In the spirit of Google Maps now having bike directions I thought I’d create a Google Map with some suggested bike routes to downtown Ann Arbor.  You can view the bike routes here.

Suggestions for bike routes to add?  Email us info@getdowntown.org

This just in: now when you search for directions in Ann Arbor on Google Maps you can choose to see suggested bike routes!  This is great.

I did see what it might say for my normal bike commute, and it was pretty good.  I come from the West Side and normally bike on Washington, which is the first suggested route it gave me.  However, what Google doesn’t know is that there are some non-motorized paths I take that make the trip a little nicer for me.  Still, it’s really cool that these directions are now available.

The past two days in Ann Arbor have been a great reminder that the winter doesn’t last forever around here.

If you are a downtown employee, you might be considering dusting off your bike, filling up the tires and getting some exercise on your way to work.

If you like to bike to work, or are considering it for the first time, here are some resources from getDowntown (and others) that can help you on your way:

• Guide to Bike Commuting in Ann Arbor: For a comprehensive overview of biking to work in downtown Ann Arbor, check out our Guide to Bike Commuting in Ann Arbor.
• Have a question about bike commuting to downtown? Ask getDowntown your Commuting Question.
• Bike info at getDowntown.org: Info on Bike Safety, Advocacy organizations and Bike Shops can be found on our website at getdowntown.org/bike.
• Need a Bike Map? Contact getDowntown and we can get one to you.  It’s $2 if you are not downtown, free if you work downtown.
• Request Bike Parking: The DDA has a new Bike Parking Request Form that let’s you tell them where you’d like to see more bike parking.

And Don’t Forget! Follow us on Twitter and become a Fan on Facebook to stay up to date!

Mike is the type of person you might not typically think of as a sustainable commuter. He’s the President and COO of a growing company. He’s a dad. And he has a free parking spot in the back of his building.

But don’t let those details fool you. From my interview with Mike it’s clear that commuting sustainably fits perfectly into his life and has some unexpected benefits. Mike Felkey works at Intersect Digital, a small web development firm with some big clients. Intersect has worked with such companies as Subaru and Saatchi & Saatchi. The company’s headquarters is in downtown Ann Arbor (on First Street) and they also have a location in New York (who doesn’t, really). Depending on the amount of work available, Intersect employs anywhere from 17 to 60 employees. Currently, business is on the upswing.

The first clue into Mike’s interest in sustainable commuting comes when we talk about the company’s culture. Intersect is very supportive of telecommuting for its employees. Since many of the company’s employees live in places like Southfield and Novi and since many of them are working mothers, this benefit really helps cut down on a stressful commute. As far as Mike’s concerned, as long as employees get the work done, it doesn’t matter where they do it. We then chatted a bit about Daniel Pink’s new book, Drive, which describes how the businesses of the future are finding ways to motivate their employees through giving them freedom rather than imposing tons of rules. And according to Mike, this philosophy really pays off.

So what about the employees who do commute to work? Since Intersect offers the go!pass to employees, some of them happily take the bus. Other employees walk or ride their bikes. As far as Mike goes, he likes to walk, bike or take the bus to work. His commute isn’t super short either. If he chooses to walk, it can take him about 40 minutes.

So what’s Mike’s motivation for walking, biking or busing to work? He’s got a free space out back, and could probably get to work by car in less than 40 minutes. A big benefit Mike sees in leaving his car at home is that walking, biking and busing are all great for his health. He gets to build some exercise into his day, which might otherwise be a challenge to find the time for. Now that there are Zipcars downtown (a couple just a block from him office), Mike can bike, walk or bus to work even when he needs to go to a meeting out of town.

As we start to chat a little about Mike’s kids (his son goes to Tappan and his daughter goes to Burn’s Park Elementary), I find out another great benefit of Mike’s commute. Both of his kids have grown up watching Mike walk to work and now they want to walk to school. With all of the current news about childhood obesity, the example that Mike is setting for his kids is really inspiring.

When I asked Mike what he might like to see improved about transportation in our community, he lists fixing the lights so they are more in sync, improving the parking downtown, and adding more bike lanes to make cycling safer. We also talked a little but about the possibility of light rail, which is a topic he’s really interested in. Mike even said he’d contemplate giving up his car if there were light rail, especially since there are Zipcars available.

