Larry Deck of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition gave a presentation to the Ann Arbor park advisory commission about the Border-to-Border trail. (Photos by the writer.)

The main presentation focused on the Border-to-Border trail connections in Ann Arbor. The trail runs roughly along the Huron River from Livingston County in the north to Wayne County in the east, using paved shared-use paths, unpaved paths and bike lanes.

Larry Deck from the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition highlighted three areas that WBWC has identified as high priorities: (1) between Bandemer Park and Barton Park/Huron River Drive (the B2B trail ends at the north edge of Bandemer Park); (2) near the intersection of Fuller Road and Maiden Lane; and (3) near the Fuller Road bridge over the Huron River.

Another WBWC priority is to improve the bicycling connections between the University of Michigan’s central and north campuses.

Deck suggested that PAC consider a resolution recommending to city council that these projects be designed and funded, and in general renew the priority of the B2B trail along the Huron River greenway. It’s been a city priority for decades, he noted, but it’s good to have a reminder of that.

Discussion among commissioners focused on the challenges of crossing railroad tracks at various points along the B2B route, as well as interest in coordinating with other projects like the recommendations of the North Main Huron River corridor task force.

During the meeting, commissioners also got an annual update from George Taylor, president of the Cobblestone Farm Association, as well as briefings from PAC’s dog park and downtown park subcommittees. Results from surveys to solicit public input for both subcommittees are now available, and will be analyzed by commissioners and staff in preparation for upcoming public forums. [.pdf of 306-page dog park survey results] [.pdf of 110-page downtown park survey results]

Two public forums are scheduled for the downtown park project: On Monday, Sept. 9 in the basement of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at city hall’s basement conference room, 301 E. Huron, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The dog park subcommittee – which is looking for a possible location for a third dog park – will hold a public forum on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Cobblestone Farms, 2781 Packard. In noting the history of opposition to proposals for a dog park at West Park, Tim Berla wondered whether it would be possible to locate a dog park anywhere near a residential neighborhood. It’s a “classic Ann Arbor trap,” he said – everyone is in favor of it, until something specific is proposed and the neighbors say no.

In his manager’s report, Colin Smith highlighted several upcoming events. The annual season-closing “dog swim” at Buhr Park pool will be held on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 from 3-8 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. in Liberty Plaza – the downtown park at Division and Liberty – a grand opening will be held for the “sensory garden” there. It’s a project of the Ann Arbor commission on disability issues, in collaboration with the city’s adopt-a-park program and the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

Smith also noted that the popularity of Argo Cascades has led to a shortage of parking in that area. As a result, beginning Labor Day weekend the staff will start using a portion of Longshore Park to park cars. It’s a short-term measure while the staff seeks longer-term solutions, he said.

Border-To-Border Trail

Larry Deck from the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition (WBWC) gave a presentation on the Border-to-Border trail connections in Ann Arbor, highlighting some areas that need attention.

WBWC has been an advocacy organization, Deck said, and he briefly described some of the work that the group has done, including advocating for changes to the city’s crosswalk ordinance. Members have participated in the city of Ann Arbor’s alternative transportation committee, Ypsilanti’s non-motorized advisory committee, the Washtenaw County greenways advisory committee, and other public groups. WBWC also partners with other entities, he said, including the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society, Center for Independent Living, and the getDowntown program.

The Border-to-Border (B2B) trail, an initiative spearheaded by the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission, runs roughly along the Huron River from Livingston County in the north to Wayne County in the east, using paved shared-use paths, unpaved paths and bike lanes. About half of it is complete, Deck reported, with more segments in the works.

WBWC has prioritized parts of the trail countywide, Deck said. Those priorities are based on several factors: (1) connecting centers of population and activity; (2) connecting to the existing Border‐to‐Border trail; (3) accommodating the needs of all people and abilities; (4) countywide significance; (5) near‐term feasibility; and (6) whether trails are prioritized in current plans by local municipalities, like Ann Arbor’s non-motorized transportation plan.

Outside of Ann Arbor, Deck noted that about 7 miles of trail between Dexter-Huron Metropark through Dexter and out to North Territorial Road will be completed by the end of this year. There are a lot of projects in the Ypsilanti area too, he said, to pull the trail segments together.

Within Ann Arbor, one WBWC priority is to improve the bicycling connections between the University of Michigan’s central and north campuses. Deck reported that WBWC is working with staff at the city and university on this project.

But Deck focused on three other primary areas that WBWC has identified as problems: (1) between Bandemer Park and Barton Park/Huron River Drive (the B2B trail ends at the north edge of Bandemer Park); (2) near the intersection of Fuller Road and Maiden Lane; and (3) near the Fuller Road bridge over the Huron River.

Three problem areas in Ann Arbor for the Border-to-Border trail, as identified by the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition.

Some of the city’s plans also identify these areas as locations that need to be addressed, Deck said. For example, the 2007 non-motorized plan calls for a new pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the Huron River just west of Maiden Lane at Fuller, plus trail connections at three existing underpasses in that area. When the existing bridges were built in the 1980s, they included wide concrete paths underneath the bridges, in anticipation that connection to those trails would be completed. “But 30 years later, we still need to complete them,” he said.

The city’s parks and recreation open space (PROS) plan also shows trails at all of those underpasses in the Fuller/Maiden Lane and Fuller/Huron River area. In addition, the PROS plan indicates plans for an underpass under the railroad, connecting Bandemer and Barton parks.

