If you think you have it bad riding or walking in your town, it could be worse. You could be in India where 1% of the world’s vehicles generate 10% of the world’s traffic fatalities.
“The underlying problem… is poor design and signage.” That applies equally in Detroit. A well-engineered road decreases the reliance on enforcement and education. This is one of the fundamental principles of traffic calming.
This is why we love Model D.
While most of the Detroit media has not covered City Council’s glowing endorsement of the Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan, Model D has published an article, hosted a speaker series, and has now made a video.
By the way, that cool building at the start of the video is home to Giffels-Webster, but it was originally built for making cigars — one of Detroit’s major industries prior to making automobiles.
Mike Reuter (American Cycle & Fitness), Nancy Krupiarz (Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance), Tim Blumenthal (Bikes-Belong), and Todd Scott discuss Detroit bike advocacy strategies
Most cyclists in Metro Detroit recognize the shortcomings of biking in this area. So what should we do about it? Just opining on the Internet doesn’t create the change we want to see.
One idea we continue to push is for Metro Detroit communities to develop non-motorized transportation plan or bicycle plans.
And since safe and effective bicycling facilities are foreign concepts to most cities in this area, it’s best to have these plans created by professionals outside of city government.
Cities, villages, and counties receive a portion of the state fuel tax and no less than 1% of that must be spent on non-motorized transportation. MDOT has stated that creating non-motorized plans is a good and proper use of this state funding.
As reported earlier, the City of Detroit has recently endorsed a non-motorized transportation master plan. The City of Troy issuing a request for proposals to do the same.
But for one great example of a bicycle plan, we point to the Village of Oak Park in Illinois where the village manager is Tom Barwin, Ferndale’s former city manager.
The Village of Oak Park recently adopted a bicycle plan that was developed by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
The first objective of the plan will be to develop a comprehensive bikeway network consisting of marked on-street bikeways, signed routes, and multi-use trails where possible.
The second objective of the plan will be to develop a safety and education plan for the Village. Many people do not bicycle because of a perceived risk to personal safety.
The final objective of the plan will be to market bicycling to the community. Marketing is one the most cost-effective means to increase bicycling.
Links: The Oak Park Bicycle Plan | Chicagoland video interview
One major benefit the Chicago-area enjoys is having a well-organized, experienced, and active non-profit bicycle advocacy group — the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. We do not have anything equivalent in Metro Detroit. While the League of Michigan Bicyclists is the statewide bicycle advocate organization, they play only a minor role in local advocacy efforts.
This is another change we need to consider as we push bicycle advocacy forward in Metro Detroit
Bikes Belong, the bike industry advocacy group certainly seems to be making some smart political moves right now.
Their latest is a partnership with Humana to provide 1,000 free bike rentals at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The program is called Freewheelin’ and so far it’s been a huge success in Denver.
Just one day into the Democratic National Convention, more than 1,400 convention delegates, visitors and Denver residents are ready to vote yes … for Freewheelin. The innovative bike-sharing program from Humana and Bikes Belong recorded 1,429 rides, 2,937 miles ridden, 92,000 calories burned and a carbon-footprint reduction of just more than one metric ton.
“If the first day of the DNC is any indication, bike-sharing has tremendous potential in the U.S.,” said Jonathan Lord, M.D., Humana’s chief innovation officer. “Riding a bike is great for your body, great for the environment, and a lot of fun. So many people are returning their bikes with big smiles on their faces, reminded of all the fun they had riding bikes as kids.”
Here’s a video showing the program in action.
There are additional details on the Bikes Belong web site.