Buzz

National Bike to Work day gathering at BCBS

Blue Cross Blue Shield Tuesday, May 14, 2013

On Friday May 17, celebrate national Bike to Work Day in downtown Detroit by riding to a gathering of likeminded cyclists. Food and limited giveaways will be available.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will host a morning reception 7 - 9 a.m. in the outdoor courtyard of its downtown Detroit Tower headquarters.

Though registration is not required to ride, BCBS would like to know if you're coming. Go here to sign up.

Feds give final approval to 3.3-mile M-1 rail

M-1 Rail Tuesday, April 23, 2013

On Monday, the 3.3-mile circulating streetcar along Woodward Avenue received clearance to proceed from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Also, M-1 Rail President and CEO Matthew P. Cullen welcomed eight new members to the nonprofit’s board of directors and introduced Jeni Norman as Chief Financial Officer.

The FTA has completed the environmental clearance for the Woodward Avenue Streetcar Project. With the issuance of the Amended Record of Decision (ROD), the project is allowed to move forward to the next phases of design, right of way acquisition and construction. This is the last approval step under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

Now that the process for approval of the Amended ROD has been completed, the M-1 Rail organization continues to strengthen its team with the hiring of a chief financial officer and by electing eight new members to its board of directors. These announcements come about two weeks after hiring a chief administrative officer and director of governmental & community affairs.

Gilbert thinking retail ahead of M-1 dig

Detroit News Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Our favorite extravagant but hardly reckless spender Dan Gilbert is ahead of the pack again, hinting that once the M-1 is fully developed (by 2016) more Woodward corridor retail will be waiting for it.

Excerpt from the Detroit News:

And Gilbert, one of downtown's major employers and private land owners, said his group has "definitely gotten commitments" from retailers who will be ready for business when the M-1 debuts.

"That's the goal as we work behind the scene, versus just taking a rough shot of opening one (retail store) at a time here and there," Gilbert said. He would not specify which retailers have made commitments.

Since August 2010, Gilbert's portfolio of companies has moved 7,000 workers downtown.

Rock Ventures owns 15 properties and is working on buying its 16th at 1001 Woodward, across the street from Campus Martius and Quicken Loans' headquarters in the Compuware Building.

For more, go here.

'Hands on' Model D partner Mode Shift gets Freep's attention

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, November 27, 2012

In a recent story on the impact of foundations on local economics and culture, a number of Model D's partners were mentioned, including Knight and the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, both of whom lend support to the Mode Shift Move Together blog.

An excerpt from the Detroit Free Press:

The most recent example is Mode Shift, an effort funded by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the Knight Foundation to promote healthy lifestyles by getting people more active -- bicycling, walking and more.

The Community Foundation this year launched a new website called Wearemodeshift.org, an interactive portal that gradually will offer trail maps for bikers, information about bike-friendly retailers, and a debate forum on all manner of topics related to outdoor activity.

Read more here.

Mode Shift says 'hooray' for walkable neighborhoods

Mode Shift Move Together Tuesday, October 30, 2012

From our friends at Mode Shift Move Together, a list of the four new and permanent retail spaces being developed in West Village this spring:

Craft Work, a restaurant and bar formed by a partnership between Michael Geiger and Hugh Yarro, the restaurateur involved in Ronan Sushi in Royal Oak and Commonwealth Café in Birmingham;
Detroit Vegan Soul, a healthy soul food restaurant, catering service, and meal-delivery operation -- and Hatch 2012 semi-finalist -- owned by Kirsten Ussery and Erica Boyd;
The Red Hook, a coffee and baked goods shop;
Tarot & Tea, a tea room, bulk tea purveyor, and retail goods shop that is the brain child of Nefertiti Harris, a successful Midtown business owner.

Sounds great. Read more here.

HuffPost Detroit: 'Shack' becomes Woodbridge cycling center

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Last week's feature on Detroit's emerging bicycle economy was only the tip of the iceberg. There's a ton of non-motorized activity in town, and HuffPost Detroit is doing a fab job of reporting it. Like this one. An excerpt:

Jason Hall, Mike MacKool and Mike Sheppard are the three young men behind the building's reinvention. The trio runs an annual bike expo called Detroit Bike City, which drew 1,500 people to Cobo Hall this past March. They're also members of Bikes & Murder, a local bicycle club that sponsors a popular weekly bike ride, dubbed "Slow Rolls to Slow Jams," at the Woodbridge Pub, located across the street from the space.

Read on here.

Detroit Bus Co., other DIY startups get love from Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Yup, we check through the virtual editions of Popular Mechanics now and then, looking for Detroit content. And here it is! A nice piece on DIY startups, our speciality.

An Excerpt: In 2012, that prevailing philosophy led Inc. magazine to dub Detroit Startup City. It earned the name because of the proliferation of small-business incubators. Among these was TechShop, a national network of member-based workshops. It was another iteration of a model created by TechTown at Detroit's Wayne State University in 2003.

Read more here.

WSU takes lead on bike sharing study

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, September 25, 2012

This is the kind of phrase, from the HuffPost Detroit, we consider music to our ears: A coalition of local business and nonprofit groups is now pursuing a study to see if this type of program, which already exists in places like Denver and Minneapolis, has a future in Motown. Wayne State University and other heavyweight institution and funders are involved in talks to get it done.

Read all about it here.

Canadian investor creates bicycle manufacturing center

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, July 17, 2012

There are a lot of bikes out there, but how many are "Made in Detroit?" Not many, probably. Not yet, anyway.

But here they come, thanks to Zak Pashak, who moved down here to cycling utopia from Western Canada to open a bicycle manufacturing center.

An excerpt from HuffPost Detroit:

His target customers are people who aren't hardcore cyclists but are still interested in bikes.The model he plans on producing in Detroit will be a lightweight steel three-speed with a tire that's thicker than those used for racing bikes. The bike will come in one color -- black-- and sell for a little under $500.