Deck showed PAC members a series of maps that indicated how B2B connections might be achieved in these three areas. In the case of the Fuller Road/Maiden Lane area, the goal is to avoid the “nasty” intersection where pedestrians and cyclists are expected to cross now. WBWC also hopes to see some existing shared-use paths widened to 14 feet. [The Fuller Road and Maiden Lane intersection has one of the higher volumes of pedestrian traffic in the city.]

Deck noted that demand is high, especially in the Fuller Road/Maiden Lane area. A 12-hour traffic count at that intersection in 2006 – conducted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. – recorded 1,767 pedestrians and 443 bicyclists on Fuller Road, plus 2,694 pedestrians and 292 bicyclists at Maiden Lane. More than 90% of the bicyclists weren’t using the road, but were on sidewalks. “So there is a need for improving these facilities,” Deck said. He estimated the cost at about $500,000 for that area.

Possible B2B connections at Fuller Road and Maiden Lane. (Image by WBWC.)

Possible B2B connections at Fuller Road along the Huron River. (Image by WBWC.)

Possible B2B connections between Bandemer and Barton parks. (Image by WBWC.)

Possible B2B connection between Barton Park and Foster Bridge. (Image by WBWC.)

Making connections at Bandemer and Barton parks would be more expensive, Deck noted – likely $2 million or more, because it involves the railroad tracks. Currently, there’s an “informal” crossing and path that Deck described as “an accident waiting to happen.” With higher-speed trains coming, it will be even more risky, he said. There are other alternatives, Deck noted, but none are as desirable as a railroad underpass.

Deck said that of the projects considered by the city’s North Main Huron River corridor task force, the highest priority for WBWC is the Bandemer/Barton connection. Lower priorities, from WBWC’s perspective, include: (1) a railroad underpass near Main & Depot; (2) sidewalk repair and possible extension in the North Main Street area; (3) a park on the DTE site, with a trail and bridge over the Allen Creek; (4) a railroad gate at Lakeshore Drive; (5) a crosswalk to Bluffs Park; and (6) Main/Depot intersection improvements.

In terms of financing, Deck told PAC there was funding available for significant projects, especially for regional initiatives. Possible sources include the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund, the federal transportation alternatives program, Washtenaw County parks & recreation, local transportation funding, the city’s park maintenance and capital improvements millage, and the University of Michigan.

Deck suggested that PAC consider a resolution that would recommend to city council that these projects be designed and funded, and in general renewing the priority of the B2B trail along the Huron River greenway. It’s been a city priority for decades, he noted, and it’s good to have a reminder of that.

Border-To-Border Trail: Commission Discussion

Alan Jackson told Deck that there are different groups with different priorities, and he wanted to give some pushback on the WBWC’s priorities. He wondered whether all bicyclists would use the B2B connections, or whether it would be better to spend money on road improvements, for those cyclists who ride on the roads. At Fuller Road and Maiden Lane, for example, it’s possible to cross the road, even though it’s difficult, he said. In contrast, the railroad crossing between Barton and Bandemer is a real impediment.

Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner Alan Jackson.

Deck replied that bicyclists do have the right to be on the road, and that’s what many bicyclists do. But a lot of people don’t ride their bicycles because they’re afraid to go on the road, especially at busy intersections like Fuller and Maiden Lane. Deck said he does a lot of biking – he rode to the PAC meeting, for example – but he prefers a good trail, if it’s available. He thinks most people would prefer to use a trail.

Jackson also raised the issue of the route between UM’s central and north campus, saying he agreed it wasn’t a good connection. He wondered if WBWC has worked with the university in any substantive way, and did UM officials indicate they’d be willing to fund such a project? “Certainly that would help us in our decision-making,” Jackson said.

Deck replied that some WBWC members recently met with UM staff and Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager. There’s no indication of funding, but UM is willing to work on these issues, he said.

Bob Galardi told Deck that he’s involved in the Allen Creek Greenway Conservancy. If the greenway gets built, it would go through downtown Ann Arbor and allow a lot of people to connect to the B2B trail. One of the difficult connections is at Main & Depot, and he wondered what Deck thought about that. Deck replied that the proposed greenway would enhance the B2B trail, though he saw the greenway as a longer-term vision. A good first step would be to figure out a way to cross the railroad tracks near Main & Depot. That would make it easier to justify funding for other projects in that area, Deck said.

Galardi pointed out that getting across Main Street is another challenge. He was on the B2B trail the previous day, Galardi said. “It’s so nice, but getting to it – for a big population that are Ann Arbor residents, at least – is not easy.” Deck suggested looking at building a passage underneath the Main & Depot intersection and the railroad, though he acknowledged it would be very expensive.

Tim Berla agreed that there were a lot of expensive projects related to these connections, but the city should get some of the projects moving. The biggest challenge is the railroad tracks, he said, and it should be the highest priority. Berla recalled that Amy Kuras, the city’s park planner, had worked on that a few years ago. How should the city proceed if they wanted to get this project “back on the tracks,” he quipped.

Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner Bob Galardi also serves on the Allen Creek Greenway Conservancy board.

Kuras recalled that the city did an engineering study about eight or nine years ago, and negotiated with the railroad to get some preliminary commitments for a pedestrian crossing. The biggest issue is that the railroad – which is now under new ownership – wouldn’t allow any changes that might interrupt train service, Kuras said. She’d spent a lot of time lining up potential federal, state and local funding sources, but then the city decided not to move forward with the project. The estimated cost was around $2 million.

Berla noted that a crossing had seemed possible at the time. He suggested that PAC could weigh in and recommend it as a priority, so that Kuras could re-initiate the project. Kuras cautioned that a lot has changed since her previous work, including priorities that are being recommended by the North Main Huron River corridor task force. So it would be important to look at the bigger picture and coordinate with other entities, like the state and University of Michigan. Berla felt it would be a good long-term priority.

