Revision 12 (Aug. 8, 2006, 10:12 p.m. by None)

Ann Arbor received a Bicycle Friendly Community Award in 2005, and has made major efforts over the past several years to encourage cycling, including development of Non-Motorized Transportation Plans, a Bicycle Master Plan, the earmarking of 5% of the City's share of State gasoline tax receipts to non-motorized transportation, and programs such as [getDowntown]'s "Curb Your Car Month". A number of new bike lanes have been designated recently; the DDA has included bike parking areas in their parking structures, rentable bike lockers in select locations, and bike hoops in their streetscaping efforts; and all AATA buses are equipped with bike racks for mixed-mode commutes.

Bicycles are considered vehicles under Michigan State law, and, as such, have all of the rights and responsibilities of automobiles. Although this is rarely enforced, bicyclists are not only obligated by law, but are also safest when riding in the street, with traffic, and obeying traffic signals. Riding on the sidewalk endangers not only pedestrians, but also cyclists - cars turning into or out of driveways, alleys, and parking lots often fail to see bikes on the sidewalk, pedestrians may exist buildings suddenly, and sidewalks provide less space for cyclists to avoid obstacles. This is especially the case in downtown, where sidewalk sightlines are shorter, buildings are right next to the sidewalk, and traffic is heavy.

Fortunately, the streets of Ann Arbor are fairly friendly to cyclists. Many downtown streets have "cycle route" symbols painted on the pavement to warn drivers, and almost all streets are low-speed enough for cyclists to ride comfortably in traffic. (Those that aren't, such as Huron Street, have convenient, parallel, low-traffic routes.)

Outside of downtown, many of the higher-speed arterial streets have bike lanes on the pavement or "shared use paths", which are wider than a sidewalk and paved, rather than cement, and usually marked as bike routes with signs. The network of dedicated bicycle facilities is planned to expand in coming years, but experienced cyclists are comfortable on almost all of Ann Arbor's surface streets, and most are happy to give route and safety tips to newer cyclists. Bike lights, front and rear, are required by both law and common sense when riding on streets during nighttime or dusk; cycle shops around town carry sets for around $25.00 and will usually install them for you.

Where to Bike

Here's a handy map from Patrick Austin (paanta on Flickr): http://usestrict.net/maps/new_bikemap.pdf

Most cycle shops around town carry paper maps of recommended cycle routes, produced by the Washtenaw County Parks & Rec Department.

Winter Biking

This gets a bit trickier, but many Ann Arborites cycle year-round. Any amount of snow and ice makes starting and stopping harder and slower. (Note that riding on the street becomes an even better idea, as the streets are generally better cleared of snow than the sidewalks.) You'll need a change of clothes, or at least some shoe covers and face protection - many winter cyclists wear ski goggles to protect their eyes from wind and glare. As always, a good set of lights is essential, especially due to the shorter daylight hours. getDowntown occasionally offers winter biking workshops, and winter cyclists are generally happy to help newbies.

Links