Black, yes. We'll take (at least) one. See the rest of the story here.

Transcontinental interplanetary neighborhood bicycle dude

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, July 10, 2012

When a guy named Mars hit town, suddenly things got down to earth in the Detroit neighborhood just east of Palmer Park. That's where he fixes up and gives away bikes to kids in the community. We read all about it in HuffPost Detroit.

An excerpt:

"I owned my own business. I was making plenty of money. I had all my needs met," he told The Huffington Post.

However, that way of living didn't feel right to (Mars) Symons. He learned of an intentional community movement in Detroit called Fireweed Universe City, after meeting a psychedelic trance DJ who had become involved with the group. Symons decided to bike to the Motor City to check it out.

Read the rest of the story here.

Local transit visionary shares wish list

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Late last year, Neil Greenberg wrote this nifty piece for us on how he envisions rapid transit in this city and region. Now another gem, this time in HuffPost Detroit.

An excerpt:

Great transit won't happen because a cadre of powerful people say so. While high-profile support is essential, making transit work is ultimately an act of the people. Commuters. Taxpayers. Hoi polloi who couldn't hope to access smoke-filled rooms where high-stakes conversations about transit are currently taking place.

Read more here.

Detroit, bike city: HuffPost's cycling series shifts into extra gear

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, May 01, 2012

In case you're missing HuffPost Detroit's ongoing series on cycling culture in Detroit, no doubt because you're out riding in the city, don't give it a second thought. There is a lot to dig into and get inspired about.

Like his story about Sarah Sidelko, who founded a bicycle program called Fender Bender, for women and the LGBTQ community.

An excerpt: She's now in the first stages of creating a bicycle lending library for Detroit, fixing up donated, used bikes one at a time. She has 14 finished, with a plan to have 10 to 15 more restored by June for a first, trial fleet.

Check out all of the stories here.

Game on: Investors say they will fund M-1 for 10 years

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, April 24, 2012

We had a feeling that the scaled-down light rail project -- to stretch 3.4 miles from riverfront to New Center -- had too much momentum to be de-railed for long. It's certainly no done deal yet, but the fact that the private-sector group behind the Woodward Corridor line says it will pay for a decade's worth of operating costs portends well.

The story is breaking all over town at press time. We like this one by Kate Abbey-Lambertz of HuffPost Detroit.

Bike to Comerica on Earth Day, get reduced-price ticket to see Tigers

Detroit Tigers Tuesday, April 17, 2012

It warms our hearts to see the Detroit Tigers getting in the spirit of Earth Day and sustainability by offering a special ticket package for bike riding fans interested in coming to the game on Sunday, April 22.

The Tigers are playing the Texas Rangers. Good opponent. Get all details here.

Bicycle culture blooms and booms in post-motorized city

HuffPost Detroit Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Any and all stories about walking and biking get out attention -- especially if they are in the same headline, like this piece by David Sands in HuffPost Detroit.

Not to mention a key sentence like this: A 2012 report by the Alliance for Biking & Walking found the number of bicycle commuters in Detroit rose 258 percent over the last two decades. Yeah, man. Those are the kind of numbers we like to see.

Read more here.

Let's argue for more walkable streets, shall we?

Atlantic Cities Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Walkability is always part of the Detroit conversation. But it jumped to the front of our thoughts last week when we were at the intersection of W. Vernor and 14th attempting to cross the street from the Mercury Burger Bar to Slows, Astro and Sugar House on the north side of Michigan Avenue.

This is arguably the coolest block in the city, one of the coolest in the state, celebrated from coast to coast as a model of urban redevelopment.

But the length of the traffic light signal, which has to go through at least a couple of cycles to accommodate auto traffic from multiple directions, made it a long, long, long wait. As we waited, cars race passed at highway speeds.

We were all able-bodied walkers and able to get across before the signal changed. But we're not sure the lady in this story, using a walker, would be able to manage it. And that's a problem, Detroit road engineers.

Check the piece out from Atlantic Cities here and keep the argument for walkability going full force. We plan to.

Atlantic Cities takes notice of Detroit Bus Co.

Atlantic Cities Tuesday, March 20, 2012

If it's about transportation and it's in Detroit, we're all over it lately. Not to mention, we're always on the hunt for stories on transit region-wide, statewide and, well, all over the planet. So long as it presents solutions to a plethora of issues back home.

Like this story we found in Atlantic Cities. Read about the Detroit Bus Company here.

Freep editorial: New RTA would be hub for critical transit projects

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A new regional transit authority would coordinate all transit service in southeast Michigan, including a number of transit initiatives and agencies, the Detroit Free Press says in an opinion piece this week.

That includes high speed bus transit, light rail on Woodward from downtown to New Center and commuter train service from Detroit to Ann Arbor.

Let's get it done. That's our opinion. Get all the details here.

Americans want walkable neighborhoods, not big houses

GOOD Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Thank you, people of the USA. We put our faith in you once again. We are ecstatic to hear that a healthy percentage of our fellow Americans want walkable over wonky. Wonky as in the McMansion movement that characterized the last two decades.

We hold our tongues and say no more. As usual GOOD has the goods. Read on here.

D3's proposal for council districts, weighs in on bus rapid transit

Data Driven Detroit Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Yes, that's right, we have a full court press on to try to drive the correct decision in creating reasonable and equitable Detroit City Council districts. Read Free Press editor Stephen Henderson's take here.

In its current newsletter, Data Driven Detroit asks these three vital questions about the Detroit City Council district options created by the City Planning Commission:

1. Are any neighborhoods or historic areas split between two or more districts? If so, residents and community organizations must rely on multiple Council members to represent their neighborhood. That makes it more difficult to hold any single member responsible for that neighborhood issues.