Julie Grand, who has served on the North Main Huron River corridor task force, clarified that one of that group’s recommendations will be for a railroad crossing at Fourth & Depot, to connect to the DTE site and on to the Huron River. [The city hopes that the land now owned by DTE, next to the Huron River and across from Argo Cascades, will eventually become parkland.] There might be grant funding for that project, she noted, which might make it rise in terms of priorities.

Kuras added that three locations have been considered for pedestrian underpasses at the railroad tracks: (1) at Nichols Arboretum; (2) between Barton and Bandemer parks; and (3) at Fourth & Depot to connect to the DTE property. A bridge over North Main Street has also been discussed, she said. The challenges with bridges include the clearance needed for the trains, and making the ramps ADA accessible. And any connection needs to be done in a way that makes people want to use it, she added, or else millions of dollars will be spent and people will just use the current informal routes, if those are more convenient.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said there’s been a lot of attention over the past year regarding the B2B trail, the area around Main Street and the Allen Creek greenway. A lot of opportunities have been identified, and PAC can help figure out where the city should focus when applying for grants to pursue some of these projects, he said.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Cobblestone Farm Association

George Taylor, president of the Cobblestone Farm Association, delivered a brief update to the commission, along with a written annual report for 2012. [.pdf of 2012 annual report] The association is a nonprofit that works in partnership with the city of Ann Arbor, which owns the Cobblestone Farm property and buildings at 2781 Packard Road, adjacent to Buhr Park.

George Taylor, president of the Cobblestone Farm Association.

Noting that it seemed like ancient history now, Taylor reported that in 2012 the city hired an architect to assess the facilities, and determined that roof replacement and work on the windows were priorities. Taylor contacted Preservation By Design to look at the windows. Soon after that, one of the windows was broken from an attempted break-in, so that window was replaced by PBD. [On Jan. 7, 2013, the city council approved a contract to replace the roofs at Cobblestone Farm's event barn and the Tincknor-Campbell House.]

One of the newest activities at the farm is a weekly farmers market, Taylor reported. It’s held every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m., and there have been up to 300 people on some Tuesdays, with 10-20 vendors. There are arts and crafts for kids, bicycle repair, free music. He invited commissioners to drop by later that day.

Among other activities held at Cobblestone, Taylor highlighted the first craft show, which had five vendors. They’ll all be coming back for an event in September, he said.

Taylor reported that the parks system rents out the farm for lots of weddings. The association is tapped into the resource, he said, and rents out the Tincknor-Campbell House for two hours for wedding parties to use as a staging area and tour, for a $75 fee. “It’s been a great revenue source from us,” he said. Many people who come say that they’ve lived in Ann Arbor all their lives, but haven’t ever been to the Cobblestone Farm house, he said. “The word’s getting out there that Cobblestone Farm is probably one of the best kept secrets of the city of Ann Arbor.”

Next year will be mark the association’s 40th year in partnership with the city of Ann Arbor, which owns the facility. The group is planning a large party at its annual meeting in April, and Taylor invited commissioners to attend. He noted that there have been ups and downs over the years at Cobblestone, but now “everything is really looking up.” He thanked the parks staff for their work.

Downtown Park Update

PAC received a briefing on the downtown park subcommittee from Ingrid Ault, who chairs that group. Other members are Julie Grand, Alan Jackson and Karen Levin.

Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner Ingrid Ault serves on the dog park subcommittee and chairs the downtown park subcommittee.

The online survey has closed, with about 1,600 responses. The results are posted on the subcommittee’s website. [.pdf of 110-page downtown park survey results].

A lot of the questions had been open-ended, so that the community could drive the conversation, Ault said. The subcommittee members and parks staff will be analyzing and categorizing the results.

The subcommittee’s next meeting is on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. at city hall’s 6th floor conference room. They’ll be discussing how to do more community outreach, now that the survey results are in, Ault said. The meetings are open to the public.

Two public forums are scheduled as well: On Monday, Sept. 9 in the basement of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at city hall’s basement conference room from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Dog Park Update

PAC’s dog park subcommittee consists of Ingrid Ault, Karen Levin and Missy Stults. Stults and Levin did not attend PAC’s Aug. 20 meeting, so Ault gave the update. A survey to get public input closed on Aug. 12, and over 1,500 responses were received. The subcommittee will next meet on Friday, Aug. 23 at city hall to discuss the results. Another meeting is set for Sept. 11 at Cobblestone Farm.

The survey had asked a range of questions, Ault said, including whether respondents used the existing dog parks and what people like or don’t like about them. The survey also asked for feedback on specific parks that might include a dog park. Julie Grand noted that about two-thirds of the respondents were female.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said the number of responses for this survey and for the downtown park survey had been extremely high, compared to other city surveys. Both subcommittees had done outreach to solicit input.

Julie Grand, chair of the city’s park advisory commission.

Tim Berla asked whether the results are available to the public. Smith reported that the results are posted on the subcommittee’s website. [.pdf of 306-page dog park survey results] Berla suggested that in addition to making the information available in a .pdf file, the raw data should be posted in a format so that anyone could download it into a spreadsheet and do their own analysis. He felt it’s important to “just let the ideas into the marketplace and people can figure it out.”

Grand noted that it’s also important to remember that the survey is just one piece of input. It wasn’t intended as a way for people to vote, she said. The survey will be used to help inform PAC’s recommendation, along with feedback at public meetings and other types of information.

