The inner-ring, Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Ohio (population 51,000) calls itself a "walking school district". Since Lakewod has never had school buses in its history, kids naturally grow up walking and biking to school.
Read MoreTo promote National Bike Month and bicycling safety in general, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has partnered with the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) to produce a "share the road" video.This video also reminds bicyclists to follow the rules of the road, and for motorists to pass bicyclists at a safe distance.
Read MoreIt's easy to find examples of roads in Michigan that saw repairs just a few years ago and are falling apart again. It's also east to see why drivers and taxpayers think shoddy workmanship is to blame. Michigan follows nation design and construction standards, and is a leader in roadwork warranties. MDOT can and does build quality roads, but Michigan's current investment in transportation doesn't support much more than short term fixes for our aging system.
SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, recently released an interactive map that shows commuting patterns for communities in the seven-county Southeast Michigan region (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties).
The new map answers the following questions for each community:
A new report from SMART, the Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility Research & Transformation, explores and explains options related to a potential mileage fee for Michigan road funding. Mileage fees are distance-based fees levied on motorists for use of a defined network of roadways. In other words, they are a simple market-based fee for service.
According to the report a mileage fee has a number of other advantages. It can:
The report from SMART includes:
As the legislature begins considering strategies for improving the experiences of Michigan drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians; this report provides an intriguing and innovative perspective on transportation funding. Challenges remain for implementing a mileage based solution, most notably privacy, but the prospect of a well funded transportation system based on use is worthy of exploration. For more information, view the SMART report, or read coverage of the report from the Detroit Free Press.
SMART is a multi-disciplinary initiative of the University of Michigan that undertakes and catalyzes research, tech transfer (living labs), education, and global learning exchange on a range of issues related to transportation’s role in a sustainable future locally and globally.
Bicyclists are involved in less than 1% of all traffic crashes. Proportionally, however, they represent a greater number of fatalities than any other group of roadway users. This is why it is especially important for drivers to always pass bicyclists at a safe distance and yield to them before making turns.
Each year approximately 2000 bicyclists are injured in crashes in Michigan, with approximately 25 of these crashes resulting in fatalities. While engineering improvements implemented as a result of Complete Streets will help create a safer environment for bicyclists who use Michigan roads, more must be done in regards to education to help drivers better understand how to safely interact with bicyclists.
The Share MI Roads campaign seeks to reduce this number by creating an alliance between bicyclists and motorists to be more aware of each other on the roads, to obey all applicable traffic laws, and to respect one another as human beings.
Share MI Roads is a campaign of the League of Michigan Bicyclist (LMB) in partnership with Transportation For Michigan (Trans4M).
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“A multi-jurisdictional, cooperative initiative to TRANSFORM Washtenaw Avenue around efficient mass transit into an attractive, vibrant, walkable, mixed-use corridor, with sense of place."
The ReImagine Washtenaw coalition recently released the final ReImagine Washtenaw Corridor Improvement Study, formerly known as the “Right-of-Way” study. This project was funded by the HUD Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant, which wraps up in January 2015. This work represents a step forward for ReImagine Washtenaw in creating a coherent cross-section plan for the future of the corridor. The plan provides the clearest understanding of how to achieve a multi-modal street, where reasonable accommodations are provided for, not only vehicular travel, but also pedestrians and bicyclists.
Specific goals of this corridor improvement study included:
A possible multi-modal future for Washtenaw Ave.
The study lays out a clear, dimensional plan for the future cross sections of each segment of the corridor. The plan calls for four, 11 ft. travel lanes and a middle left-turn lane (or median) throughout the entire length of the corridor. In addition, a continuous, eight (8) foot wide bike lane, including a three foot buffer, is planned as part of the future cross-section.
Given the important role that public transit will play in the economic redevelopment strategy for the corridor, careful planning was undertaken to find appropriate locations for bus stops with enhanced services and amenities, called “Super Transit Stops.” These stops will support continued improvements to the transit service along the corridor, and are a necessary component to possible future Bus Rapid Transit service along the corridor.
WATS' Spring 2014 Newsletter is available. Click this link to view or download.
Inside this Issue:
On April 22, elected officials, planners and engineers assembled to perform an MDOT sponsored walking audit of Washtenaw Avenue in Pittsfield and Ypsilanti Townships. Walkability audits are designed to help community officials and other stakeholders realize the benefits of providing a safe and attractive environment for walking.
MDOT’s audit team included renowned experts Peter Lagerway and Hannah Remtema.
The audit team faced a number of issues challenging pedestrians such as incomplete sidewalks, narrow separation from vehicles and a lack of safe crossing opportunities. The results of the audit will help the Reimagine Washtenaw team as the project moves towards implementation. In 2015 Community Development Block Grant funds will be used to fill in some of the sidewalk gaps that exist along the corridor.
