There’s been some very impressive planning underway that could eventually improve biking and walking in Detroit’s greater riverfront east.

Improve? Transform might be a better word.

This plan includes a little of everything from bike lanes to greenways to bicycle boulevards. The highlight might be a plan to extend the Detroit RiverWalk east to the Grosse Pointe Park border.

Want to learn more? On Saturday, March 5th from 10am until noon, everyone has the opportunity to review the current plan at the Northeast Guidance Center (2900 Conner at Charlevoix.) The meeting details are below.

We should also mention that a survey was completed prior to much of this planning.  The results clearly show an “if you build, they will use it” attitude from the area’s residents.:

• 85% of the respondents who do NOT walk regularly said they would be more inclined to do so if they had easy access to a greenway.
• 80% of the respondents who do NOT ride a bicycle regularly said they would be more inclined to do so if they had easy access to a greenway.
• 37% of respondents would be comfortable bicycling on a major roadway if a bike lane was present.

Given these very positive numbers, it seems one could readily justify the investment in building this walking and biking network.

So whether you live in this study area, ride through it, or are just interested, you should attend the meeting on the 5th.

More event details from the event flyer:

You are cordially invited to an open house to learn about the GREEN Task Force plan for a network of greenways throughout our lower eastside district (the Greater Riverfront East).

Greenways are paths (like the Dequindre Cut) designed for walkers, bicyclists, and others who want to get from here to there without using a car. Greenways can offer places for exercise; they can promote retail and other commercial growth along their routes; and they can forge healthy links between people and neighborhoods in different parts of the city.

In the Fall of 2010, many of you participated in surveys and conversations that helped us better understand how greenways could improve our community. Many of you also attended hands-on workshops that helped us map out where greenways could go throughout the lower eastside.

Now the GREEN Task Force is excited to be able to share with you the results of your input. We hope you will join us to view illustrations of the planned greenway routes and tell us which ones are your favorites. There will also be a short presentation that will give you an overview of the entire greenways planning project.

Outline

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Registration and Mingle
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Presentation
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM View route illustrations and pick your favorites
11:45 AM – 12:00 Noon Wrap-Up

Refreshments will be served. Please let us know by Thursday, March 3 if you will be attending. Contact us by phone (313 444-0062) or email (thevillagesofdetroit@gmail.com).

Please take 10 minutes to complete this survey on greenways, bike lanes, and more in Detroit. The survey only runs through Wednesday! For more information on this project, visit the Villages CDC web site.

Dear Friends,

Your participation in a survey is requested to assist in the planning of a network of greenways in the Greater Riverfront East District of Detroit. This area is also known as the Lower Eastside. Its boundaries are the Detroit River to the south, Mack Avenue to the north, the Dequindre Cut to the west, and Alter Road to the east.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. The survey will run until September 1, 2010. Please feel free to share this survey with others whom you think would be interested.

Please click on following link to complete the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/765DW9R

Thank you for your time and participation.

The Greater Riverfront East Environmental Network (GREEN) Task Force

P.S. If you would like to receive paper copies of this survey, or if you have a question, please contact:

Sheu-Jane Gallagher
The Villages CDC
theVillagesofDetroit@gmail.com