Berla then alluded to the prior recommendation to put a dog park in West Park. [In 2012 and then earlier this year, two locations for a new centrally-located dog park were explored at West Park, but ultimately rejected because of protests from nearby residents as well as the New Hope Baptist Church, which is located across the street from the park.] Based on what happened at West Park, he said, “people are going to say, ‘Yeah, I’m in favor of dog parks – just not anywhere near my house.’” It seemed like almost an intractable problem to him. The city’s two existing dog parks, on the far north and south sides of town, aren’t near anyone’s house, he noted.

Berla wondered if there was any way to move forward. It’s a “classic Ann Arbor trap,” he said – everyone is in favor of it, until something specific is proposed and the neighbors say no.

Grand replied that’s why the dog park subcommittee is taking these steps to get more input and look at the broader policy issue. She thought that would make it easier to move forward with a decision. Amy Kuras, the city’s park planner, expressed interest in developing standard criteria for things like a recommended distance between a dog park and residences. That’s something the subcommittee hopes to develop out of this public process, she said.

In terms of input, the day after PAC’s meeting, the parks & rec staff received an email from Tom Egel, a resident who lives near West Park, with the subject line “Ode to the PAC Dog Park Subcommittee”:

I do not want a loud dog park
I do not want to hear dogs bark

Parks are for people (and dogs on leashes)
Not for a fence that's filled with feces

I live in Ann Arbor and enjoy when it's quiet
Walking my dog means we don't have to diet

We do not need a dog park in "The Ann"
For those who insist, I have a good plan:

There's plenty of land on the outskirts of town
Where dogs can run free and play with more hounds

People with dogs will come from afar
No need to walk there, 'cause they have a car

For those in the city, you can take a nice walk
You'll meet other dogs as you circle the block

So give up this obsession (some call it a lark)
To insist on a centrally located dog park

The residents will thank you, to say the very least
As we relax and enjoy our quiet and peace

Egel had spoken against locating a dog park at West Park during PAC’s March 19, 2013 meeting.

Communications & Commentary

There were several opportunities for communications from staff or commissioners during the Aug. 20 meeting. No one spoke during the two slots available for public commentary.

Communications & Commentary: Officer Elections

Julie Grand, PAC’s current chair, reminded commissioners that officer elections would be held at PAC’s Sept. 17 meeting. She encouraged anyone who is interested in holding an office to talk to current officers, including herself.

Ingrid Ault is vice chair. Grand’s term on PAC ends on Oct. 18, 2013.

Communications & Commentary: Manager’s Report

Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, gave several brief updates on upcoming events. The annual season-closing “dog swim” at Buhr Park pool will be held on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 from 3-8 p.m. Even if you don’t own a dog, it’s pretty fun to watch, he said. Local businesses are providing prizes for raffles.

Colin Smith, parks & recreation manager.

On Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. in Liberty Plaza – the downtown park at Division and Liberty – a grand opening will be held for a “sensory garden” there. It’s a project of the city’s commission on disability issues, in collaboration with the adopt-a-park program and the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

Smith also highlighted the grand openings held earlier this summer for the Ann Arbor skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park, and for the newly renovated ballfields at Vets, West Park and Southeast Area Park.

Attendance at the city’s pools has been down in August because of the cooler weather, Smith reported. On the other end of the spectrum, the Argo Cascades has been extremely busy, he said. In July of 2013 compared to July 2012, operations at the Argo livery increased by 52%.

That has resulted in an extreme shortage of parking, especially on the weekends. As a result, beginning Labor Day weekend, the staff will start using a portion of Longshore Park to park cars, Smith said. They expect to accommodate up to 50 vehicles there.

The parks staff will be looking for longer-term solutions, Smith noted, but in the short term, that’s the plan. Part of the problem now is that people are parking on Longshore Drive, which narrows the road and limits the access of emergency vehicles.

Present: Ingrid Ault, Tim Berla, Bob Galardi, Julie Grand, Alan Jackson, Graydon Krapohl, Jen Geer and councilmember Mike Anglin. Also Colin Smith, city parks and recreation manager.

Absent: Karen Levin, Missy Stults and Christopher Taylor (ex-officio).

Next PAC meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. PAC’s land acquisition committee meets on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

Next downtown park subcommittee meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. at city hall’s 6th floor conference room. Two public forums are scheduled as well: On Monday, Sept. 9 in the basement of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at city hall’s basement conference room, 301 E. Huron, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. More information about that group is on the subcommittee’s website.

Next dog park subcommittee meetings: Friday, Aug. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at city hall’s first floor north conference room; and on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Cobblestone Farms, 2781 Packard. More information is on that group’s website.

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Top to bottom: Tom Wright, Frank Schwende, Thomas Kula. (Photos by the writer.)

And as the weather gets warmer, the primary election season will also start to heat up – just as surely as journalists will appeal to hackneyed clichés to describe it. For local office candidates, as well as commentators on local races, part of the sport is to categorize the community into convenient groupings – like parents, homeowners, renters, students, landlords, environmentalists, developers, new urbanists, preservationists, park-lovers, young professionals, old hippies, the handicapped, business people, transit riders, etc.

I’m not certain that bicyclists would make the list as a voter group. But they’ll serve to make the point I want to make.

Yes, that non-exhaustive list of groupings is a sometimes useful and convenient set of labels. But just as the word “zebra” is a convenient label for those horse-shaped animals with a black and white pattern of stripes, that doesn’t mean that all of those “zebras” are necessarily biologically related.

