Today finds me flying to Park City, Utah to participate in the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) 2008 World Summit. It’s going to be a full three days of networking, attending training sessions, and hitting the trails.

I’m hoping to provide updates on this site as the Summit progresses.

On Thursday I’m presenting a session with IMBA board member John Bliss. John and are will be discussing Developing Effective Club Leadership and Boards.

The Free Press ran a couple great articles on biking and trails today.

From Trails are the new amenity:

The growing network of recreational trails in metro Detroit is becoming a magnet for home builders and business owners who are capitalizing on the popularity of natural pathways that link communities and offer a reprieve from sprawl.

“Everyone used to want to live near a golf course,” John Crumm, Macomb County’s program manager for planning and environmental services, said. “Now trails are becoming the most popular amenity.”

The demand to live close to trails is rising with the price of gas and a desire to get away, and it’s jacking up adjacent home values by an average of 15% to 20% in metro Detroit, according to home builders and economic development specialists.

And from 25 miles of paths and trails are being added in Detroit, suburbs:

Michiganders still call Detroit the Motor City, yet their state also is a leader in paths for nonmotorized transit. Michigan is second only to Wisconsin in rail trails, the routes on old rail lines, according to the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Washington, D.C. Michigan has 1,491 rail-trail miles compared with Wisconsin’s 1,552 miles, the group says.

And new projects are forging ahead with federal transportation dollars, state oil and gas royalties in the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and grants from the nonprofit Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Boosters of these recreation routes say the investment is well worth it, as Michigan’s obesity rate climbs, roads clog with cars and gasoline streaks past $4 a gallon.

It’s getting closer.

The expected completion date for Phase I is this summer. It appear the electrical is currently being installed. There is still a lot of steel beams which may be for the Antietam Bridge replacement. The main trail portion (the east half of the right-of-way) is graded, along with the two vehicle access points at Gratiot and Lafayette.

One clarification should be made. Many, including myself thought the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy was responsible for constructing the Cut. They aren’t. The City of Detroit is with the DEGC managing the project. However, once completed, the Conservancy will handle this trail’s operations, maintenance, and programming.

In February Congressman Earl Blumenauer introduced a House Resolution that “recognizes that increased and safe bicycle use for transportation and recreation is in the national interest” and outlines general federal policy changes to support increased biking.

The outlined policies really tie together all of bicycling advocacy causes from Complete Streets to Safe Route to Schools to mountain biking access to bike commuting and much more.

You can view the complete House Resolution 305 on-line. Last week the Resolution was passed by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. It was on the House floor this week but no vote was taken due to a lack of quorum. Its current status is also on-line.

Help get this passed

One easy option for cyclists to help get this passed is to simply call their representative. Here’s the list of phone numbers for the Detroit-area congressional delegation.  You can also find your representative on-line::

• Representative Joe Knollenberg, 202-225-5802
• Representative Thaddeus McCotter, 202-225-8171 ** BILL CO-SPONSOR **
• Representative Sander Levin, 202-225-4961
• Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick, 202-225-2261
• Representative John Conyers, 202-225-5126
• Representative John Dingell, 202-225-4071

You can ask them to support House Resolution 305 from Representative Blumenauer. It’s simple and takes less than a minute. Just let them know that you’re a cyclist from the Representative’s district and you want them to support this bill.

And, if Represenative McCotter is your congressman, make sure you thank them for co-sponsoring the resolution.

From MDOT’s press release:

Milford Trail

The village of Milford, in partnership with the Charter Township of Milford, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, and the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, will construct 2.9 miles of non-motorized trail. The trail will go from north of General Motors Road at the Milford Dam, then south across General Motors Road into Kensington Metropark, and continue south toward the intersection of Milford Road and Huron River Parkway. It will be an integral part of a much larger planned system within the county and region. A portion of the non-motorized network has been constructed, including the Kensington Metropark loop, a connection under I-96 and into Island Lake State Recreation Area, and the Huron Valley Trail that leads southwest into South Lyon and east toward Wixom.
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