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Thomas,
May is National Bike Month and there's no shortage of bike-related events and updates in Detroit. Here are some of the highlights
Bike to Work Day
Bike to Work Day is a nationally-recognized event on the third Friday of May that encourages people to ride their bike to work. Detroit’s 12thannual event is scheduled for May 19th. We proud to announce that Henry Ford Health LiveWell is our returning title sponsor.
The main meetup location will be held near the Spirit of Detroit statue at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center from 7AM to 9AM. There will also be pit stops at Wayne State University (Old Main on Cass) and New Center Park.
This year we will provide special giveaways to the first 200 registered participants.
Visit our web site for more event information and to register for free.
MoGo Bike Share
Detroit's first public bike sharing system is launching this month as a program of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. There will be 43 stations and 430 bikes across the Greater Downtown area. Information on how it works, pricing and more is available on their web site.
We played an early role in helping build support among area stakeholders, assisting with the feasibility study, and helping get the city on board. We're now serving on their Advisory Committee.
We expect MoGo to get more Detroiters on bikes -- as it has done in other cities with similar systems -- which will increase the demand for more and better greenways.
Woodward Streetcar Ordinance
An ordinance was introduced in City Council relating to the operations of the QLine, the new streetcar on Woodward.
The initial ordinance language raised a couple primary concerns for Woodward bicyclists. As written, it was open to broad, yet unintended interpretation that could lead to misdeanor tickets for those riding safely on Woodward.
We met with MDOT, M1 Rail, and Council member Scott Benson’s office to review the language and address these concerns. Council member Benson was able to get positive changes made to the ordinance language.
Even still, bicycling on Woodward where the street car rails are near the curb is a challenge. If you chose to ride here, please be extra careful. MDOT is funding new protected bike lanes on Cass Avenue from Lafayette to W. Grand Boulevard as a preferred alternative. Those should be completed this summer.
We've written more about this ordinance update on our web site.
Sincerely,
Todd Scott
Executive Director
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