The title of this column, in fact, is a play on the title of a fairly famous essay by Stephen Jay Gould: “What, If Anything, Is a Zebra?” That essay was written back in the early ’80s and I’m not sure if the evolutionary biologists ever settled the question. I don’t really care – zebras don’t live around these parts, and even if they did, they’re notorious non-voters.

But bicyclists do live around here. And they’ll serve as well as any grouping to illustrate the fact that among any “community” we include in a list of labels, there’ll be smaller sub-communities that have more specialized interests. So we’d do well to avoid thinking of these convenient labels as reflective of any one coherent community.

This column takes a look at three groups of people that could fairly be labeled “bicyclists,” with the idea that they’re separate groups, with maybe some overlap in people, but which are fundamentally different: Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, Bicycles Are Traffic, and Common Cycle. I look at each group through the lens of one of their events I’ve attended over the last week and a half.

Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition: RAT

Friday two weeks ago was Frank Schwende’s final Ride Around Town (RAT), an advocacy ride sponsored by the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition (WBWC). Schwende has led the ride on a couple of loops through downtown Ann Arbor – rain or shine, snow or dry – almost every second Friday of the month since Friday, Oct. 12, 2007. The ride starts from Liberty Plaza at Liberty & Division.

Frank Schwende, left, helps Aren Stobby affix a toy stuffed rat to his helmet. Stuffed rats are the unofficial mascot for the Ride Around Town (RAT).

That inaugural RAT was documented on ArborUpdate (AU), a recently-defunct community discussion and information source. Its online archives continue to serve as useful public history from roughly 2005-10. Steve Bean, now a candidate for mayor, participated in that first ride and reported back to AU that there had been eight participants: “We got several supportive comments from pedestrians, a few honks, and lots of curious looks.”

The point of the ride, as Schwende explained to the gathering of bicyclists at Liberty Plaza over a week ago Friday, was to “take to the streets, not take over the streets.” It would be  a demonstration, he said, of how bicycles could be operated like vehicles. The group would be signaling turns and stopping at stop signs, he told the roughly 15 riders assembled on the plaza.

As we headed west on Liberty towards the State Street area, an Ann Arbor fire department ladder truck sped past us with siren and lights going. We caught up to it as it parked near the intersection of North University and State, but it wasn’t clear what the nature of the emergency call was.

Kris Talley, left, and Karen Moorhead, right, as the RAT pauses on Main Street at Washington for a traffic light.

Cycling along with the group, I chatted with Kris Talley, who’s a current board member and past chair of the WBWC. The group recently achieved official nonprofit status, effective April 1, 2010, which she said was an important step in positioning the group to be a strong advocate for cycling and walking. Donations to the coalition are now tax exempt.

The RAT is one of several different projects the WBWC works on. Others include participation in local and regional non-motorized planning efforts with the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, and sponsorship of valet bicycle parking at the Ann Arbor art fairs.

The post-ride meal, which has evolved into a tradition for the RAT, was at Tios. The first “rat hole” – as Schwende is fond of calling the rotating location for the post-ride meal – was also at Tios. At that time, though, Tios was located on Huron Street. [The building was purchased by the city of Ann Arbor and demolished. In their new location, and equipped with a liquor license, business at Tios appears to be good.]

Why was last Friday’s ride Schwende’s last RAT? He’s moving to Colorado – to Fort Collins to be exact. The 60-year-old Schwende will work his last day at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Ann Arbor site on May 27, and will head to Colorado on June 15, where the “roads are wide and the beer is good.”

But in Ann Arbor, the RAT will continue. Among those who gathered at Tios after the ride was Pete Hines, recently elected chair of the WBWC board, who’ll be ensuring that the rides have a leader. Though Hines did not ride on Friday – he was nursing some “road rash” from a spill he took on his bike – he’s ridden most of the RATs over the last two and a half years.

Bicycles Are Traffic

Among the 15 or so riders on last Friday’s RAT were several folks under 30 years old, including Tom Wright and Aren Stobby – they’re housemates and work together at the Black Pearl restaurant on Main Street.

Tom Wright on the University of Michigan Diag ready to head out for a ride.

Stobby was riding a 1976 vintage 10-speed that belonged to his dad, and was still adorned with its Michigan State University campus bike registration from that era. Wright was astride a 1964 Hiawatha Gambler that he’d acquired from his friend Bob a few days earlier.

Dave Fanslow, who rode the RAT on Friday and is not, ahem, under 30, offered to buy the first round at Tios for anyone who was under 30. The invitation didn’t result in any of the under-30 crowd sticking around for the post-RAT meal.

But Wright told the group that he was planning a ride a week later – on Saturday, leaving from the University of Michigan Diag, organized under the name Bikes are Traffic. That’s just a name, as far as I can tell – it’s not an entity on its way to formal organization as a nonprofit.

Figuring I’d give a nod to bridging the generational gap – I’m also not under 30 – I headed over the the Diag at the appointed 1 p.m. gathering time for the 1:30 p.m. ride-out. Wright and I were the only two who showed up. Wright attributed the poor turnout to a schedule conflict with a DIY craft fair the same day. Undeterred, the pair of us headed out of the Diag north towards the intersection of State and Liberty.

Heading west on Liberty past the Michigan Theater on the right.

We quickly picked up a friend of Wright’s, Liam Carroll, who was riding a green-rimmed fixed-gear bike. A few years earlier, Wright and Carroll had both sung in the Ann Arbor boy’s choir. Carroll  hadn’t planned to ride, but responded to Wright’s invitation to ride along: “Where?” “Just around.” “Oh, I’ve been there before, but wouldn’t mind seeing it again.”

