Detroit Pedicabs

The Michigan Citizen has an excellent story on some of the pedicabs or rickshaws operating in the city of Detroit. Pedicabs weren’t allowed in Detroit until some entrepreneurs worked with city council to change the ordinances.

After 12 years of traveling with the military, Walker brought back a new perspective on entrepreneurial opportunities. The one he settled on has increased the level of charm throughout Detroit while addressing some complex issues with transportation and the environment. This old method of transportation seems forward-thinking in today’s increasing emphasis on alternative sources of energy.

“This is one of those rare opportunities to start a business right out of the box,” [Terry L.] Walker says. “But ultimately, it adds to the quality of life.”

Detroit Greenways

The Time Magazine blog recently gave coverage to the growing trails and greenways scene in the city of Detroit — something we’ve been bugging them about for a long time. It also gives much deserved mention to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the group that really kicked off the greenway movement in this area.

Recently, I met with the Tom Woiwode, director of the GreenWays Initiative for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. We took a tour of this project, which is connecting the city, Mexicantown, Corktown and part of Dearborn’s Salina business district. It is one of the first projects these groups have ever worked on together. And, chances are, it won’t be the last.

“It’s always been about the community,” Woiwode emphasized. “You start connecting these groups, and you’ll connect the community.”

And on a related note, an upcoming Detroit City Council agenda includes a resolution to apply for a half-million dollar grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. That grant is “to acquire the Right-of-Way (ROW) needed for the construction of Dequindre Cut, Phase II Project.” Yes, that’s the Dequindre Cut extension from Gratiot to Mack Avenue. One doesn’t apply for such grants until you have a willing seller, so this is positive news.

Detroit’s “Big Bikes”

Detroit makes stuff, so it’s no surprise we have some nice big bikes. Really nice.

We’d previously written about the Dog Sled a couple years ago. That quadricycle has since been transported to Burning Man.

The creator of the Dog Sled now has a new ride — the BigDog — and it will be at the Maker Faire at the Henry Ford at the end of this month.

The Make zine has an interview with the creator.

1. Tell us about the project you’re bringing to Maker Faire.
A wonderfully impractical assemblage of bicycle, go-cart, and golf-cart pieces and parts, drainage pipe, steel tubing, and patio chairs. This four-wheel vehicle allows four passengers to travel in minor discomfort at speeds approaching a brisk walk, for relatively short distances, on completely flat terrain.

There’s also a video of the BigDog roaming Vinsetta Boulevard in Royal Oak. The new bike looks lighter and faster than the Dog Sled.

A bicycle detector symbol on Connecticut at 12 Mile Road in Royal Oak

The intersection of 12 Mile Road and Connecticut in Royal Oak was recently changed. The traffic signal no longer cycled automatically.

Instead, the light remains green for 12 Mile traffic until a car or bicycle pulls up on Connecticut.

Loop detectors were installed in the road to detect steel. As one might imagine, detecting the steel in a car is trivial. But for bikes, especially those with non-steel frames, it can be more difficult triggering the system and getting a green light.

After testing with a few area cyclists, it was determined that cyclists really needed to locate their bikes directly on top of the loop. And where is that? You can usually scan the pavement to find where the loops were cut into the pavement.

Or in this case, we asked Royal Oak to put the standard bike loop symbol on the pavement. When you locate a bicycle directly on top of the symbol, you should get a green light. At Connecticut, it takes roughly 10 seconds to get a green. (Why wait 10 seconds? That gives the system time to ignore traffic turning right on a red light.)

Since this is a popular bicycle route, it really made sense to let cyclists know how to get a green light. Otherwise one could expect some cyclists to simply ignore the traffic light.

This really should be a standard addition to any new loop detection systems. These symbols don’t cost much compared with the entire project cost and they really are a good example of how to make a Complete Street.

Some had asked whether a carbon fiber bike would trigger the system. We asked John LaPlante, a top transportation engineer formerly of Chicago and now at T.Y.Lin who . He said loop detectors can detect all bike types if they are set sensitive enough.

