In Motor City, land of disused structures, an overgrown old rail line has been excavated and turned into a spanking new bike thoroughfare. While, technically, it is more a “greenway” than a “freeway,” there are entrance and exit ramps and multiple lanes separated by yellow lines. (Perhaps to make disused auto executives feel comfortable riding on it, now that they have plenty of free time to explore their community?)
The ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place yesterday, fell conveniently into National Bike Week. Though of late the path had already been seeing some action from pedestrians, stroller-pushing parents and, um, “graffiti artists” according to the Detroit Free Press. So the great battle of use vs. abuse is now underway.
The Dequindre Cut, as the route is called, is only 1.2 miles long, but it is seen as an early section of a planned 100-mile network of greenways that might eventually make Detroit less horribly tragic and depressing than it is today–a city defined by “open spaces” instead of “abject abandonment.”
Speaking of, the Free Press article is called “Abandoned rail line ready for bikes, walking.” We wonder: what percentage of Free Press headlines over the past 5 years begin with or include the word “abandoned”? If it weren’t Friday afternoon we might even do a Nexis search.
The Dequindre Cut, before
Photos: Corine Vermeulen-Smith from a
larger body of work called ‘Your Town Tomorrow’
See a video at Treehugger
May 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Interesting photo selection of the “before” Dequindre Cut. There are quite a bit of trashy, neglected, and disgusting photos of this abandoned line out there than this! One of these photos may have really illustrated the aesthetic impact this bike path is making for downtown.
Otherwise, I really don’t see anything all too remarkable about this particular revamping. Many rail lines across the US that don’t see rail traffic anymore are being turned into bike and ped paths. And they are mainly used primarily for recreation as opposed to commuting. Glad to see that Detroit is taking this positive step, but it’s not earth-shattering.
As a digression more than anything else — Would people even walk/bike through downtown Detroit for recreation or would the Dequindre Cut be underutilized from the general perception (and reality?) that this are is not safe? Like much of downtown Detroit, emptiness is a prominent feature of the urban fabric. It feels generally unsafe from the LACK of activity, traffic, people, etc. rather than anything else. While the new bike path may provide a generally more pleasing urban open space to look at, will it be successful in drawing users to the path and into downtown? It could still look “abandoned,” just prettier.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
So… it’s a bike path? And a 1.2 mile bike path, at that.
Still, it looks like a nice one, and most rail-trails are good, simply because of their (lack of) grade. Hopefully it gets used…
May 15th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
AC,
Things that would be mundane in other contexts are of interest when they take place in Detroit. I think the “greenways” plan is one of few arrows the city has in its quiver at this point, and it’s important to give due credit to any and all who are trying to make useful efforts in a brutally tough situation.
“Abandoned but prettier” is a good way to put it — but they’ve still got to do something. The city is in an advanced state of collapse and you don’t reverse that condition with a few bike paths. Still it’s still better to build the bike paths than not build them. Is collapse of this sort reversible though ?
Skiddie,
Yeah, just a regular 1.2 mile bike path — anywhere else it’s not a story.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Wow. I live and work in the city, and although times are tough, this city is by no means collapsing. People are focusing on urban gardening, working hard, and maintaining quality of life. If an insignificant 1.2 mile bike path helps us do so, bravo to us. I was at the opening, and it was a blast. Detroit still is a fun, exciting, interesting, albeit challenging place to live. You can keep your pity.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Garrett - Detroit is certainly a complex story. But by any standard definition it is in collapse. That doesn’t conflict with anything you say. There was no pity intended (or, frankly, felt.)
Jebediah
May 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Wow, if you are this happy to live in Detroit, just think of how happy you’d be living just about anywhere else. You’d be wearing a rainbow coat and sparkles would shoot out your ass 24/7. Don’t you want to realize that dream?
May 16th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Nope, I’m good. Oh, and C.? Maybe you should try visiting a place before you make a judgement. The media loves bad news, without it, they wouldn’t really have jobs. But I can tell you for a fact, there are lot of great things happening here, and we are still having fun and enjoying life. Which is more than can be said for a lot of people regardless of where they live and their economic status.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Nice Mies in the background.
May 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Looks like a nice trail, but the photos beg this question: Why was every scrap of existing greenery removed to create the “greenway”, and replaced by taggable walls?
I’m not from the area; Maybe there was a good reason, but it does seem a little sad.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Detroit isn’t “horribly tragic and depressing.” It’s probably the greenest city in the country. I just made tea from mint I picked from my front yard. There’s a pheasant who lives in the empty lot by my house. I live in a Victorian mansion built in th 1880’s that will outlast any contemporary McMansion, and I pay $220 a month to do so. (Although hopefully I’ll be buying a house soon and keeping it off the grid.) There’s music and art everywhere. And everyone may be broke and/or jobless but we’ve got gardens and bars and the biggest enclosed farmer’s market in the country and ruins of industrial society rendered beautiful and thought provoking by kids with spray cans. We have the best dance scene around. And the cops are too busy to hassle you. Red lights are optional. Freedom means freedom in Detroit.
And hey we’ve been in this recession so long that we’re used to it. The rest of the country will follow, don’t panic.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Much of the existing greenery was invasive (e.g.tree of heaven/ghetto palm) and was removed. There has been substantial landscaping done to add greenery, much of which was planted just last year. It’s more green now than in that top photo as the unused right-of-way has been seeded with grass.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Dylan -
This is a wonderful comment. One only hopes that the processes that allowed for all these conditions can be managed.
Your description brings to mind WG Sebald, who was very good at evoking the beauty in decline and neglect. Sounds like The Emigrants (etc.) should be required reading in Detroit.
-Jebediah
May 19th, 2009 at 9:40 am
The DQ Cut is significant in that it connects vibrant neighborhoods with the RiverWalk and the Eastern Market, and there is still room to add light rail. Eventually, it will all link up with greenways that lead to Midtown where the Detroit Institute of Arts, Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center, etc. are all located. Most of the graffiti art has been there for years, and is quite impressive. Other cities may have greenways, but none will have quite the system that is being developed in Detroit.
May 19th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I was in Detroit last week visiting family and we walked the cut (before the opening). My 5 and 6 year old niece and nephew really enjoyed being able to run around “in the street” and they even found a birds nest on top of a light pole. It’s a fun space and we crossed paths with others on bikes and even saw a stroller pusher! I think it will be well used, especially since you can walk to Eastern Market and/or the riverfront. It’s also close to a beautiful neighborhood full of Mies Van Der Rohe townhomes and high rises - Years ago I lived close to this area and it was so nice to see that it is still a beautiful and serene space. Detroit is full of surprises (especially architectural ones) If you like cities, visit it - just take an open mind and some good urban sense.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
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