And so we wound through the downtown, with the helmetless Wright  signaling his turns, hewing to the traffic laws – even those requiring vehicles to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

When Wright braked to a halt at a mid-block crossing between William and South University on State Street, it earned him a thank-you from the pedestrians who were standing in the walk waiting for traffic to clear.

Wright said there’s often more of his cohorts from the downtown food-retail scene – he works at Cafe Ambrosia as well as at The Black Pearl – who take to the streets late on Monday nights for a spin through the downtown.

Whereas WBWC is more of a formal advocacy group adorned with the trappings of nonprofit status, Tom Wright and Bicycles are Traffic are more of a loose federation whose enthusiasm for bicycles is realized in somewhat more spontaneous form.

Common Cycle

Common Cycle is a relatively new group, self-described on its website as in its “infancy” and looking to empower “Ann Arbor to ride bicycles by providing access to education, workspace, and resources.” They’re looking for help from like-minded people. One missing ingredient so far is a permanent space to work.

At Common Cycle's mobile repair stand, Jonathan Roe, left, gets some mechanical advice from Jimmy Raggett.

So their mission is currently being realized in the form of a mobile repair stand they’ve operated for the last few weeks at the Sunday Artisan Market in Kerrytown.

This Sunday found Jimmy Raggett, who heads up the service department for Two-Wheel Tango‘s Jackson Road store,  running the repair stand. The previous week, Jonathon Roe had noticed Common Cycle at the market, so on Sunday he brought his bicycle over for a diagnosis.

Raggett’s verdict: The front disk brake needed a new caliper, but the rear V-brakes could be restored to working order with some cabling and pads. Raggett offered to take Roe’s email address and coordinate tracking down parts for next Sunday. And Roe took him up on the offer.

Hanging out with the Common Cyclers was Jimmy White Bull, 42, who grew up in Ann Arbor. “Are you with Common Cycle?” “No, but I’m commonly around.” White Bull recalled how the brick paving of the streets used to be more prevalent than just around Kerrytown – he enjoyed the feeling of riding a bike along the brick, he said. White Bull said he’d participated in several of the alley cat bike races Raggett has organized over the last few years.

Thomas Kula, seated, gets his spoke tension evaluated by Jimmy Raggett. In the background (with a green water bottle) is Evan Williams.

Also fitting that description at the Common Cycle mobile repair stand on Sunday was Thomas Kula, who was learning from Raggett how to true wheels. Kula, I knew, helped organize the most recent Cranksgiving event, an alley cat bicycle race which donates its proceeds to Food Gatherers. The first Cranksgiving event in the Ann Arbor area was spearheaded by Andy Hromadka, a board member of WBWC.

So given the apparent connections, why is Common Cycle pedaling down a path to become its own nonprofit organization? Why not just fit themselves under the umbrella of WBWC?

Part of the explanation that Common Cycler Bill Merrill sent to me by email is that members of this like-minded group – committed to a common workspace and the programs that could come from that – didn’t first meet in the context of the WBWC.

And Pieter Kleymeer, also via email, stressed that Common Cycle is talking to groups like WBWC, as well as the Kiwanis Club, and getDowntown, but that Common Cycle has a specific strategy for their advocacy. While the WBWC can put pressure on local governments to build infrastructure, he wrote, Common Cycle wants to “put more bikes on the road than the current infrastructure can handle.”

Kleymeer might have something in mind like this bicycle rush hour video shot in Utrecht in the Netherlands. [By way of comparison, Ann Arbor has a population of a bit over 100,000, while around 300,000 people live in Utrecht.]

Coda

Of course, the three bicycling communities I covered in this piece aren’t exhaustive of all bicyclists. Some readers are perhaps most familiar with another species of bicyclist – the skin-tight-shorts-and-jersey-wearing, energy-gel-slurping recreational athletes who zip along Huron River Drive. But even they will fall into smaller subsets – there are the triathletes who are thinking about their next swim or their next run, and the pure road cyclists, who just stick to cycling.

There’s also folks who toodle along on a quiet cul-de-sac with their children riding little 16-inch wheel bikes with training wheels. And there are myriad others who can’t be excluded from the classification of “bicyclist” – but it would be a mistake to draw conclusions about what “bicyclists” think based on any one of these subgroups.

And the same is true, I think, of any other broad category label that’s likely to be applied to other groups of people during primary election season.

Larry Deck, board member of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, addressed the council during the public hearing on the repeal of the city's bicycle registration system. (Photos by the writer.)

The council scrapped the city’s existing bicycle registration program at its Monday night meeting, but gave an assurance to a representative of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition that it would soon be replaced with something better.

Mayor John Hieftje used his communications time to rebut criticism of the planned Fuller Road Station – both with respect to its funding and its siting. While he assured critics that funding for the project would not come from the general fund, he allowed that he did not know how the project would be paid for.

And Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) reiterated enthusiasm for Ann Arbor’s response to a request for information by Google about a local fiber-optic network. He had also introduced the topic at a recent council meeting focusing on the budget.

The city administrator’s report to the council included updates on construction projects.

The city also continued a monthly recognition of its parks volunteers with a mayoral proclamation honoring Praveena and Madhan Ramaswami for their efforts to improve Bromley Park by organizing biannual events to remove invasive plants, plant flowers, and clean up the park.

Elimination of Bicycle Registration Program

The council had given initial approval of the measure at its previous meeting, which eliminates the city’s bicycle registration system.

At a February meeting of the council – in the context of discussions on a possible revision to the registration program, as well as a revision to all the city’s ordinances on bicycling – Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) had reported that the registration program had in recent years, not resulted in the return of stolen bicycles to their owners. The return of stolen bicycles to their owners is an often-cited benefit of the program.

