Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Detroit

To Revive Detroit Transit, One Resident Takes Matters Into His Own Hands

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 9, 2013 | 9 Comments

Detroit, the country’s 18th largest city, has seen its transit system shrink to the point where few people can rely on it to get to work. The situation got so bad that one young entrepreneur stopped waiting on the region’s dysfunctional government agencies and started running private buses. In this video by Dark Rye (an initiative of […]

Detroit Advocates Challenge Michigan DOT’s Highway Expansion Plans

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 5, 2013 | 1 Comment

Perhaps you’ve read recently about the city of Detroit’s financial woes. The pensions of public employees are on the chopping block and Detroit may have to sell masterpieces from its art museum as it negotiates bankruptcy proceedings. But the transportation agencies that have saddled Detroit with a sprawling and expensive road system certainly aren’t scrimping. They […]

The U.S. Cities Where Cycling Is Growing the Fastest

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 19, 2013 | 13 Comments

This table, showing the top 10 U.S. cities where cycling is growing fastest, comes from a new report from the League of American Bicyclists that analyzes census data. Though the census only tracks bicycle commuting — and thus understates how many people are cycling — the results tell an interesting story about cycling trends. Notice […]

Proceeds From Tour de Troit Help Pay for Permanent Changes in Detroit

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 25, 2013 | No Comments

Detroit’s bicycle advocates have built a powerful tool for change in the annual Tour de Troit bike ride. This two-wheeled tour of the city’s historic landmarks has grown to attract more than 6,000 riders, making it the largest bike ride in the state of Michigan. Even better, Tour de Troit helps finance new, permanent bike […]

Did Progressive Parking Policies Propel Pittsburgh Past Detroit?

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 23, 2013 | 15 Comments

This parking map of downtown Detroit has been making the rounds, following news of the city’s bankruptcy. It’s a striking image: Close to 40 percent of downtown Detroit’s develop-able land is parking, local experts say. We thought it would be interesting to contrast it with a city that has a similar history to Detroit but […]

Parking vs. Everything Else: An Aerial Map of Downtown Detroit

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 14, 2013 | 17 Comments

The above map, produced by Data Driven Detroit, comes to us though the satirical Facebook page Michigan Needs More Parking. It shows downtown Detroit with parking highlighted in orange and red: garages in orange, surface lots in red. “We must do something about all of these non-parking blocks holding back Detroit,” writes Michigan Needs More […]

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