The city’s wide avenues work well for bicycling, especially because density is a hard thing to find here. The only crowd I’ve seen so far had gathered around a high school football game. I knew something must be up, cause I was riding along an otherwise empty street and came upon lots and lots of parked cars. Then I saw the game, which explained the people.
Bicycling here feels very free in some ways. The painted lines of the street seem irrelevant on a four lane street with nobody else around. I can turn in wide arcs instead of sharp darts. Oops, missed the turn; make a big ol’ U turn, no problem.
At the same time, many parts of the city have been abandoned, creating grids of empty fields marked by one or two remaining old row houses. As an outsider I don’t know how to gauge where it is a better or worse idea to travel. I like to drift around and explore unfamiliar cities, and it is so easy to bike here that it seems inviting to just wander around.
Unfortunately it sounded like Detroiters were trying to be a bit more friendly with her than she was comfortable with.
Woody Miller volunteering at the 2008 Tour-de-Troit
We recently received some terribly sad news. Detroit cyclist Woody Miller passed away on Saturday.
Here’s more information from fellow cyclist Reg Modlin:
I discovered yesterday evening by accident, that Woody Miller passed away in Seattle on Saturday [July 17, 2010]. From what I can piece together, Woody had cancer. He apparently had it for a while and fought it. I saw and spoke with Woody in early June and he did not mention it.
However, by mid to late June it had spread, putting Woody in hospital for surgery. Following that he went to Seattle to continue chemo treatment and to be with his son, David, his daughter in law and grandson. Apparently, the cancer spread to his liver and Woody passed last Saturday.
According to his family, his remains will be cremated in Seattle and a memorial service will be held in Detroit at a later date.
Woody will be remembered by a great many people in the Detroit area. Many cyclists rode with Woody over the past twenty years or so, on rides all over the metro area and Canada. We trained for racing and high speed riding on Belle Isle, and made many, memorable Sunday rides from Dearborn to Ann Arbor, and from Windsor to Colchester (Canada).
Woody mentored many young riders even up through this year, and I recall him riding through the winter this past year to his workplace at the downtown Bolle YMCA. Woody also coordinated the rider support for a number of years in the annual Tour de Troit.
Another great Detroit cyclist will be missed, but will never be forgotten in the peleton.
Woody was an active and dedicated bicycle advocate both on and off the road.?He was at city council to help repeal Detroit’s onerous bicycle registration ordinance and pass the non-motorized transportation plan.
And we never saw him not wearing cycling clothes. In fact we teased him for addressing city council in Lycra once. He made no apologies and said, “Hey, I’m a cyclist and this is what I wear.”
As of now, the memorial to Woody will be occurring at Belle Isle on August 14th. As more details become available, we’ll post them.
And in spirit, he will certainly be on the Tour de Troit again this September.
We’ve just learned that the Senate Transportation Committee has unanimously passed House Bill 6151 for Complete Streets.
They did not vote on its companion, House Bill 6152. According to the League of Michigan Bicyclists, “It sounds like they simply forgot that there were dealing with a package of bills vs. just one. Charmian Gilbert said they will simply discharge the second bill to the Senate floor vs. having another hearing.”
This is great news. 6151 is headed to the Senator Floor and 6152 shouldn’t be too far behind.
The Michigan Citizen has an excellent story on some of the pedicabs or rickshaws operating in the city of Detroit. Pedicabs weren’t allowed in Detroit until some entrepreneurs worked with city council to change the ordinances.
After 12 years of traveling with the military, Walker brought back a new perspective on entrepreneurial opportunities. The one he settled on has increased the level of charm throughout Detroit while addressing some complex issues with transportation and the environment. This old method of transportation seems forward-thinking in today’s increasing emphasis on alternative sources of energy.
“This is one of those rare opportunities to start a business right out of the box,” [Terry L.] Walker says. “But ultimately, it adds to the quality of life.”
Detroit Greenways
The Time Magazine blog recently gave coverage to the growing trails and greenways scene in the city of Detroit — something we’ve been bugging them about for a long time. It also gives much deserved mention to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the group that really kicked off the greenway movement in this area.
Recently, I met with the Tom Woiwode, director of the GreenWays Initiative for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. We took a tour of this project, which is connecting the city, Mexicantown, Corktown and part of Dearborn’s Salina business district. It is one of the first projects these groups have ever worked on together. And, chances are, it won’t be the last.
“It’s always been about the community,” Woiwode emphasized. “You start connecting these groups, and you’ll connect the community.”
And on a related note, an upcoming Detroit City Council agenda includes a resolution to apply for a half-million dollar grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. That grant is “to acquire the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for the construction of Dequindre Cut, Phase II Project.” Yes, that’s the Dequindre Cut extension from Gratiot to Mack Avenue. One doesn’t apply for such grants until you have a willing seller, so this is positive news.
Detroit’s “Big Bikes”
Detroit makes stuff, so it’s no surprise we have some nice big bikes. Really nice.
1. Tell us about the project you’re bringing to Maker Faire.
A wonderfully impractical assemblage of bicycle, go-cart, and golf-cart pieces and parts, drainage pipe, steel tubing, and patio chairs. This four-wheel vehicle allows four passengers to travel in minor discomfort at speeds approaching a brisk walk, for relatively short distances, on completely flat terrain.
There’s also a video of the BigDog roaming Vinsetta Boulevard in Royal Oak. The new bike looks lighter and faster than the Dog Sled.
Urban Adonia is an anthropology grad student from LA studying bicycling in four different U.S. cities, including Detroit.