2. Are any neighborhoods grouped into districts with distant or dissimilar neighborhoods? If so, the focus of that district’s Council member will be divided between neighborhoods with significantly different interests and concerns.

3. Are any place-based long-term public or private investment areas split between two or more districts?If so, businesses, investors, and government programs must rely on multiple Council members to support their interests. Splitting investment areas makes impact more complex, difficult, and harder to demonstrate.

Read the entire report here. After you dig into that, check out D3's report on another pressing issue, bus rapid transit.

Alliance for Biking & Walking releases 2012 benchmarks

Alliance for Biking & Walking Tuesday, January 31, 2012

This report shows that increasing bicycling and walking are goals that are clearly in the public interest. Listen up, Detroit:

Where bicycling and walking levels are higher, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes levels are lower. Higher levels of bicycling and walking also coincide with increased bicycle and pedestrian safety and higher levels of physical activity. Increasing bicycling and walking can help solve many serious problems facing our nation.

Many of us know this already. But not all. Read the entire report here.

DC3 helps grow collective voice for Detroit creatives

Detroit Creative Corridor Center Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Speakers Bureau is an initiative by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center to help establish a voice for Detroit’s creative community. This collective voice is that of many people and businesses who demonstrate forward progress in the city.

All of these individual entities have worked with or work alongside the DC3 in Detroit. Maybe they’ve participated in the Creative Ventures Program or consulted with the DC3 staff on a location for their business. Whatever the case, this is the story of Detroit’s forward movements through our lens. Read all about it here.

Detroit Revitalization fellows announced

Wayne State University Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Detroit Revitalization Fellows Program is a partnership between Wayne State University, the Kresge Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation and the Skillman Foundation that brings together talented professionals in Detroit. They will participate in a program combining two years of full-time employment with executive development-style education, networking opportunities and professional coaching and mentoring.

See the list of fellows here. We'll follow this story as it develops.

Wheelhouse pops up at Compuware HQ downtown

Detroit Regional News Hub Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Co-owners Karen Gage and Kelli Kavanaugh say they have always wanted to operate their Wheelhouse Detroit bike shop year round. The next best thing is a pop up shop in a great location. And it doesn't come much better than the Compuware Building, across from downtown's Campus Martius.

It's now open through Christmas Eve. Get all the info you need to go shopping here.

Cruise ships make new port a travel destination

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Some skeptics questioned the logic of Detroit's new Public Dock and Terminal, which opened at a $21.5 million cost this summer on the banks of the Detroit River. According to this new story in the Freep, the new dock is already paying off in an influx of well-heeled tourists. The number of cruise ships planning stops at the Dock in 2012 is 13 -- a massive increase from the two ships who anchored in Detroit in 2011. At least 2,500 luxury tourists bound for the Great Lakes will set foot in the city next year.

Excerpt:

"What's terrific about the new dock and Detroit is the proximity to the upper part of the Great Lakes," said Chris Conlin, president of Great Lakes Cruise Company in Ann Arbor, which markets the cruises. "I believe the new port in Detroit is the reason the Yorktown is sailing out of Detroit and not Windsor or Toronto."

Anchors away here!

Tour De Troit helps make Detroit more bike-friendly

Detroit News Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Close to 4,500 bikers made the Motor City a two-wheeled adventure course for a day on Sept. 24; choosing a police-escorted 30-mile jaunt through Detroit's streets or a whopping 62-mile slog from the tour's home base at Roosevelt Park (check out Tour De Troit wrap-ups from the News, Freep and MLive).

Tour De Troit's explosive growth (it drew less than 50 cyclists for its first outing in 2002) mirrors the bicycle's increasing popularity as an accepted form of transportation in the D. A growing network of greenways and bike lanes, wide avenues and more tours have helped grow cycling by 192 percent in the past ten years.

Excerpt:

"(Riding a bike) shows the city on a human scale, and you see a lot of detail that you wouldn't see when you were in an automobile," said Bill Lusa, 37, director for the tour. Lusa, who lives in Woodbridge, uses his bike to commute to places around the city. "It's not always about smashing the system and ending the automotive hegemony," he said. "It's about having fun and being in slightly better shape."

More available here.

Urbanized: new doc on cities' future contemplates the D

Urbanized Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A new film on the role of cities in modern living will make a stop in Detroit on its global tour of premieres.

Gary Hustwit's new documentary, Urbanized, received rave reviews (and several spontaneous bursts of applause) during its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The flick features a shot of Detroit, as seen from the People Mover, in the trailer -- and it's coming to Detroit Oct. 11 for a showing at the Detroit Film Theatre at the DIA (buy your tickets here).

Excerpt:

Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? Unlike many other fields of design, cities aren’t created by any one specialist or expert. There are many contributors to urban change, including ordinary citizens who can have a great impact improving the cities in which they live. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities.

Peep the trailer here.

Rollerblade Project puts a new spin on Detroit wheels

Detroit Rollerblade Project Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tight shorts, fannypacks and crashes involving leashes, pets and light poles have all contributed to rollerblading's often dubious reputation. But in Detroit, the blank canvas for all dreams, a tight-knit group of skaters have built a community (check them out at detroitrolling.com) around mastering this four-wheeled pasttime.

Photographer Michelle Gerard spent 18 months depicting the tricks, innovation and camaraderie of the city's skater gangs -- she's now raising money through Kickstarter to host a gallery show. Gerard says she wants to showcase the fact that, hey, rollerblading can actually be cool. By the looks of her images, she's onto something.

Click here to check out Gerard's blog, or contribute to her Kickstarter.

Rustwire: Do major foundations wield too much power over Woodward transit?

Rustwire.net Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Perhaps the biggest issue in bringing mass transit down Woodward Avenue is a disagreement over whether the trains should run down the middle or the sides. Proponents of rail stations along Woodward's sides see real estate profitability and retail options; while, as this video shows, running passenger transit down the center of M-1 is safer for commuters. Transit advocacy group Transport Michigan agrees -- as do we at Model D, incidentally.

