDOT supported the Complete Streets legislation. He also authored that great letter about Complete Streets.

U.S. Congress

The huge loss of Congressman James Oberstar of Minnesota is quite devastating for bicycle advocacy in the U.S.  Andy Clarke, Executive director of the League of American Bicyclists says, “I’m not going to lie – I’m depressed.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick lost in the primary and was a member of the bicycle caucus. She’s replaced by Hansen Clarke.

Congressman Mark Schauer had become a supporter of bicycling, especially through the efforts of PEAC. He lost his seat to Tim Walberg.

And overall the lost of Democratic control of the House will have a major impact on bicycling. It makes John Boehner the Speaker and he has some history of not being too bike friendly. And it might take a whole lot more work to make the  next transportation bill bike friendly.

As Clarke said, we’re now on the defensive.

They don’t appear to be done yet, but they’re getting there.

The bike lane paint is on the ground for most of Michigan Avenue. The pavement markings and signage are the finishing touches and are not installed yet.

When completed, this 2.5 mile stretch of Michigan Avenue from Livernois to Rosa Parks will have a more clearly defined space to bike in.

When completed, these additional 5 miles (both sides of the road) means Detroit will have more miles of bike lanes then all the other communities in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties combined. That’s not so much a bragging point for Detroit as it is a sad reflection of how far behind everyone else is.

Model D covered this topic as well. In these economic times, we’ve heard people ask about the additional cost of adding bike lanes. The MDOT project manager answered that question.

Well, what’s notable is the addition of bike lanes, which reconfigures the trunk line into two lanes of vehicular traffic and one dedicated parking lane in either direction, a center turning lane and bike lanes. Bike lanes added a “negligible” cost to the overall $7.2 million project, according to Matthew Chynoweth, development engineer at the MDOT Detroit Transportation Service Center.

So when your local road engineer says they can’t do a road diet and add bike lanes due to funding, “negligible” is a good word to use.

Detroit cyclist Horatio “Good Roads” Earle ran for Michigan Senate in November of 1900. With his win, he went to Lansing and created the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

By the way, the Good Roads of Earle’s time are the Complete Streets of today. In 1900, there were very few motorized vehicles on the road, no stop signs, no traffic signals, no crosswalks. Everyday was a Ciclovia. If a road were paved, it was a Complete Street.

This is an excerpt from The Autobiography of “By Gum” Earle:

My fourth effort was in 1900 as a candidate for state senator from the Third District in Michigan, and I won, which gave me a chance to officially promote the good roads cause in which I was so interested. Every paper in Detroit opposed my nomination, and when they lost out, they said the doughnut won, but I went to Lansing, and by gum, Michigan has shown the world how to build good roads.

A good deal of my success in the campaign was due to the efforts in my behalf made by the “Detroit Wheelmen.” One of the most effective pieces of campaign literature was the one which follows, recalling the laws and privileges secured for the bicyclists, who were at that time in the hey-day of their strength and influence.

PONDER A MINUTE

Baggage law for you,
Dry strip for you,
Bicycle shelter for you,
Bicycle ordinance for you,
Hotel discount for you,
Path protection law for you,
Toll knocked out for you,
Equal rights with horse for you,
No tags on wheels for you,
No lamps on wheels for you,
No bells on wheels for you.

Chief Consul Horatio S. Earle has been one who has worked without a cent of pay for these things. Will you get out and vote, and get others to vote for him for state senator, Third District, next Tuesday? Give your answer at the ballot box.

League of American Wheelmen Committee

This list echoes the one made my Edward Hines when he solicited bicyclists to join the Michigan Division of the L.A.W. Hine’s list provides more details on each item.

Yes, nearly 110 years later we are fighting the same battles. We fought mandatory bicycle registration (“tags on wheels”) and are working on getting roll-on bicycle service with AMTRAK  and the M1 Rail (“baggage law”).

And of course we’re still fighting for Good Roads.

Don’t expect normal.

Omnicorp Detroit hosted an Halloween-themed alleycat yesterday that ended with complementary human-powered haircuts. Yeah, turn the pedals and make that hair clipper buzz.

Trust us, it worked, but you may not want to try trimming your leg hair as you pedal.

Amelia Bloomer - underwear advocate

The good old days when government was smaller and didn’t interfere in everyones personal lives…

From the web site Jolique, which has an exhaustive amount of information on bicycling and bloomers:

Although both bloomers and bicycles were gaining popularity for women by the late nineteenth century, for some they were a dangerous combination. Many opposed both bicycling and bloomer-wearing on the bases of morality and a concern for the public good. For example, some opponents believed that by wearing “male dress” (i.e., bifurcated garments, later called “rational dress” or “alternative dress” by dress reform advocates) women would adopt other masculine traits, such as the desire for other women.

There was opposition to bloomers in Detroit, too.

It was Feburary 16th, 1897 during the Golden Age of Bicycling.

Detroit City Council had the third reading of some very critical legislation: “An ordinance to prohibit obstructing the views of persons in theaters halls or opera houses where theatrical performances are given and to provide a penalty therefor.”

Alderman Batchelder offered substitute language for this ordinance.

Sec 1. Any person who shall wear upon his or her head any hat bonnet or other covering for he head or wear sleeves which obstructs the view of any person or persons in any theater opera house or other place or building wnere theatrical or other performances are given where an admission fee is charged or in any church during services therein or in any restaurant during a feed

And any female bicycle rider caught wearing bloomers in the public streets or any street car conductor found flirting with female passengers while in the active performance of his duty as such shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall on conviction thereof for each offense pay a tine of not more than $10 nor less than $2

Apparently Batchelder had no issue with men bicycling in bloomers.

Nonetheless, there was no support for his substitute language and his proposal died. Female bicyclists in Detroit could still ride in bloomers (and flirty streetcar conductors were given a reprieve.)

The ordinance which penalized those obstructing views in theater halls and operas also failed on a 10-20 vote.

And people complain about today’s Detroit city council?