State Representative Maureen Stapleton is hosting a transportation town hall meeting on Monday, March 11th at 6pm.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the discussion will be about “roads, transit and related infrastructure issues.”

Officials will speak with residents about roads and road funding — and as the Legislature considers establishing a regional transit authority in metro Detroit, they’ll discuss what such an agency would mean for southeast Michigan, organizers said.

Stapleton will host the meeting along with Rep. Fred Durhal Jr.; both are Detroit Democrats. Representatives from the Detroit-based advocacy group Transportation Riders United, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Wayne County and the County Road Association of Michigan will be on hand too.

The meeting will be held 6 p.m. Monday at Plymouth United Church of Christ, 600 E. Warren at I-75 in Detroit.

CRAM

It’s interesting that the County Road Association of Michigan (CRAM) will be present. They have been on the wrong side of some very good state legislation.

For instance, they were basically the only opposition to the national award winning Recreation Passport program which is now successfully funding our Michigan State Parks. They claimed it was unconstitutional in front of a combined Senate/House committee where legislators told them otherwise.

They also unsuccessfully tried amending the Complete Streets legislation by removing the long-standing requirement that a minimum of 1% of state road funding go toward non-motorized transportation. It is still among their legislative priorities to undo this 1% state funding requirement.

They are supportive of a terrible bill (HB 4021) that would divert state park funding to pay for roads and airports even though Michigan voters changed the state constitution to prevent such funding raids.

Ironically enough, it was bicyclists, including Edward N. Hines that led efforts to create county road commission in 1893 and 1894. Prior to changing the state constitution in 1894, it was unconstitutional for counties or county road commissions to build and maintain roads.

The prestigious Palmer Woods neighborhood in Detroit wants to reduce cut through traffic by closing some of their street connections with Woodward and 7 Mile Road. The Hamilton-Anderson architects designed some road closures for Strathcona, Balmoral, and Lincolnshire.

Are they worried about speeding, cut through bicyclists? Probably not, so why do their designs block bicycle travel?

It’s frustrating seeing design work that considers the existing trees, catch basins, turn around driveways for vehicles, and trash pickup, yet ignore safe bicycle travel.

All that’s needed at the three closures is a bicycle cut-through – a paved pathway that’s only wide enough for bicycles yet still maintains a connection between the two roads.

Here’s one example of a bike cut through from Seattle.

These designs aren’t just for bicyclists cutting through the neighborhood, they would also make it easier for residents to bike to nearby popular destinations like Palmer Park and Dutch Girl Donuts.

It’s unclear whether the City will fix these designs. The City was asked back in October 2009 to make these designs bike friendly along with some suggested design elements, none of which are shown in the drawings shared with City Council on Monday.

City Council has a recommended resolution before them this morning. It could be improved by added the below bolded text.

RESOLVED, that the following portion of public streets shall be closed to vehicular traffic and converted into landscaped ares with access for necessary utility service vehicles, City of Detroit, and cut-through bicycle travel:

Unfortunately there are many road closures in Metro Detroit communities that are of a similar poor design. Lathrup Village, Southfield, Royal Oak all offer examples of how not to design road closures.

Hopefully we won’t have to add Detroit to that list.

MTGA and the city of Detroit continue to partner with the Michigan AARP to bring a Complete Streets discussion to the community. From the Michigan AARP event flyer:

Join AARP Michigan for a Complete Streets Symposium

Livable communities allow people of all ages and abilities to have a range of safe travel choices. AARP Michigan supports the Complete Streets ordinances in Detroit that ensure the development of livable communities.

AARP Michigan, along with Bridging Communities, the City of Detroit and Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance will share information about Complete Streets including local examples, what the City of Detroit is doing to implement them, and how you can become involved.

Please join us at this important community meeting:

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Holy Cross Center Fellowship Hall (7060 McGraw, Detroit, MI 48210)

Light refreshments will be provided.

Call 1-877-926-8300 to register by March 5, 2012.

From the Healthy Environments Partnership:

Detroit residents who want to create a more beautiful and physically active environment in their communities are in luck. The Healthy Environments Partnership (HEP) Greenway Mini-Grant program is funding projects, up to $1000, that will take place along the Conner Creek, Brightmoor Lyndon, and Southwest Detroit Greenways. HEP will be accepting requests for proposals from Detroiters engaging community residents, building local ownership, and promoting social and physical activity along the greenways. Some examples of the types of projects that will be funded are: creating youth artwork along the greenways, planting community gardens adjacent to the greenways, or hosting walk & talk programs that bring policy makers out where residents can share their local concerns.

For more information contact Julia Weinert at 734-763-0741, weinertj@umich.edu or go to the HEP website at www.hepdetroit.org and click on ‘Community Activities’. Mini-Grant materials will also be available at neighborhood development corporations in Eastside, Northwest, and Southwest Detroit. The application deadline is April 13, 2012.

The Healthy Environments Partnership, established in 2000, is a partnership including the Brightmoor Community Center, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Friends of Parkside, Rebuilding Communities Incorporated, The Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, Henry Ford Health System, and the University of Michigan. It is funded through the National Institute of Environmental Science and is an affiliated project of the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center.

Did you know Detroit recently added six new bike lockers?

What are they? They are storage units for parking you bicycle. They offer a very secure, comprehensive means of securing your bike, but especially those fancy bikes with expensive, easy-to-remove parts.

Detroit’s lockers are located at the corner of Farnsworth and John R, in the northwest corner of the Science Center parking lot. They’re conveniently in between the Science Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, Scarab Club, and CCS.

Yes, you can now safely park your fancy Amsterdam bike to go admire the DIA’s Dutch Masters and not have to worry that someone might mess with your basket.

These lockers were installed by Midtown Detroit/UCCA as part of the Midtown Loop, Phase I.

While the usage policy has not been posted, but they are open to the public. You will need to provide your own lock and you can’t use the lockers overnight.