The heads of major foundations, like Kresge Foundation's Rip Rapson, are also getting in the mix -- private donors like Kresge will pay for 20 percent of the light rail price tag. Below, the blog Rustbelt.net debates whether public policy decisions are the right place for private foundations.

Excerpt:

Investors like Rapson weren't elected by the people of Detroit. He came to Detroit a few years ago from the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis. He lives in some fancy suburb outside Troy. But as the Wall Street Journal points out, private individuals like Mr. Rapson are wielding a lot of power in Detroit. They are threatening to dictate the terms of a project that will nonetheless be funded 4-1 by public money.

Read the editorial here.

Place blogger tightens focus on Corktown's Michigan Avenue

Economics of Place Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Economics of Place is the blog of Dan GiImartin, the executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League. He's also an urban thinker with an eye for the small, oft-unnoticed changes that can make "places" out of streets and buildings. Here's a great example: Gilmartin examines the width of roads in vibrant urban neighborhoods like Toronto's Queen Street West and Washington DC's Adams Morgan. His conclusion? At nine lanes wide, the sheer size of Michigan Avenue hampers Corktown's energy and possibility, creating, as he writes, "a faceless drive" for motorists to speed through.

Excerpt:

Similar neighborhoods in cities across the world are seeing communities reinvigorated because of these simple strategies. More of it needs to be done in places like Detroit and elsewhere. It makes an urban neighborhood cheaper to maintain, better for business and more fun to be around.

Read more here.

Vacation buzz: our favorite links from the past two weeks

New York Times Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Model D took a break last week to celebrate the holiday, but a city like Detroit never sleeps. If you're just back from Up North or the beach, here are a few of our can't-miss links to catch up on what went down over Fourth of July weekend.

The New York Times sang the praises of the city's young and entrepreneurial dreamers, writing, "These days the word "movement" is often heard to describe the influx of socially aware hipsters and artists now roaming the streets of Detroit. Not unlike Berlin, which was revitalized in the 1990s by young artists migrating there for the cheap studio space, Detroit may have this new generation of what city leaders are calling "creatives" to thank if it comes through its transition from a one-industry (town)." Are we becoming a Midwestern TriBeCa? Read more here.
Or, wait a minute: aren't we already the next Brooklyn? Check that out down the page.

Microfinancing Detroit: Kiva Detroit, a partnership between Michigan Corps, the Knight Foundation, San Fran-based Kiva.org and microlender Accion USA, together raised over $11,000 in just three hours to help fund five start-up businesses in the city. The site allows supporters to pledge loans for as little as $25. Click here for details.

Will a battle for designing the Detroit of the future derail the momentum of the present? The Wall Street Journal writes of a rift between the City of Detroit and the Kresge Foundation that could have serious implications for arguably the two most important initiatives of 2011. "Kresge stopped funding Detroit Works at the start of the year after disagreements with City Hall over the role of outside consultants. The foundation also is rethinking its support for the rail line amid a separate spat with city officials." Say it isn't so. Read the rest of the story is here.

Here's one bright spot: Amidst a gloomy June economic report, BNET reports Detroit continues to hire both white and blue-collar workers, calling the domestic auto industry a "micro-recovery." We're sure glad to hear it, though we'd rather be cycling in the city. More information here.

Bikes, books and a little music: we like this blog for two-wheeled aficionados

Bikes, Books and a Little Music Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Detroit's cycle craze shifts into another gear thanks to this blog dedicated to motor-less transport in Motown -- with some cultural pit stops along the way.

Author Charlie Z., camera in hand (careful there) is passionate about capturing the feel and spirit of Detroit from two wheels. He also loves books and jazz from the 1950s and 1960s. Clearly, we think he's onto something here.

Excerpt:

I've experienced the sweet smell of bakeries and barbecues, breathed in the smokey fumes from beat-up cars, and diesel exhaust from buses or trucks has left my throat scratchy and dry. I've heard the sound of gospel music filling the streets on a Sunday morning. I've heard the people mover rumbling overhead. I've heard dogs barking, horns blowing, sirens blaring and street corner vendors hawking their goods. Most of all, I've seen considerable contrast between wealth and poverty. As I cycle through this city, I hope to present some of the unusual sights and rich sounds found within its borders.

Want a little more of Charlie Z? Click here.

WARM Training Center's BikeWay project seeks artists for cycle-inspired public sculptures

WARM Training Center Tuesday, June 07, 2011

In Brightmoor, where bus traffic is limited and less than 50 percent of residents have access to an automobile, a growing effort to promote bicycling is taking an artistic turn.

The Detroit Youth Energy Squad (D-YES) is coordinating the Brightmoor BikeWay, an interactive art and civic engagement project to celebrate two-wheeled transit -- and they're looking for welders, sculptors and metal-workers to design their own work for the pocket park, which is located along the Lyndon Greenway. Accepted artists will work directly with local youth to design, build and install the bike-themed sculptures out of recycled materials.

Interested? Contact Eric Tuomey or Patrick Gubry for an application, submission guidelines and more info. Find out more about the WARM Training Center's D-YES program here.

Spin a Movement bike tour with Wheelhouse Detroit

Wheelhouse Detroit Tuesday, May 24, 2011

A new bike tour dubbed 'Techno in the 313" offered through Wheelhouse Detroit will give Movement participants the opportunity to glimpse the biggest sites in Detroit's electronic music history next weekend.

The Packard Plant, the Underground Resistance Headquarters and The Music Institute are just a few of the landmarks riders will experience during the two tours, which take place Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30.

The two tours are capped at 15 riders each; so get your wheels spinning and book a spot at wheelhousedetroit.com. The Wheelhouse is also offering significant discounts to any rider with a Movement wristband.