Mike’s biking, walking and busing ways are not unique among leaders in downtown Ann Arbor. Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, frequently bikes to work. Grace Singleton, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Deli, is also a bike commuter. Bonnie Valentine of the Whole Brain Group often takes the bus to work. Curtis Sullivan and Liz DellaRocco, owners of Vault of Midnight walk and carpool to work.

Any downtown commuter can join this great list of leaders. All you have to do is hop on a bus, grab your bike, or strap on your walking shoes. If you work downtown and would like some help figuring out which commuting option is best for you, getDowntown can help! Simply give us a call, check out our website or send us an email for personal commuting assistance.

Treehugger recently posted an interesting set of ideas for how to make your City more bike and ped friendly.

Their suggestions (in sum):

1. Take away right on red turns for cars
2. Install more red light enforcement cameras
3. Have more parties (e.g. excuses to close the roads)
4. Rein in distracted driving (e.g. drivers with cell phones)
5. Support limited speed limits to 20 mph
6. Go on a Tweed Ride (you’ll have to read the post to see what this is)
7. Look to New York City for inspiration

The interesting part about many of these ideas is that Ann Arbor is already doing many of them.  The idea of no turn on red was suggested in the Ann Arbor Non-motorized plan.  We have lots of parties downtown (Art Fair, Green Fair, the Car Show, etc), which I think definitely makes it more pedestrian friendly.  Downtown people can’t really go more than 20 mph and I know the City as a whole has struggled with speed limits.  We might not have a Tweed Ride but we do have the Ride Around Town (RAT–thanks WBWC!).  Especially downtown, I think we are moving in the right direction on many of these items.

What do you think is missing from this list?  What else could we do downtown and elsewhere to create a better environment for peds and cyclists in Ann Arbor?

FYI:

Want to get together with like minded folks to talk about issues related to biking and walking?  The WBWC is planning to have periodic social gatherings in various places and times to let people get together to talk about issues that concern them and help them find ways to work to improve those conditions if so inclined.

Or just show up to talk about issues of the day, such as sidewalk snow clearing, street maintenance, best routes for commuting from point A to B, recommendations for equipment, the list of possibilities is endless!  We will have at least one WBWC board member in attendance to help answer questions or provide information on projects we are working on.

To start off these meetings, we will have an informal gathering this Friday afternoon at 6pm at the Full Moon bar.  It is a smoke free location with inexpensive food, lots of beer selections, and quiet enough in the early evening to have decent conversations without yelling.  Look for the bike helmets and reflective vests.
Some of us should be there until at least 7:30pm, longer if good discussion is happening!

Full Moon is on Main Street between Liberty and Washington, used to be called the Monkey Bar.

We will try to give more notice before future get-togethers, we would like to have these happen every few weeks if people enjoy them.

Pete (WBWC Board Member)

Just came across this great blog post about a woman who normally bikes to work but has had to drive to work for the last couple of weeks.  The woman thought that driving instead of cycling would be all positives.  But instead, she found herself wishing to get back on her bike.

Some of the tidbits from the post on the benefits of cycling to work:

according to a study in the Netherlands, employees who regularly cycle to work take on average one day less sick leave every year compared with those who do not cycle to work.

. . . regular cyclists typically enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger.

. . . cycling to work decreases the risk of dying by approximately 40%, plus all the other health benefits: the reduced risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, colon and breast cancer.

Read the Blog Post here: Two wheels good, four wheels bad.

FYI:

In June 2010, the second US Social Forum (USSF) will take place in Detroit MI. The purpose of this forum is to have an open space where folks who believe another world is possible can come together for political dialogue and relationship building – and to see the transformation of that alternative world in action.

I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet, but I hope to see it soon.  On Monday, PBS aired a documentary on Detroit that looked at how to bring the city back by investing in transit, biking, etc.

The preview gave me chills.

Watch the entire video here.

Get your bike road ready in 5 easy steps. Learn some walk safety tips. Check out how to use Zipcar.

Drive Less.  Save More. is an Oregon-based program to encourage people to–well–Drive less and save more!

One of the neat things they have on there website are how-to videos related to different modes of transportation.

Check it out here.