Specifically, Hohnke had said that from September of 2007 to the present, 39 stolen bikes had been recovered and returned to their owners – but in none of those cases had the bicycle registration program been instrumental. The return of those bicycles had been the result of regular police work.

The revisions the council had considered – but postponed and ultimately tabled – involved fee structure and the map that’s provided with registration.

On Monday’s council agenda was the second reading of the ordinance revision, with its related public hearing.

Public Hearing on Bicycle Registration

At the public hearing, Larry Deck, a board member of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, was the only person who spoke. He said that in January, the WBWC had suggested revisions to the program, but the group had not suggested its elimination. He asked for more time for discussion, because bicycle registration had a number of benefits. The WBWC was having a board meeting on March 4 and wanted to discuss the matter. Deck asked the council to defer action until April and to identify relevant city staff and others in the community to continue the discussion on bicycle registration.

Council Deliberations on Bicycle Registration

Hohnke began council’s deliberations by indicating that he was amenable to postponing the resolution at the WBWC’s request but hesitated to make that motion – in deference to Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), who had sponsored the resolution, but who was not at the council table. Higgins was present at the meeting, but had left the table at the conclusion of Deck’s speaking turn at the public hearing, to engage Deck in a private conversation in the hallway outside the council chambers.

Responding to Hohnke’s suggestion to postpone, city administrator Roger Fraser told the council that the city essentially had an ordinance on the books that it was not enforcing, which put the city in a state of legal limbo. He suggested going forward with eliminating the registration system, with all of its records, and having a discussion with the WBWC about a future ordinance.

Sandi Smith (Ward 1) countered Fraser’s idea that it put the city in a state of legal limbo, saying that even if that were the case, it seemed fairly benign. She was in favor of putting it off, pending the outcome of whatever conversations Higgins was having in the hallway.

Higgins returned to the table and reported that the WBWC had some ideas about a new replacement ordinance and would work over the next 2-3 months on that. She stated that in that context, she believed the WBWC was okay with the program’s elimination. Deck was called to the podium and confirmed: If the intent was to eliminate the registration program but replace it with something better, then the WBWC was okay with that.

Outcome: The council voted unanimously to eliminate the city’s bicycle registration program.

Fuller Road Station

Fuller Road Station is a cooperative venture between the University of Michigan and the city of Ann Arbor to construct a 1,100-space parking deck near the UM medical campus. From previous Chronicle reporting ["Work Session: Trains, Trash and Taxes"]:

In broad summary strokes, the  Fuller Road Station project is proposed for a three-acre site – currently a surface parking lot – owned by the city of Ann Arbor, nestled just south of Fuller Road and north of East Medical Center Drive and the railroad tracks. It’s billed as a way to link automobiles, east-west commuter rail (demonstration due in October 2010), the north-south Plymouth-State Street corridor (study underway funded by AATA, UM, the  city of Ann Arbor, and the Ann Arbor DDA), buses, and bicycle traffic via the Border-to-Border trail.

There was not an agenda item related to Fuller Road Station, but it has been the topic of much community discussion.

Public Comment on Fuller Road Station

During public commentary reserved time at the start of the meeting, Nancy Shiffler stressed that SEMCOG‘s approach in exploring the east-west commuter rail option, which would link Ann Arbor to Detroit, was to use as much existing infrastructure as possible. [There is an active Amtrak station on Depot Street, near the planned Fuller Road Station site.] The idea, she said, was to use that existing infrastructure to assess whether the initiative warranted full support – that assessment would come in 2013, she said.

The Fuller Road Station, Shiffler pointed out, might include a commuter rail station in a second phase. For now it was planned largely as a parking structure with completion in 2012, with UM paying for and using 78% of the spaces.  Shiffler raised several concerns about the lease arrangement for the new structure as well as the “permanent re-purposing” of the land, which is designated as parkland by the city.

Shiffler also stated that she assumed the city would be paying for the project out of its general fund.

Also at the start of the meeting, James D’Amour weighed in on Fuller Road Station. He told the council that he was there wearing two hats – one as a member of the Sierra Club’s Huron Valley Group executive committee and the other as an individual. [D'Amour has previously addressed the council on the topic of Fuller Road Station.] He said he was there to reiterate concerns about the planned station. While the Huron Valley Group supported public-private efforts for mass transit, including the east-west rail, they had concerns about process.

D’Amour characterized the public process as “after-the-fact” consultation. The planned station also entailed removal of parkland. Of the more than 1,000 parking spaces, he pointed out, only about 200 related to mass transit.

On a personal note, he said that the idea of applying “green architecture” to the Fuller Road Station was like putting lipstick on a pig. The city’s cost for the project would be several million dollars, he pointed out, at a time when the city was talking about cutting recreation programs like Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center, and laying off police officers and firefighters.

Mayor’s Rebuttal on Fuller Road Station

Mayor John Hieftje used his time for communications to respond to criticism of the Fuller Road Station that the council had heard during public commentary.

He prompted city administrator Roger Fraser to speak to the issue of how the city’s portion of the project would be funded, by asking Fraser if it was the plan to use money from the general fund. Fraser’s answer: “No, sir.” Hieftje allowed, however, that the financing plan had not yet been formulated.

Addressing the issue of the land’s status as parkland, Hieftje pointed out that the parcel had been obtained as an easement in a land swap deal with the University of Michigan, motivated by a desire to preserve some Bur Oak trees. A condition on the swap, he said, was that the city would lease the land back to the university.