$200 million federal grant to connect Chi-town and the D by light rail

Detroit News Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Michigan light rail advocates, rejoice -- the Mitten state will receive $200 million in federal funds to build a new bus and train station in Ann Arbor, and also to create a high speed rail line that will shave 50 minutes off the Detroit-Chicago train route.

The bulk of the funds will improve the Dearborn-Kalamazoo rail corridor, which will eventually allow trains to travel at speeds up to 110 mph along the 235-mile route. The funds will also allow Michigan and six other states to purchase next-generation high-performance passenger rail cars. Leaders around the state are hailing the federal grant as an essential step to eventually utilizing light rail throughout the state.

Excerpt:

Michigan mass transit advocates also touted the announcement.

"Policy and transportation planners have ranked the Detroit-to-Chicago corridor as one of the most viable routes in the nation," said Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United. "Because of Michigan's existing infrastructure, we can do high-speed rail faster and more cost-effectively than most other states. It just makes sense."

Find out more here.

Light rail update: Usage question stalls progress

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Well, maybe it was naive to assume we'd have light rail by now. But a working plan? Construction? According to the Detroit Free Press, plans for the M-1 light rail line, which would connect New Center and Downtown by way of Woodward Ave., are currently stymied by disputes between private backers, transit advocacy groups and city government.

The major disputes? Whether to run the light rail line down the middle, which transit experts say benefits pedestrians and riders, or down the sides, which private backers claim will stimulate commerce and tourism. Whether the trains will run down to Jefferson or circle downtown to connect with the Rosa Parks Transit Center has also stimulated much debate between private funders and city planners.

Excerpt:

But the project ultimately required cooperation between public and private interests, said Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, a group that advocates for public transit. "That's really where M-1 came from," she said, "this desire to get it done faster and to make sure it got done. But you can't really do a transportation project of this magnitude without working with the government. That's the reality."

Read the rest of the story here. And, if you missed this video, bring those trains down the middle, yo.

Transforming the future of transit in the D

Transforming Transportation Regional Corridor Consortium Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Bringing 21st century mass transit to the region is one heck of an undertaking. That's why local and national policymakers, researchers, industrialists and creators are joining forces April 7-9 at the Westin Book Cadillac for Transforming Transportation, a summit focused on sharing knowledge and advancing systems of thought that can turn an idea into real-world innovation. And the invitation's open, whether light rail or SMART buses get your heart a-thumpin'. For this inaugural meeting of the minds, Transforming Transportation reached out to the collaboration between University of Michigan and SMART, who will hold their annual summit in concert. The extensive and quite varied list of speakers include Transportation for America Director James Corless, City of Los Angeles Director of Transportation Planning Jay Kim, Kal Gyimesi, an associate partner at IBM Global Business Services and SEMCOG's Carmine Palumbo.

The program will combine high level speeches with collaborative work groups, plus a call for posters and plenty of cultural visits in and around Detroit. Registration ends April 3 -- guarantee your place here.

Wrap the train station in solar panels? LTU thinks green for Southwest Detroit

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Imagine the Michigan Central Station covered in solar panels and wind turbines, providing energy to the surrounding neighborhood. Sound crazy? That might be one way to describe this team of thinkers from Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield -- but their ideas for making Southwest Detroit the city's first net-zero community, meaning it would produce more energy than it uses, recently won LTU Professor Constance Budurow's Studio (C) a $50,000 grant from the Ford Foundation.

Excerpt:

Beyond producing some alternative energy for the district, the LTU team sees the idea as a catalyst for further experimentation, said Jordan Martin, 24, a recent LTU graduate in urban design. "We want to start that brainwork and then hope that that would spark further growth and opportunities for the people," Martin said. Other tactics suggested by the team include creating more public transit and more green infrastructure, like the planned extension of the RiverWalk west of downtown.

Tap into the LTU buzz here.

Sprawl-hating CEO's new vid pins region's hopes on Woodward corridor

Rustwire.com Tuesday, March 22, 2011

What's The Woodward Project video? We'd say it's in the vein of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, with an ambient music soundtrack. A ten-minute manifesto on how the automobile helped bring Detroit to its knees, and how new urbanism, mass transit, and M-1 can help lift an entire region back to its feet. It may be depressing at times, but Andrew Basile, a local CEO and author of the infamous open letter on sprawl that went viral last month, is clearly mad as hell, and isn't taking it anymore.

The opener doesn't pull any punches:

A great American city is within our reach. Detroit was once a great city. It was destroyed by the disastrous mistakes of an older generation. Catastrophe is their legacy. It doesn't have to be ours.

Click here to watch the video.

Bring those trains down the middle, yo

YouTube Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Sometimes you think you've seen everything, and then someone swipes an Eminem beat to make a hip-hop video on building light rail along Woodward Avenue, featuring stop-action rapping Lego men and references to famed Detroit mayor Hazel S. Pingree.

"Comments on Woodward Light Rail Alternatives" sounds more like a boring policy paper than a viral video, but producer Joel Batterman is technically accurate in suggesting that running transit lines down the center of Woodward (versus the sides) will save time and increase pedestrian safety. We're all over it. And it's one of the most awesome things you'll watch all week.

Peep the video here.

Imported from Detroit: Loyola student sums up hometown pride for D-town exports

Loyola Phoenix Tuesday, February 15, 2011

It's not always easy being an export from Detroit. Ferndale native and Loyola University student Sallyann Price doesn't like "8 Mile" and hates it when people ask whether she's been shot. But Eminem's new spot for the Chrysler 200 touched this Motown girl in the heart -- and in this graceful editorial for the college paper, Price offers up her own ode to the D.

Excerpt:

The spot simultaneously acknowledges the troubled reality of recent years and pairs it with the steely -- if cautious -- optimism of its citizens. We're still here, Chrysler seems to say, and we still have something valuable to offer America: A rich history of innovation, a deep appreciation for the finer things and an unwavering belief that the tide is turning in our favor.

