The Complete Streets Community Workshop held on March 31st was an absolute success. While it was hoped to attract perhaps 100 attendees, about 160 showed up. There is a brief write up on the MTGA web site:

Prior to the event, DHWP Director and Public Health Officer Dr. Yvonne E. Anthony said, “With this workshop, we hope to engage the community and garner support to make our streets safer in order to promote healthy lifestyles and activities such as walking, running and biking. We encourage Detroit residents to join in the conversation.

And they did.

After the [Richard] Wooten presentation, the attendees submitted questions ranging from the impact of light rail, truck traffic, and bike lanes.

In speaking with some city officials afterwards, they were very impressed with the turnout and interest in Complete Streets. In many ways this reaffirms their recent efforts.

On the radio

On March 29th, I joined Myra Tetteh from the Detroit Health and Wellness Promotion Department on the WDET’s Craig Fahle Show. If you missed the broadcast, the podcast is on-line. The Complete Streets conversation begins 54 minutes into the podcast.

A new web address

In order to simplify things, a new web address and basic web page has been created for the Complete Streets efforts in Detroit. That address is www.DetroitCompleteStreets.org.

Michigan Municipal League

The Michigan Municipal League has a helpful Complete Streets web page. The page is especially useful for government officials looking to pursue Complete Street policies. The web page includes example ordinances and resolutions from various Michigan governments. And if you’re just a motivated Complete Streets advocate, this is a good link to email to your elected government officials.

— Todd Scott

Let’s Save Michigan

Bike to Work day received some coverage on the Let’s Save Michigan web site, hosted by the Michigan Municipal League.

It was great to see so many people, despite the less than perfect weather, bike to work or wherever they were going and prove that Michigan’s roads aren’t just for cars. Once we start designing our transportation system to accommodate users beyond cars, we’ll be able to develop the more walkable and desirable communities that people want to live, work and play in.

The Let’s Save Michigan campaign is teaming up with the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition to move forward to policy that will help develop the state policies that will develop a better, safer and more accommodating transportation system for Michigan. The Coalition includes groups such as AARP, the League of Michigan Bicyclists, and the Michigan Environmental Council.

The web site includes many photos from events around the state.

The 10 Things You MUST Do

Metromode has a list of The 10 Things You MUST Do Outside In Metro Detroit This Summer. Riding with Ferndale’s Defying the Law Bike Club made the list.

If Marlon Brando in The Wild One got sick of motorcycles, got a bike and developed a taste for garage sales and microbrews, he would so be in this club. It’s a cool mix of professionals, students, blue collar, and artsy types who meet up in Ferndale every Saturday to bike around and see what they can find going on or going down, whatever the case may be.

Worried you’re not exactly in shape for a bike club? No worries. “If anyone wants to ride, they just have to show up,” says Mike Kawamoto of Berkley, who has been a member of the group for three years. “It’s usually a pretty casual-paced ride.”

Ford to measure suppliers’ carbon footprints

The Detroit News is reporting on Ford’s recent announcement as part of their efforts to reduce their carbon emissions by 30% by 2020.

And although it doesn’t mention biking to work, that is one strategy for reducing a company’s carbon footprint.

Ford Motor Co. said today it will begin surveying its largest suppliers to find out how much energy they use and how much greenhouse gases they emit.

It’s part of a broader effort to reduce the carbon footprint of Ford’s global automobile manufacturing operations.

The Dearborn automaker said it ultimately plans to use the data to establish carbon-reduction goals for its suppliers.

“Suppliers play an important role as we look to reduce our overall carbon footprint and drive more efficiency in an energy constrained world,” said Tony Brown, Ford group vice president in charge of global purchasing.

Of course, we would prefer they “bike more efficiency” rather than drive, but it is Ford.