Cyclists often speculate about why Metro Detroit doesn’t offer safer biking options.

A common culprit is our motor city heritage.

I disagree. I think it’s because we just don’t ask.

In communities where residents have effectively asked for biking options, they got them. Ferndale is a prime example. Troy could be the next one. Both communities surveyed their residents and the number one response was for better biking and walkability.

So how do you ask? Here’s a great option that’s painless and probably somewhat fun.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is hosting meetings where “the public is invited to express their opinions regarding the future of Southeast Michigan’s transportation system.”

The meetings are next week at three different locations:

• Monday, July 21, 2008, SEMCOG offices, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit; 4-7 p.m. (formal presentations begin at 4:10 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.);
• Tuesday, July 22, 2008, Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Rd, Southfield; 4-7 p.m. (formal presentations begin at 4:10 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.); and
• Wednesday, July 23, 2008, Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, Ann Arbor; 9 a.m.-12 noon (formal presentations begin at 9:10 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.)

Please attend one of these meeting and make your “ASK” for better bicycling facilities in Southeast Michigan.

If you’re unable to attend, you can email your comments to infocenter@semcog.org. You can also take their on-line survey.

Here are additional details from SEMCOG’s press release: (more…)

An article ran in this week’s Free Press, “Engineer pushes for biking, walking paths”

[Scott] Clein, an associate with Giffels-Webster Engineers in Detroit, helped chart out nearly 400 miles of potential routes ideal for walking and biking — with a few changes implemented by city officials.

Though his recommendations were adopted in the city’s Master Plan in 2007, Detroit’s movers and shakers have been sluggish in making the necessary changes to encourage more foot and pedal traffic, he said.

With few government officials willing to take the plunge, community groups and individuals will have to take charge if they want to see more bike and walking lanes, he said.

Clein also was a Metromode guest blogger last fall where he’s covered more details on road diets, zoning, planning, and more.  Scott’s entry below clearly represents the struggle cycle advocates face in Royal Oak and other nearby communities:

Many traffic engineers are stuck in old-school thinking. The old-school way of thought, for those of you not tuned in to the inner workings of transportation planning, can be summed up as follows:   more is better. The more vehicles we can get through a road segment, the better off we are. And a larger number of travel lanes mean more vehicles per hour.

We tip our collective m-bike helmet to Scott and look forward to working with him down the reduced-width road.

From MDOT…
June 26, 2007 — The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) today announced the release of the state’s 2005-2030 long-range transportation plan (MI Transportation Plan). Two years in the making, the plan is based on an unprecedented amount of public input and guidance from Michigan business, government and customer stakeholders. More than 3,000 people attended public workshops and 2,600 submitted an online questionnaire, while another 3,300 households participated in a telephone survey to share their vision for Michigan’s transportation future.

“MI Transportation Plan will help determine how scarce resources, time and effort will be spent over the next 25 years to make important decisions about transportation choices,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “This plan is designed to strengthen the link between transportation and the economy now and well into the future. With input provided at every stage of the planning process, the plan is intelligent, inclusive, integrated, international, and socially, environmentally and economically responsible.”

“Michigan residents want more travel choices, and better connectivity between modes. We learned that there is a significant gap between the public’s expectations for transportation in Michigan and our ability to meet those expectations. That is a challenge for this decade and beyond,” he said.

The document was recently submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and is now available on the MDOT Web site at: www.michigan.gov/slrp

I recently came across this Traffic Justice link via a Centerlines email newsletter. There’s a lot of great info on this site.
BikeWalk.org :: National Center for Bicycling and Walking

“The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has released a framework for state and local agencies to develop and implement pedestrian safety action plans. The guide is designed to help agencies enhance their existing pedestrian safety programs and activities, including identifying safety problems, analyzing information, and selecting optimal solutions. The guide also contains information on how to involve stakeholders, potential sources of funding for implementing projects, and how to evaluate projects.”

It’s on-line at http://www.walkinginfo.org/pp/howtoguide2006.pdf