It looks like hometown pride is back in a major way. Read the rest of the editorial here.

Danish students make film highlighting Detroit's underground vibes and "fantastic potential"

Copenhagenize.com Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Three Danish students journeyed to our fair city last summer to make a documentary on Detroit's urban planning ideas and what they could do for our future. Don't get turned off by the academic mission -- the ambient soundtrack, glimpses inside hair salons and liquor stores and Public Pool, meditations on urban pheasants and the Michigan Central station, all add up to one arresting and thought-provoking short film from our friends at Roskilde University.

Copenhagenize.com writes:

They'll highlight a city that was home to the Big Three -- Ford, Chrysler and GM and that gave the world Motown and Techno. A city that lost half of its population in just 50 years and where this year alone 3000 houses will be torn down.

A city that has the fantastic potential to be the first large city in the world to produce all of its foodstuffs within the city limits. A city that is fighting economic meltdown and brutal budget cuts. A city with a blossoming underground and art scene.

Views of Detroit was presented Feb 3 in Copenhagen, and a segment that featured a slow, hypnotic ride on the People Mover (with music by Hamtramck-based sound artist Jennifer Paull) screened last week at Public Pool.

Lincoln's TED-sponsored talk focuses on technology and transit

NYtimes.com Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A star-studded group of writers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders gathered at Lincoln's TED-sponsored conference at the North American International Auto Show. Called "New Tomorrows," the list of presenters included Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, conceptualist Lisa Gansky, Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty, and locals John Gallagher and Jessica Care Moore.

What's the future? A city of hacker dens uniting creative energy with technology, local farms supplying fresh produce, local bike paths along streetways and light rail.

Excerpt:

Ms. Gansky touched on the success of the Zipcar company and encouraged automakers to propagate car-share models -- a concept she explores in her 2010 book "The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing." "I really wanted to bring up the discussion of transit and how data could be used to do so much more," she said. "The car is a platform for people."

Read the post here.

Dave Bing talks 2011 possibility on WDET

Detroit Public Radio Tuesday, January 11, 2011

WDET host Craig Fahle left behind a star-studded cast when he took vacation over the holidays. Most notably, HOUR Detroit magazine publisher John Belardo interviewed Mayor Dave Bing about his hopes for the city in 2011.

In this revealing interview, Bing admitted that, while he wasn't as vocal as some past politicians ("I'm not one that's good at pep talks"), he saw big plans ahead for Detroit, particularly the Woodward Avenue Light Rail Project, which will install mass transit from downtown to Eight Mile Rd. and is scheduled to begin construction late this year.

Excerpt:

"That's just the beginning," he said. "If we're talking about regional transportation, you've got to have a connecting system. It's not going to happen overnight, but it's a start. Woodward Avenue is considered the spine of Detroit, so getting a light rail system up and down it will be the beginning of a coordinated system."

Check out the podcast of The Craig Fahle Show at WDET's website.

Rick Snyder envisions Detroit outpost, talks strengthening urban areas

Detroit News Tuesday, December 07, 2010

The buzz with the biggest political implication this week? It's the news that governor-elect Rick Snyder may create a state office specifically devoted to his urban agenda: and he's working with the city of Detroit to bring it here.

Excerpt:

Unlike some Republican candidates for governor, Snyder campaigned actively in Detroit before the Nov. 2 election and repeatedly said in campaign speeches that revitalizing urban areas is a priority. He also said Michigan can't be a great state again until Detroit is once again a great city.

The article notes Gov. Granholm, like other governors, has a state office in New Center's Cadillac Place building (incorrectly identified in the article as Midtown). But if he succeeds, Snyder will be the first governor to open the first Detroit office specializing in urban areas. Rick, we like the way you're thinking.

Read more here.

Opportunity knocks for Detroit, and it's a sound heard 'round the nation

Citiwire Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Is this a "golden moment" for cities like Detroit?

There's a conscious reason the national group CEOs for Cities, which has celebrated urban growth since 2001, chose Detroit for this year's annual conference (and got schooled on Tech Town, the Detroit Declaration and more). A new article from Citiwire.net says it's the growing appreciation for cities' inherent resources that makes now, not the future, the time to capitalize on building our nation's cities of tomorrow.The article also illustrated a few comparisons between Detroit and Atlanta, which has experienced steady revitalization in the past decade.

Excerpt:

The Detroit initiatives that may seem "against all odds" do in fact mirror trends working for American cities. Reports are multiplying of a growing cohort of talented young people, many of them college graduates, drawn to cities by their dynamism and excitement ... Then there's a clear trend, notes Carol Coletta, president of CEOs for Cities: recognizing, then exploiting, cities' sometimes hidden assets. A prime example is the Atlanta Beltline, a year a forlorn and abandoned 22-mile loop of rail lines now being made into a linear park of 1,200 landscaped acres with recouped industrial sites and transit service for 45 neighborhoods.

Read it here.

New deluxe SMART buses lure drivers from their vehicles

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Two new SMART hybrid-electric buses hitting the bus system's most-used routes on Woodward and Gratiot ride, as one bus driver put it, "like a Cadillac." The two buses, which were purchased for $800,000 each using federal stimulus dollars, are roomy, comfortable, and measure almost twice as long as SMART's regular diesel buses.

Taking the bus is de rigueur in Curitiba, Brazil, which boasts the world's most sophisticated bus system, carrying the same amount of passengers as subways or light rail at a fraction of the cost. While Detroit can't yet match the elevated bus stations or dedicated lanes of Curitiba, these 100-seat mega-buses will offer SMART passengers a glimpse into the region's possible transit future.

Excerpt:

The region can't sustain rapid transit or light-rail service if more people aren't willing to park their cars at least part of the time. Unfortunately, basic buses are simply not sexy enough to lure many drivers out of their vehicles. SMART should use these hybrids to start promoting transit for people who have transportation options. Southeast Michigan is a long way from a first-class transit system -- one that can match Curitiba or even Cleveland -- but SMART's new world-class buses should whet the region's appetite for one.