Royal Oak’s non-motorized planning efforts should be underway soon.

The Active Transportation Alliance, the Chicago-based group responsible for creating the biking and walking plan is on the Planning Commission agenda for their August 10th meeting (7:30pm at City Council Chambers, City Hall). That should be an hour presentation and it would be great if we could get many interested cyclists at that meeting.

That date is still tentative. The presentation may get moved to a later date, and if it does, we’ll let you know.

But for now, Royal Oak cyclists can add August 10th to their calendar.

“A cooperative group of business friends in Royal Oak, Michigan” has begun a campaign highlighting 11 Mile Road through Royal Oak. They are hoping draw business and attention to this business strip.

“We don’t get any respect,” he said about himself and his fellow business owners along the portions of 11 Mile Road just west and east of downtown Royal Oak. “We are not glitzy, or glamorous or progressive. But it’s family friendly down here. Eleven Mile Road is where you go for everyday service.”

Their slogan and web site are “11 Mile Has It All.”

Anyone who’s ever thought about biking on 11 Mile knows better. 11 Mile is not a Complete Street. It doesn’t have it all. It’s a road design based on the old-school failed concept that maximum vehicle mobility is good for local business strips.

It’s the same failed concept that once removed parking on nearby Washingon Boulevard in order to add another travel lane. Thankfully the Royal Oak DDA put Washington Boulevard on a Road Diet — at least in the business district.

We’ve submitted these comments to this 11 Mile Road group some weeks ago, but have not yet received any response:

Greatest Challenge: 11 Mile Road is not a Complete Street nor designed to be a main street. The current road design is the biggest impediment to making 11 Mile a thriving business district and part of a livable community. Today, 11 Mile does not have it all — but it can be fixed.

Solution: Make 11 Mile Road a Complete Street, which would likely involve a Road Diet, bike lanes, and on-street parking where possible. This is not unlike what Ferndale did with 9 Mile to great success. The 11 Mile group should participate in Royal Oak’s non-motorized planning which is expected to start soon.

We checked and the motor vehicle traffic volumes on 11 Mile Road would allow a Road Diet without diverting traffic onto residential streets.

And Road Diets increase safety. MDOT studied eight Michigan road diets and found they reduced vehicular crashes by 26% and reduced pedestrian unjuries by 37%. They also reduce speeding, provide more safe transportations options, and increase local business.

A Road Diet would truly make 11 Mile Road more family friendly — something it isn’t today unless you’re in a car.

11 Mile Road could have it all.

Construction season is upon us and there are many trail- or bike-related projects in the works. Here are some brief updates:

• Construction on the Clinton River Trail bridge over Telegraph in Pontiac is expected to begin in a month and be completed this year.
• The bridge construction which is causing weekday closures of the Dequindre Cut is apparently on schedule and should be completed by September.
• Atwater Street is also under construction between Rivard and Orleans in Detroit. When completed, we heard it will have bike lanes from the Ren Cen to Jos Campau.
• The city of Detroit is updating the bike lanes on Belle Isle and adding more on some of the internal roads thanks to some unexpected, but much welcomed grant funding.
• The contract for Wayne State University’s bike lane/streetscape project on Anthony Wayne Drive shows the project being completed by November.
• MTGA and others are still working with MDOT to try and get bike lanes on Michigan Avenue from Livernois to Rosa Parks in Corktown.
• Construction of the new MDOT trail along M-5 between 13 Mile and 14 Mile is underway — and it looks like the trail will be an awesome ride once completed.

And some non-construction updates:

• The city of Royal Oak has received their federal funding for their non-motorized planning efforts. We can expect them to start soon.
• The city of Novi has issued a Request for Proposals to develop a non-motorized plan.
• Wayne County has submitted an MDOT grant application which would extend the Conner Creek Greenway from the Mt. Olivet Cemetery to Eight Mile. This project is a mix of shared-use path and bike lanes.