Bike lanes in Ferndale

here’s been much discussion on this web site concerning bike lanes.

In summary, bike lanes…

1. Have been found to be the safest place for bicyclists to ride.
2. Can be funded from a variety of sources dedicated to non-motorized transportation.
3. Are not a significant liability concern for road agencies according to the state attorney general’s office.

In addition, the Road Commission for Oakland County and Wayne County Road Division have undocumented policies that prohibit bikes lanes.

Now this Macomb Daily article notes that old school opposition to bike lanes is in Macomb County as well.

Robert Hoepfner, chief highway engineer for the road commission, has no complaint with bicyclists. But he is concerned about safety. Many county roads simply aren’t wide enough for the kind of designated lanes Forlini described, Hoepfner said.

If county residents want designated areas for bicyclists, “Then let’s build bike paths and make them safe,” he said.

Apparently Mr. Hoepfner has not done his homework. Bike side paths are significantly less safe than bike lanes. If he was truly concerned about bicycle safety, he’d be building bike lanes. And if a county road is not wide enough for bike lanes, widen it. There is non-motorized funding available for this.

There are no excuses for not providing safe cycling opportunities in Metro Detroit.

Al Fields (DTE) and Greg Johnson (MDOT)

Al Fields was the primary bicycling proponent within the City of Detroit Mayor’s office. He was our “go to” guy for helping cycling advocates get things done, such as the mountain bike trail at Rouge Park. He was also responsible for getting bike lanes on Belle Isle. Outside of cycling, Al was instrumental in the success of Detroit’s Super Bowl and Red Bull Air Races. He also played bass in Torch with a Twist — and if you know what that is, I don’t need to highlight its coolness.

Unfortunately Al recently changed jobs. He’s now working for DTE. However, he does expect to still be quite involved in promoting cycling.

So thank you, Al, and we wish you the best of luck in your new job at DTE.

Mark from Canada posted the below comment on the MTGA web site.  We’ve reprinted it here (with his permission) because it echoes our push for safe AASHTO on-road bicycle facilities in Oakland County.  It’s great that Ontario is so forward-thinking and progressive with respect to cycling.

I’m accustomed to road cycling in Canada, and planning a visit with a friend in Oakland County. I can’t believe I’m being pushed onto “recreational trails” if I want to cycle! I want to get places and see the community, not paved trails in woodlands or parks! Bikes are classified as a vehicle by Ontario’s road authority, and there’re active advocacy groups successfully pushing for bike lanes on current and future roadways. Maybe we have a healthier mindset in Canada. Or maybe Michigan just can let go of the narrow minded car mindset. I recall seeing some arterials without sidewalks even!

Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings

The group Bike Riders United and MTGA attended today’s Detroit Police Commission meeting. Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings clarified the bike license issue. She said the rationale for this is specific to returning stolen property. It was not her intent to have officers write tickets. The police are not looking to enforce the penalty portion of the licensing issue.

The Chief did acknowledge that is was a mistake to not work with community groups, including cyclists prior to issuing the initial press release about the licensing.

She added that she is a cyclist and may join the Bike Riders United “Cycling Awareness” ride scheduled for August 1st.

The next step is to correct work with City Council to make this license ordinance more clear and reasonable while still giving the Police the tools necessary to identify and return stolen property.

Common Ground

There is near unanimity among the cyclists we’ve spoken with. No one is opposed to any Michigan city registering bicycles. Cyclists are opposed to (a) a city ordinance applying to non-residents, and (b) the Detroit Police Departments threat of enforcement.

Many Detroit cyclists have reported difficulty in getting the licenses; either their local precinct has been out of stock or hours of availability are too limited.

800 Free Licenses for Kids

From a recent Detroit Police Department press release:

Police Chief Ella M. Bully-Cummings along with the Detroit Police Department’s executive team, the three police unions, and the Detroit Firefighters Association have come together to provide a special gift to the children of Detroit. On Saturday, July 12, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., more than 800 FREE bicycle licenses will be available for children 15 and under (first come, first served) at various locations citywide.

From the Wheelhouse Detroit

Here’s some interesting (and positive!) news from our friends at the Wheelhouse:

We got all of our bikes licensed, and are currently working with DPD to even sell them here. Although we still have a fear, like many of the people we talk to, that licenses will be used for harassment rather than for the stated purpose of reducing bike theft, but we can only hope. And we’ve been talking to a lot of officers, all of whom feel like ticketing suburbanites — or residents for that matter — without licenses is just not going to happen. It’s not worth a trip to court for a ticket that will likely get thrown out.

Bike Riders United

A new Detroit bicycle group has formed that among other things, hopes to change this city ordinance. They have already gone before a city council committee. Some rapid remedy may be in the works.