Read more here.

Can light rail keep the kids in Detroit?

mLive Tuesday, July 27, 2010

This is good news, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said that a Woodward Light Rail Project from Hart Plaza to 8 Mile "is going to happen." Better news, however, would be seeing the ground break. Words are great, action is better.

Excerpt from mLive:

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says the $425 million Woodward Light Rail Project -- which will run from Hart Plaza to 8 Mile -- "is going to happen" and that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood should be in town soon to announce additional backing.

Bing made the announcement Thursday during a "big four" round table discussion hosted by Paul W. Smith of WJR-AM 760, suggesting the line could help reverse economic and population trends.

"I think it's about more than just transportation," he said. "It's about economic development. Cities that I've been in that have a light rail system, you've seen all kinds of businesses pop up around the system itself -- whether it's the young people that are living in that area, whether there's entrepreneurs that come to the area."

Read the entire article here.

Improving metro Detroit's bus system benefits everyone

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, July 20, 2010

How could not improving our metro and urban bus system help our live and the health of the region? Exactly... there's no downside to improving the mass transit that we already have.

Excerpt:

Thousands of Detroiters make extraordinary efforts to stay on the grind, riding the bus to suburban jobs that pay little more than minimum wage. To anyone who thinks Detroiters are lazy or don't want to work, I'd suggest walking -- or riding -- a mile in their shoes.

We can start that journey with Rashawnda Jones, a housekeeper at Somerset Inn in Troy. Jones, 25, commutes more than 21 miles from her west-side house, a trip that takes an hour and a half.

To allow time for possible missed connections or late buses, she likes to leave home early. Jones rubs the sleep from her eyes at 5 a.m., while the streets outside are still dark.

She showers, toasts a waffle, lays out her son's school clothes and puts on a burgundy smock before heading out at 6 a.m. -- two hours before her shift starts.

Jones catches the Schoolcraft DDOT bus to Woodward and Manchester. Then, after waiting about five minutes, she transfers to a SMART bus on the 460 route that takes her to Somerset Inn.

"It's hard, but I'm doing my best," Jones told me Monday, while we rode the SMART bus north on Woodward.

Read the entire article here.

As Seen on YouTube: June's Critical Mass video

YouTube Tuesday, July 13, 2010

At the end of every month, a bunch of bicyclers get together and ride the streets for Detroit Critical Mass. We posted a video last month that did a fine job of giving you an idea of what the event is all about. But, thanks to the social forum, nearly 400 people showed up to June's event and it's worth seeing that many bikers riding through the city.

Bicycle culture is returning to Detroit; Critical Mass ride is huge in June

SF.StreetsBlog.org Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Last month's US Social Forum brought 15,000 people here and a lot of bikes (see the video below). The city, before it was known for cars, it was known for bicycles. The Detroit streets are flat and wide, and with two bike shops in the Hub and the Wheelhouse, this bicycle culture is starting to come back -- and in a big way.

Excerpt from SF.StreetsBlog:

In Detroit for the US Social Forum (I'll have a report posted shortly at my blog) we spent some happy hours bicycling around the wide open city. An early stop was The Hub, Detroit's most vibrant community bike shop, where one of the guys got excited by our questions and immediately pulled out their only copy of an old 1896 bicycling map of Detroit.

After three days at the Social Forum, more and more bicycles piled up on every lockable fence and pole in front of the big downtown convention center Cobo Hall (I'm sure it had never experienced so many convention goers arriving by bike), we helped our hosts promote Critical Mass on Friday night.

Detroit has had a small-ish Critical Mass going back some years, but this was its biggest ever, about 375 riders. A great route was planned and most followed, which took us downtown, along the riverfront, out into eastern Detroit, through the remarkable Heidelberg Project, and finally back into the center of the City. Here's a gallery of shots.

Read the entire post here.

And more on that Detroit Critical Mass ride, in which a bunch of bicyclers get together and ride the streets each month. We posted a video last month that did a fine job of giving you an idea of what the event is all about. But, thanks to the social forum, nearly 400 people showed up to June's event and it's worth seeing that many bikers riding through the city.

Filmmaker Aaron Woolf is on Minnesota Public Radio saying Detroit has a lot to teach

Minnesota Public Radio Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Filmmaker Aaron Woolf, who spoke here in Detroit about his documentary "Beyond the Motor City" last month, says that the Detroit has something to teach to America.

Excerpt from Minnesota Public Radio:

Aaron Woolf doesn't deny Detroit was a mess, even before the collapse of the car industry. However, he argues that just as Detroit led the nation in transportation in the 20th century, it could be the model for the 21st century.

"Detroit is an amazing story," he says. "Detroit has lived the highest highs and the lowest lows of our transportation choices."

Woolf's film, "Beyond the Motor City," shows how Detroit was once hailed for its streetcar and railway system in the 19th century. Most of that disappeared as the city's thriving auto factories churned out cars, which reshaped the whole of America.

Read the entire article here.

Tri-county rapid bus line endorsed, but will it derail light rail plans?

Detroit News Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The "Golden Triangle" is a proposed plan that would bring a rapid bus route to to three linking counties. Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne, including downtown Detroit, would be linked. Proponents say it would be cheaper and faster to establish than light rail. And that's all well and good. It's an exciting new development, however, transit advocates are buzzin on the Internet, saying light rail is still needed in Detroit.

Excerpt from the Detroit News:

The "Golden Triangle" -- a proposed rapid bus route that would link Macomb and Oakland counties with downtown Detroit -- got a boost Thursday from local business groups that say it will be cheaper and faster to establish than light rail.

The Macomb County and the Sterling Heights Regional Chambers of Commerce say they support a plan by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to use buses on dedicated lanes along a 67-mile route.

