Michigan Governor Rick Snyder gave a state of the state address tonight that touched on issues related to biking in Michigan, including this:

“I urge the prompt passage of a capital outlay bill that implements the recommendations of the Natural Resources Trust Fund. From the greatness of the land and the resourcefulness of the citizens of the Upper Peninsula to the unquestioned beauty and economic engine as our Great Lakes, natural resources and recreation have always been among our strongest areas. The Fund’s board of trustees has recommended 117 recreation and land acquisition projects totaling more than $100 million. These projects will positively impact every corner of our state from Iron County in the Upper Peninsula to Traverse City to Luna Pier in Monroe County. Also included is a significant expansion of the William G. Milliken Park on the Detroit Riverfront.”

That is excellent to hear and very welcomed. And it was good to see the bipartisan standing ovation it received.

However, it was just last Thursday when West Michigan legislators introduced bills (HB 4021, HB 4028, HJR B) that would raid the Natural Resources Trust Fund. It would divert upwards of 80% of its annual revenues. Twenty percent of the diverted funds would go towards the State Aeronautics Fund while the remainder would go to the Michigan Transportation Fund.

The intent of this Trust Fund is to take revenues from irreplaceable natural resources extracted from public lands and make longterm investments in new public lands and parks. This proposed Trust Fund raid would put most of the money into airports and road projects.

Having a deja vu? Yes, these same bills were introduced in the last session. They died in committee. It’s difficult to say if these bills will move further along given the new Republican control of the House.

Other items in the state of the state

The Governor said the state should reward municipalities that consolidate and share services. Does this mean they would provide incentives for counties governments to absorb their road commissions? Not sure.

It was great to hear the Governor promote wellness.

“We will look to build a system that encourages all of us to have an annual physical, reduce obesity and encourage a healthier, active lifestyle in our state”

As someone noted on Twitter, Complete Streets would help.

And lastly Snyder  threw his support behind the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC). The DRIC’s current plans are to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. This could be one option for getting between Canada and the U.S.

Canada wants this new bridge so badly that they’ve agreed to cover Michigan’s capital investment. Canada’s loan would be paid back through bridge tolls.

The big news is the Federal Highway Administration has agreed to count this loan as Michigan’s match for federal transportation dollars. Without match dollars, the state could lose millions in road funding. This appears to be a huge win which removes some pressure to find transportation money in other places.

Like the Trust Fund.

In November, the Federal Highway Administration announced the 2010 Transportation Planning Excellence Awards. These awards are given to recognize “outstanding initiatives across the country to develop, plan, and implement innovative transportation planning practices. ”

The Dequindre Cut and MDOT received an honorable mention in the Livability/Sustainability category.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) transformed the Dequindre Cut, a formerly overgrown abandoned railroad corridor, into a 1.35-mile recreational trail for walking and bicycle use. Serving over 100,000 residents, the Dequindre Cut provides a safe and vital non-motorized connection from popular destinations in downtown Detroit to the beautiful Detroit Riverfront and Harbor.

Transformation of the Dequindre Cut involved extensive community input, and involved a number of private and not-for-profit entities. The Downtown Detroit Partnership led a public involvement, visioning, and planning process to gather input from nearby neighborhoods on how the “Cut” could be transformed and opened to the public. Residents toured the site, discussed options, and provided feedback on conceptual designs, including the popular decision to preserve existing graffiti art along the bridge abutments.

Through the efforts of the public, nonprofit, and private partners, this project transformed a forgotten, unused corridor into a natural greenway for public use, promoting physical activity, and offering residents and visitors a unique experience within the urban framework of Detroit.

That’s great, but we wish it not be labeled a recreational trail? That label might lead one to believe it’s just about recreation, which certainly isn’t the case. Generally speaking, trails that are loops within parks are recreational trails.

One of the award winners was New York City’s commitment to build 200 miles of bike lanes.

In June 2009, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) fulfilled its commitment by building 204.8 lane-miles of bicycle facilities in all five boroughs, doubling the number of on-street bicycle facilities and bringing the total mileage of bicycle facilities to over 600 lane-miles.

The 200 lane-mile project is an unprecedented expansion of the city’s bicycle infrastructure that radically improves the quality of the streets of the Nation’s most densely populated city. The 200 lane-miles included the execution of 88 separate projects on scores of unique street segments. To accommodate the vastly different street conditions, NYCDOT’s planning and design staff utilized innovative designs, such as protected bicycle paths, which position cyclists between the curb and the parking lane, the first of their kind in the United States.

