Great Lakes - Bike to work stats for Michigan

I've pulled together Census Bureau statistics on how many people bike or walk to work (http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/11/25/how-many-bike-to-work-in-detroit) throughout Michigan. Detroit and most other Michigan cities certainly have room for improvement when compared to places like Chicago and Portland.

One conclusion that can be drawn is women don’t bike to work as frequently as men, but especially in some areas such as Wayne County, Southfield, and Grand Rapids. Even in more bike friendly cities like Ann Arbor, Chicago, and Portland, women workers are much less likely to bike to work. There is no corresponding gender difference among those walking to work in many of these regions (the City of Detroit is an exception). In Metro Detroit, women walk to work more often than men (1.6% vs. 1.4%).

People still live in that sh*thole? Wow.


I keed I keed.

ChrimsonKarter21, Which hole are you talking about?

You for got to count me in. I've been riding to work for a few years. Is it because I live in Detroit and ride to the suburbs? Why wasn't I counted?


Gas, .69 cents the price of a can of beans.

The statistics are extrapolated survey data from the census. They don't survey everyone so all the numbers have some margin of error.

I've pulled together Census Bureau statistics on how many people bike or walk to work (http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/11/25/how-many-bike-to-work-in-detroit) throughout Michigan. Detroit and most other Michigan cities certainly have room for improvement when compared to places like Chicago and Portland...


People still live in that sh*thole? Wow.

I keed I keed.

CK21, that was a pretty nasty and gratuitous remark. Do you also like to kick out crutches from the lame?

Roody recently wrote:


I grew up in Detroit, but haven't cycled there in 35 years. But from the blogs I've read, it sounds like a fantastic place to ride. It also has a great art scene and a major university in the city center, with other universities nearby...

I replied:


I grew up in Detroit, and despite its crime-ridden image, I too think it is a pretty good city for riding, in the city proper. Unlike Boston, the streets are wide and laid out in a grid pattern and quiet residential steets extend for pretty long distances. I am mostly an urban rider, and cityscapes, even though blighted, can be interesting. I once saw a 1896 bicycling map of the Detroit area in the Main Public Library, that extended up to 12 Mile Road and I was impressed with how many roads were already laid out in that pre-automotive era...

I've attached a photo of what I believe it that historic Detroit bicycle map. Unfortunately I do not have it in any higher resolution.

Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck have the most bike-friendly urban road infrastructure in Metro Detroit. Naysayers are welcomed to contact me and I'll provide a free tour that I'm confidant with convince you otherwise.

I've attached a photo of what I believe it that historic Detroit bicycle map. Unfortunately I do not have it in any higher resolution.

Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck have the most bike-friendly urban road infrastructure in Metro Detroit. Naysayers are welcomed to contact me and I'll provide a free tour that I'm confidant with convince you otherwise.

I will agree with Detroit and Highland Park, but Hamtramck is extremly scary Too many Immigrant drivers(not a pre-judgment this coming from experience) who don't truly understand how to drive. plus extremly narrow streets. Now Highland Park has Hamilton Third and Second wide roads with little traffic. Plus the drivers are actually courteous.

...I once saw a 1896 bicycling map of the Detroit area in the Main Public Library, that extended up to 12 Mile Road and I was impressed with how many roads were already laid out in that pre-automotive era...


I've attached a photo of what I believe it that historic Detroit bicycle map. Unfortunately I do not have it in any higher resolution.

Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck have the most bike-friendly urban road infrastructure in Metro Detroit. Naysayers are welcomed to contact me and I'll provide a free tour that I'm confidant with convince you otherwise.

The map you show looks really interesting, but from what I can tell, it seems to go only as far north as slightly beyond Grand Boulevard. I note that is shows "pavements," which I'm sure was an important feature back then. The one I mentioned was not as detailed, but did go out to at least 12 Mile Road, as I recall.

I will agree with Detroit and Highland Park, but Hamtramck is extremly scary Too many Immigrant drivers(not a pre-judgment this coming from experience) who don't truly understand how to drive. plus extremly narrow streets.
You caught me being a little generous with Hamtramck. There are some narrow roads and plenty of one-ways. I don't find it scary like a Rochester Hills but I agree that it's not as easy to ride as the rest of Detroit.

You caught me being a little generous with Hamtramck. There are some narrow roads and plenty of one-ways. I don't find it scary like a Rochester Hills but I agree that it's not as easy to ride as the rest of Detroit.

Funny you should mention Rochester Hills as scary. I have cycled there quite a bit and as I recall, it is criss-crossed with safe paths that parallel the highways. I found it a safe haven compared to a lot of the surrounding suburbs.

I intentionally mentioned Rochester Hills. If you're referring to their wide sidewalks, I avoid riding on them because they are not a safe place for most people to ride bikes (as the police crash reports show.) And because Rochester Hills thinks riding on wide sidewalks is a safe solution, they've failed to provide proper AASHTO accomodations on their roadways.

Wow... I thought Ohio cities might be a lot better, but sadly not! Even Dayton, with it's great bike trail promotion/creation, has only 0.8%, highest of the larger Ohio cities. Sad!

Funny you should mention Rochester Hills as scary. I have cycled there quite a bit and as I recall, it is criss-crossed with safe paths that parallel the highways. I found it a safe haven compared to a lot of the surrounding suburbs.


I intentionally mentioned Rochester Hills. If you're referring to their wide sidewalks, I avoid riding on them because they are not a safe place for most people to ride bikes (as the police crash reports show.) And because Rochester Hills thinks riding on wide sidewalks is a safe solution, they've failed to provide proper AASHTO accomodations on their roadways.

I read your post last night, actually while in Rochester Hills visiting family;-) One thing that I find discouraging about riding in the Northeast suburbs, where my family lives, is that all the highways that I might take to go any distance have no paved shoulders. The sidewalks as an alternative are sporadic. Thus I think of Rochester Hills as a safe haven because of those smooth continuous sidewalks, though I presume they are probably not as well maintained in the winter as the roads are. I usually don't like riding MUPS, but I favor them to a highway where the only escape route on the right from upcoming cars is gravel, grass or a curb.

I have never heard of AASHTO accomodations and I googled that subject. For shared roadways, they recommend at least a 4 foot continuous paved shoulder (emphasis added). From my experience this guideline is rarely met, and I am happy, depending on the traffic flow with as little as one foot or so. Less than that, I seriously look for alternatives.