Hieftje laid out a case of that location as the best possible place for a transit station, noting that the university’s health system employs 17,000 workers. He allowed that it was a parking structure that was planned, but contended that it went beyond that – it also has a bus station, he said. It would be a whole new hub for the city’s bus system, he said. Hieftje also noted that it was located in the corridor being studied for a north-south connector, from Ann Arbor to Howell.

The current Amtrak station, Hieftje stated, would not work for commuter rail. If the second phase of the Fuller Road Station were eventually to be built, Hieftje indicated that there would also be a bike station with a repair facility and a place for cyclists to take showers. He concluded by saying, “If you are a believer in mass transit, there’s no better place for it than on this site.”

Marcia Higgins (Ward 4) pointed out that construction of the parking structure at the Fuller Road site relieved the pressure the university felt to build two parking structures on Wall Street in order to meet its parking demands. [The planned Wall Street structures were not embraced by the neighbors along the street.]

City administrator Roger Fraser said the expectation was that access to city parks would actually be improved – cars currently parked across Fuller Road from the planned station would be parked in the structure, and that would “free up land for that game of frisbee,” he concluded.

Sabra Briere (Ward 1) raised a couple of questions with the mayor about the site. She reported that she’d learned from Christopher Taylor (Ward 3), who serves as one of the council’s representatives to the city’s park advisory commission, that the parcel is still in the PROS (Parks, Recreation and Open Space) plan. She inquired whether it would be reconsidered as parkland in a line of questioning that resulted in Hieftje ultimately saying, “That’s a better question for the city attorney than for me.”

Briere also noted that her understanding of the funding for the Fuller Road Station was “a little vague.” She wanted to know if the city anticipated getting revenue from parking fees for spots in the structure. Hieftje deferred the question, saying that the city could respond to that when the numbers are worked out a little better.

Council Communications

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Google Fiber

During his communications, Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) reiterated his enthusiasm for the idea of the city responding to a recent request for information issued nationwide by Google. The request involves the possibility of Google building a fiber network in a community on an experimental basis, which would provide Internet access to individual homes at speeds roughly 100-times what most people currently enjoy.

There will be a public hearing on the subject at the city council’s next meeting on March 15, 2010, Taylor said.

Taylor noted that there’d been singing during public commentary at the council in the past and that perhaps there would be singers at the public hearing on the possible Google fiber network.

The city is partnering with the University of Michigan in this effort, which is described on the A2Fiber website.

Ann Arbor Skatepark

Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) announced that the latest effort at fundraising by the Skatepark Action Committee was an event, the Grinds of March, to be held on March 13 from noon-6 p.m. The event would include skating performances by national-level skaters, Hohnke said. As part of the fundraising effort, old hand-drawn posters that have appeared in Zingerman’s Deli windows over the years will be available for purchase.

[The Grinds of March is located at 704 Airport Blvd. in a warehouse where the Skatepark Action Committee has built a wooden skateboard ramp. The likes of Andy MacDonald will be skating the Grinds.]

Local: Food and Money

In her communications, Sandi Smith (Ward 1) alerted her colleagues to a local food summit, which would be held the following day, Tuesday, March 2.

She also announced that the nonprofit Think Local First was conducting an inquiry into the feasibility of a local currency. [See Chronicle coverage: "Local Currency for Washtenaw County"]

Communications from the City Administrator

City administrator Roger Fraser reported that construction on the co-located 911 dispatch center in Fire Station #1 across the street from city hall was now complete, with operations on schedule to begin in May.

The fire station is directly across the street from the new municipal center (also known as the courts/police building), which is under construction at the corner of Huron and Fifth. Fraser reported that people would notice a sign of progress over the next few days: The external buck hoist, which is a lifting carriage used to get materials to the upper floors of a building, will be removed. That’s possible because permits have now been received for an elevator inside the building.

Asbestos abatement has concluded in the city hall basement, Fraser reported, so demolition of walls can proceed.

Fraser indicated that city staff had been really busy recently with snow removal during the period when 9.6 inches of snow fell, with 3-4 inches over the following days. He introduced the subject by deadpanning: “Some of you know we had a snowstorm …” Fraser said that it was the one major storm of the year, in contrast to previous years, when multiple major snowstorms hit the area.

Fraser also reported that there’d been interest expressed from a community in Australia in the city’s metering data for its water system.

Other Public Commentary

Alan Haber addressed the council on the topic of the development of the Library Lot. [Previous Chronicle coverage: "Two Library Lot Proposals Eliminated"] Haber had helped put forward a proposal, the Ann Arbor Community Commons, that envisioned the use of the space as a community gathering place. Haber advocated for shifting bond money from paying for stronger foundations of the underground parking garage, which are needed to support development on top of the lot, to the construction of a park on the top. There was not need for the stronger foundations, he said, because they wanted the park to be there forever.

Haber contended that most people who are not developers want some kind of park there. He asked the council to lean on the Downtown Development Authority, which is building the underground parking structure, to provide the information on park maintenance costs that his group had been asking for.

Thomas Partridge introduced himself as a Washtenaw County Democrat who’d been a recent candidate for the county board of commissioners. He told the council that he’d come out in the cold to call on all parties to bring about equitable budget reforms for the city, the county, the region, the state and the entire nation. He called on people of all religions and races to work together to protect the rights of senior citizens and disabled people.

Present: Stephen Rapundalo, Mike Anglin, Margie Teall, Sabra Briere, Sandi Smith, Tony Derezinski, Stephen Kunselman, Marcia Higgins, John Hieftje, Christopher Taylor, Carsten Hohnke.

Next regular council meeting: Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7 p.m. in council chambers, 2nd floor of the Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building, 100 N. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]