Before-and-after data from the protected paths proves their safety benefits: up to 56 percent reductions in all injuries along the project corridors, up to 29 percent reductions in pedestrian accidents, and up to 57 percent reductions in cyclist accidents. Data from the 9th Avenue and Grand Street protected paths shows an 84 percent reduction in illegal sidewalk riding.

That’s so impressive given the value of road real estate in NYC.

While the city of Detroit has a commitment to build 400 miles of bike lanes, there is no time commitment.

MDOT Director to remain

We heard a rumbling last week that a new director of MDOT would be named. That would have been a shame since Kirk Steudle has been very supportive of Complete Streets and non-motorized transportation.  However, his support of the DRIC had cost him Republican support, to the point where some asked the state attorney general to look into allegations of MDOT publishing misleading data.

The Free Press is now reporting that he will continue to lead MDOT. We think this is a big positive for Michigan bicyclists.

West Bloomfield trail to grow

The West Bloomfield rail trail just added 2.3 miles of new abandoned rail line according to the Spinal Column.

“This acquisition has been over three years in the making. We are excited that all the past work and negotiations will eventually result in a universally-accessible trail in a few years,” said Parks and Recreation Director Dan Navarre. “It’s wonderful that the grant funding made this acquisition possible by funding the majority of the purchase.”

We’re not sure when the trail will be resurfaced to match the existing trail conditions. The article makes it sound as though cyclists and walkers could use the trail before it is completed. That would  be similar to what happened with the Clinton River Trail (part of the same railroad corridor) in Rochester Hills.

Windsor’s Riverside Drive

The Windsor Star is reporting on continued, thought apparently limited opposition to redeveloping Riverside Drive.

The project, which would see bike lanes and new pedestrian crossings installed across the city’s entire riverfront from east to west, would produce a huge improvement to the quality of life for a large number of Windsor residents at a relatively low price, while providing a major boost to the city’s image.

City planners had considered widening parts of the road, which was originally built on a narrow right-of-way to service cottages along the Detroit River.

But widening the road for vehicular traffic was rejected as unwanted by a majority of city residents, who cherish the road’s rustic, tree-lined character for jogging and cycling, not to mention Sunday drives with the top down.

That plans sounds like a Complete Street to us. We hope to see it built.

Call is a conspiracy or just a basic  contractor mistake, the wrong way bike lane pavement marking in Corktown appears to be remedied.

We went past the errant arrow yesterday and between the slush we saw that the paint had been grinded off.

This MDOT project added nearly 2.5 miles of bike lanes on both sides of Michigan Avenue from Rosa Parks to Livernois. It’s a hugely valuable addition to a super wide road that will really complement the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink project which should begin construction in the spring. This  backwards biker was the only one we were aware of over the 5 miles.

And thanks to MDOT for getting it fixed in a timely manner.

Conner Creek construction in Maheras Gentry Park

Conner Creek Greenway (Detroit)

The greenway segment from Jefferson to the Detroit River (at Mahera Gentry Park) should be completed this week. Most of this route is bike lanes, but there is also a new pathway through the park.

Clinton River Trail

The new  bridge over Telegraph Road in Pontiac will be completed this spring when they are able to pour the bridge’s concrete surface. It will remain closed until then.

Macomb Orchard Trail

The County expects that one closed bridge to be repaired this winter while the remainder of the trail is paved in the spring.

I-275 Metro Trail

MDOT construction and re-construction projects continue to move further along this pathway. From the north to the south:

• MDOT expects to build the trail between 14 Mile and Maple next year.
• The segment between 13 Mile and 14 Mile is nearly done. While the pathway is open, some landscaping work remains and won’t be completed until spring.
• MDOT and Novi will be developing the connection from 13 Mile Road to the I-275 Metro Trail at Meadowbrook.
• The trail maintenance from Meadowbrook to Hines Drive is completed and the trail is open.
• Construction on the segment from Hines Drive to Michigan Avenue continues. MDOT expects the trail to open next month.
• Construction is also underway from Michigan Avenue to I-94. That should be completed by October 2011.
• From I-94 to Sibley Road, MDOT is replacing 6 bridges. They do not have funding yet to improve the trail surface.
• There are no funded reconstruction projects yet for the I-275 path once it gets to Monroe County. That is actually in a different MDOT region. Monroe is very much interested in seeing this trail continued into Downtown Monroe, the Raisin River battlefield (War of 1812), and Sterling State Park.