This video show families and kids biking and walking to school. It’s simply amazing to see such a high level of participation — and all of these kids developing a positive healthy lifestyle. It’s a huge contrast from schools in Metro Detroit which are often clogged with parents chauffeuring their children to school, causing area traffic congestion, and fostering a dependence on commuting by car rather than by biking or walking.

This video was taken by David Hembrow who adds “It’s important to realize that this is not an exceptional day, nor an exceptional school. Dutch children [are] everywhere, every day travel like this.”

Additional resources: National Center for Safe Routes to School, Michigan Safe Routes to School

The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan brought Majora Carter to Detroit this week for a series of presentations on her Sustainable South Bronx work. There are a myriad of similar challenges in both the South Bronx and Detroit.

Majora’s efforts have resulted in the area’s first new riverfront park in 60 years, plans and funding for a major greenway/trail system, a green-collar training program, a green roof program, and much more. Her presentation was very inspiring.

Her presentation was similar to one she made in 2006 at TED. I highly recommend devoting 19 minutes to watching it. You will not be disappointed.

I sit on Royal Oak’s Traffic and Safety Committee. The most common issue that comes before our committee is speeding on residential streets. Child and pedestrian safety drive the issue, but so does noise. Residents often ask for additional stop signs, the committee lets them know about their ineffectiveness and that we have no other options for them. Occasionally we will recommend increased enforcement, but realistically the Royal Oak police are overburdened with these requests already.

While Royal Oak doesn’t have a solution today, Ann Arbor does. They have developed a traffic calming program where residents can petition for changes that slow down vehicles in their neighborhood.  From my perspective, it’s a very realistic approach to addressing residents’ concerns.

Of course it’s relatively easy for a local governments to commit to supporting something like this. It’s quite another for them to commit to funding it. Based on their completed projects list, it appears Ann Arbor has stepped up.

MDOT recently announced their most recent Transporation Enhancement (TE) grants. TE money comes from the federal government and it requires a local matching from the grant recipient. TE grants are a major funding source for on-road and trail development.

In conjunction to the announcement, Governor Granholm added, “Michigan’s trails are gateways to recreation and tourism opportunities that grow our economy by attracting residents and visitors alike. Not only do they provide transportation and recreation options, but they make many areas of our state more livable and desirable places to do business.” (more…)

From the Michigan Land Use Institute: “It’s not that Mr. Burden dislikes cars. It’s just that he is certain that the quality of life improves if people don’t spend so much time sitting in them. And, like everybody else, he can’t stand congestion. He’s come up with some unexpected solutions. The answer to traffic congestion in most towns isn’t making roads wider, says Mr. Burden. Just the opposite: Roads need to be put on a “diet.” Taking lanes away slows traffic but, surprisingly, the road then actually carries more vehicles more efficiently. Mr. Burden has other traffic remedies, such as shrinking intersections, constructing roundabouts, building boulevards with divided medians, and designing places where people can walk, bike, and ride public transit.”