Posts Tagged ‘Downriver Linked Greenways’

Downriver Linked Greenways Reunion on February 22nd

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

From the DLGI flyer:

Downriver Linked Greenways Reunion: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Tuesday February 22, 2011 from 3-7 p.m.

Flat Rock Community Center,  One Maguire Street, Flat Rock, MI 48134

Come help us celebrate our successes, share your stories, visit our  mini-expo highlighting local businesses and hear what’s in store for the future of the Downriver Linked Greenways.

The Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative is a regional non-motorized pathway vision for the Downriver region of Southeast Michigan.

Contact Anita Twardesky for info at 734-626-5465 or anita@riversidekayak.com

More Metro Detroit trail news

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Yes, there is a street named Greenway in DetroitThe Detroit News recently covered trails developments both Downriver and in Macomb County.

One interesting quote from Macomb County highlights the importances of biking and walking infrastructure investments as a means for attracting new companies and jobs.

Steve Cassin, the county’s director of planning and economic development, said surveys have shown that the top two factors for industry looking to locate a new operation include the availability of work force and quality of life. Greenways and outdoor offerings, he said, are a major factor in quality of life considerations.

I-275 Metro Trail

We’d mentioned earlier that the I-275 bike path (now called the I-275 Metro Trail) received $4 million in stimulus funding for reconstruct the trail from Michigan Avenue to Hines Drive. However, it did not get any round two stimulus funding.

However, bids for MDOT’s stimulus projects have been coming about 10% lower than anticipated. That has freed up additional money that MDOT will use to reconstruct the I-275 Metro Trail from Michigan Avenue south to Sibley Road, where it will connect with the Willow Metropark.

This is great news and a critical connection.

Detroit Trails

Some trail projects in the city of Detroit also received stimulus funding.

The biggest project is Phase I of the Midtown Loop. This project will transform the sidewalks on Kirby and John R into more of a RiverWalk design — wide paths with benches, art, and more. It also includes bike storage. The project has gone out to bid and construction is expected to begin in this spring.

Another project is a resurfacing project on St. Jean from Jefferson to Mack Avenue. Once resurfaced, St. Jean will have bike lanes and become another completed segment of the Conner Creek Greenway. This project has been awarded and construction should begin this spring as well.

This Week in Detroit Biking

Friday, October 24th, 2008

It’s been a busy week for bike advocacy and promotion in Detroit this week, which explains the lack of new entries on m-bike.  My job with the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance take precedence over the blog!

So here’s a brief recap of some highlights.

Downriver Trails

The Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative met to provide updates throughout the Downriver area.  In summary, there’s a lot going on from Monroe to the Detroit’s southwest border.  Some of the major trail efforts include:

  • I-275 bike path revitalization
  • Pathway connections along the Huron River
  • The Downriver Delta project – a partnership to connect Southwest Detroit with its neighboring communities
  • Humburg Marsh International Wildlife Refuge
  • All the water trail (a.k.a. blueway) efforts along the Detroit, Huron, Rouge and other area rivers.

Woodbridge Greenway

A couple University of Michigan students are continuing work to look at possible greenways within Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood.  We discussed many possibilities within the neighbor as well as how it could connect with the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink, Midtown Loop, and Wayne State University.  This has huge potential.  Woodbridge is a very cool neighborhood.

Model D Speaker Series

Scott Clein from Giffels-Webster gave a great presentation at the Russell Industrial Center on Tuesday.  He spoke along side John Hertel from the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council.  Yes, it was well-received, but what I found so positive is that we (cyclists and peds) got equal billing with some major transportation leaders.

Rouge 08

This annual event is far more than trails and greenways.  It’s overriding theme is the Rouge Watershed.  Still, trails are a part of efforts to improve the Rouge.  They provide recreation, but also build stewardship by providing access to these valuable regional resources.  If the public doesn’t have access to them, they’re much less likely to become stewards and advocates for their protection.

A couple highlights stuck out at this event.

First, Marathon Oil committed to making their two-thirds ownerships of Fordson Island a greenspace.  This is great news.  Fordson Island sits in the Rouge River just north of the Fort Street bridge.  We had hoped to extend the Rouge Gateway across the island, and this announcement makes that hope much more realistic.

Second, we have some great grassroots groups within the Rouge watershed.  Three addressed the group at Rouge 08: ACCESS, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV), and the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA).

Lisa Goldstein from SDEV discussed many of the environmental issues facings Southwest Detroit, including the new bridge proposals.  Lisa deserves some big thanks for submitting excellent comments on MDOT’s bridge proposal.  Her comments noted the need to non-motorized access to Canada, as well as access within the bridge/expressway area.

Kathy Wendler from SDBA gave an excellent presentation on a vision for extending the Rouge Gateway around the Fort Street Bridge and Fordson Island.  This is an absolutely amazing project that really justifies the word “Gateway.”  It would tie together green industries with greenways and blueways.  It’s also a presents a paradigm shift.  Yes, this area is heavily industrial, but it’s our heritage and we can celebrate it in very green ways.

MDOT announces grants for local trails

Friday, May 9th, 2008

From MDOT’s press release:

Milford Trail

The village of Milford, in partnership with the Charter Township of Milford, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, and the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, will construct 2.9 miles of non-motorized trail. The trail will go from north of General Motors Road at the Milford Dam, then south across General Motors Road into Kensington Metropark, and continue south toward the intersection of Milford Road and Huron River Parkway. It will be an integral part of a much larger planned system within the county and region. A portion of the non-motorized network has been constructed, including the Kensington Metropark loop, a connection under I-96 and into Island Lake State Recreation Area, and the Huron Valley Trail that leads southwest into South Lyon and east toward Wixom.
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