Kathy Wendler of the Southwest Detroit Business Association addresses the ribbon cutting crowd

Bagley Bridge in Mexicantown

The ribbon cutting for the I-75 Gateway Project was Monday.

Northbound and southbound I-75 are now open. However, the Bagley bike and pedestrian bridge is not.

MDOT announced that the ramps will be completed in a later construction phase. According to the Detroit News, it won’t open until November.

Metro Detroit Trails

The Detroit News recently published an interactive map showing shared-use trails in Metro Detroit. It really shows how these trails are starting to connect into a larger regionwide network — a process largely led by the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Draft Trailway Master Plan

The Spinal Column is reporting the completion of a draft master plan for the Huron Valley Trail extension eastward from Wixom to M-5.

The Commerce, Walled Lake and Wixom Trailway Management Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on July 30 in the Commerce Township Hall to receive public comment on a proposed master plan for the Michigan Airline Railroad corridor.

The trailway council, made up of representatives of three communities that seek to acquire stretches of the railroad running through their jurisdiction, is expected to adopt the master plan at the July 30 meeting.

This plan was paid for by a $5,250 donation from the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Both Crain’s and Model D are reporting updates on the trail connection between the Dequindre Cut and the RiverWalk.

From the Crain’s article:

The Economic Development Corporation of the city of Detroit today approved a $871,900 contract with Detroit-based WCI Contractors Inc. for an 800-foot extension of the Dequindre Cut, the Dequindre Trail extension, to begin in July.

The extension will continue the paved bicycle and pedestrian path from the below-grade Dequindre Cut on the street level between Woodbridge and Atwater Street and is expected to be completed by end of this year.

This is much welcomed news.

This reduces the confusion in getting between the two trails, especially for first-timers. While at the recent RiverDays event, the most often asked question is, “How do I get to the Dequindre Cut?” and unfortunately the answer wasn’t that straigthforward.

We posted the conceptual design of this trail connection back in October.

Google is soliciting input for new features in Google Maps.

We won’t tell you how to vote, but these features certainly would be welcomed.

• Add trail information to Terrain view
• Include walking and hiking trails in walking directions
• Add bike trail information and biking directions

If Google were to include this information on Google Maps, it could replace some current web sites designed to provide this information — especially those that require payment.

[Thanks to Sue Moretto for forwarding this information.]

Make sure you stop by the M.T.G.A. booth at the RiverDays event this weekend on the RiverWalk

The Metro Times has a new article, Rolling on the Riverwalk, which provides an overview of Tri-Centennial state park construction and how it fits in with the Detroit RiverWalk.

In the current era of uncertainty in the auto industry, the Riverwalk is promising a bright future for human-powered movement.

And on a related note, today the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is celebrating the 90th anniversary of Michigan State Parks. There will be a cake cutting at Tri-Centennial State Park at 4pm today, June 20th. So come downtown, enjoy the RiverWalk, Dequindre Cut, and have some cake.

The Detroit News has an article, Michigan ramps up roads and trails to make bicycling easier.

The Michigan Department of Transportation now maintains more than 2,560 miles of paved shoulder with bicycle access. The state also has more than 1,394 miles of rails-to-trails — abandoned railroad tracks that have been converted into biking, hiking and walking trails. Combine those rails-to-trails with trails through parks and public land, and downtowns and neighborhoods, and the stretch increases to more than 2,000 miles, said Nancy Krupiarz, executive director of the Lansing-based nonprofit Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. Additional bike-hike trails and greenways are expected.

This article wraps up with a great quote about biking from Rochester resident Colleen Brown.

“It’s like being a kid again. I always tell people that no matter how bad you feel, get on a bike. Ride around the neighborhood, feel the wind and sun on your face. You see the world differently. When you bike you can stop and smell the roses.”

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has an active page on Facebook.

Their Dequindre Cut trail opening photo gallery is full of great shots, including this one to the right. It certainly shows Detroit knows how to open a trail will style and enthusiasm.

But there are other Detroit trail- or bike-related groups on Facebook, including these:

• Detroit Trails and Greenways
• Hamtramck Trails
• Friends of Clinton River Trail
• Friends of the I-275 Pathway
• Detroit Critical Mass
• The Hub
• Wheelhouse Detroit