The bus route need not compete with light rail projects in Metro Detroit, backers say. Rather, it could be a precursor for light-rail systems because it would establish the ridership required to draw federal funding for light rail, officials say.

"It's a practical, functional, fiscally responsible approach to mass transit that serves the whole region," said Macomb County Board of Commissioners chairman Paul Gieleghem, D-Clinton Township. "It will roll like (light) rail and feel like (light) rail."

Read the entire article here.

Detroit was represented well at the 10th annual National Bike Summit in DC

m-bike.org Tuesday, April 06, 2010

The 10th annual National Bike Summit was held in D.C. a bit ago. Todd Scott who operates the m-bike.org site and Kelli Kavanaugh from Wheelhouse Detroit (and right here at Model D) showed up to push biking in Michigan. Todd Scott's post lays out what happened with some good news at the end for the Detroit bicycles.

Excerpt from m-bike.org:

The networking opportunities here were significant. I spent some time speaking with a software engineer that developed the Google's bike routing. There are a number of issues that I don't believe they have considered that I will be following up on. I also said that since the Google Trike is coming to the Detroit Zoo, it might as well create Streetview images for the Dequindre Cut and RiverWalk. That might be possible. We'll see.

I went to dinner with Kelli Kavanaugh (Wheelhouse Detroit), Karen Kavanaugh (Governor's office in Washington DC � not related to Kelli), and Ginny Sullivan (Adventure Cycling.) It was a great opportunity for exchanging bicycle advocacy information.

I spoke with Gary Fisher about coming to Detroit for an urban ride. He's never ridden in the city and I think I had him convinced he needs to. I believe he was wearing tweed throughout the entire Summit � totally dapper.

The biggest disappointment? The National Bike Summit remains an event mainly attended by white adults. This lack of diversity perpetuates the stereotype that bicycles are white cultural phenomenon. There was a moderately interesting session on promoting diversity that relied largely on the efforts of the presentation by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Perhaps the best recommendation came from Keith Holt (Active Transportation Alliance.) He suggested groups start by diversifying their boards � a great suggestion for the League of American Bicyclists who organized the summit.

Read the entire article here.

Metro Times: Midtown is coming into its own

Metro Times Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Over the last decade Detroit's Midtown are has exploded along Cass Corridor. Most may remember it being vacant, empty, destination-less, but it isn't like that anymore. And with the expected light-rail project coming to Woodward, Midtown will continue to grow, and, more importantly, could grow faster.

Excerpt from the Metro Times:

This area known as Midtown � roughly between downtown and the New Center � has a growing energy and the promise of more if a planned rail project is installed along Woodward. With its independent businesses, continued investment from Wayne State and a new mind-set about walkability, rideability and marketability, the area is a unique and colorful section of Detroit. And the strip along Willis at Cass is becoming one of its most vibrant components.

"What we have now is a lot of bubbling up. It's like a brew," says Harriet Saperstein, a former city of Detroit planner and current chair of the Woodward Avenue Action Association, which works in Wayne and Oakland counties. "With lots of these bubbles, some of them are going to dissipate, but some may have more flavor and staying power."

Read the entire article here.

Congrats to the Hub of Detroit: Michigan's first gold level Bicycle Friendly Business

The Hub of Detroit Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Congratulations to the Hub of Detroit. They have been announced as the first ever gold level Bicycle Friendly Business in Michigan by the League of American Bicyclists. The Hub received the honor because of their push in making changes in transportation policies to promote biking to work as well as setting a community-wide example for a biking environment.

Excerpt from a press release posted on the Hub web site:

"This Bicycle Friendly Business is making a difference for employees, customers, and communities," said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program. "The Hub of Detroit promotes bicycling as a viable form of transportation and gives their employees choices and options that make biking to work easy and fun."

Read the entire post here.

M-1 Rail line is a go, even has a website

Model D/Detroit News Tuesday, March 09, 2010

If you follow us on Twitter, then surely you know that at the annual Downtown Detroit Partnership, May Dave Bing said that the M-1 Rail line was a go and should be "shovel ready" by the end of 2010.

That's great news for Detroit and Detroiters. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it'll actually happen then. However, if the words of the mayor aren't enough, check out the M-1 rail line website. Nothing says "commitment" like a website.

Find the M-1 rail line site here.

Read a Detroit News article about the M-1 rail line and Bing's words here.

Downtown Detroit Partnership's annual luncheon features Ficano, Bing

Downtown Detroit Partnership Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Downtown Detroit Partnership's annual luncheon will take place on Thursday, March 4, at the Marriott in the Ren Cen. This year's featured speakers will be Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been invited as well. Kresge Foundation CEO Rip Rapson and M-1 Rail CEO Matt Cullen will discuss the perspectives of mass transit in Detroit. DDP CEO Ann Lang will also speak.

For more information and to register go here.

Detroit News Editorial: Detroit needs to fit itself to its population

Detroit News Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Detroit is like wearing a size 12 shoe when you're supposed to wear a size 9. This Detroit News editorial says Detroit needs to chuck the size 12 and get a shoe that fits.

Excerpt:

That's the challenge. Shrinking Detroit, which was built for more than 2 million people and now has less than 900,000, will be an emotionally wrenching exercise. People who live on blocks containing only one or two houses are as attached to their homes as those who live in crowded neighborhoods.

Also, closing off sections of the city or shifting them to agricultural or recreational uses will signal to some a giving up on Detroit's potential.

That's why it is essential to begin rallying the public to the benefits of right-sizing. The most obvious upside is that Detroit will be able to deliver better services -- including police and fire -- if the population is more concentrated.

Read the entire article here.

As Seen on YouTube: Detroit in 2050

America 2050 Tuesday, February 09, 2010

What will Detroit look like in 40 years? America 2050 offers a sneak preview of what it might be like.

Transit : Buzz