Two different paths, one for bicycles and joggers with a second for those that want to enjoy the Joe Louis Greenway at a more leisurely pace.
Landscaping designed with a more “natural” feel that includes native plants that attract birds and bees.
Charging stations for personal devices, bicycle repair stations, and barbecue grills and seating areas.
These are but a few of the things people want to see in the next stretch of the Joe Louis Greenway, the planned 27.5-mile-long bicycle and pedestrian pathway that loops through parts of Detroit and Dearborn. The findings were gathered from a survey at a public engagement session in August.
A second public engagement session was held virtually Thursday, Oct. 29, allowing the public the chance to get a sneak peek of the next planned phase of the Joe Louis Greenway. Survey results from the first such meeting were revealed and more survey questions were posed.
Cleanup efforts are set to begin this month for a stretch of overgrown rail corridor once owned by Conrail and now owned by the city. Cleanup crews working into the cold months will better position construction crews that are scheduled to begin work in Spring 2021, said Jeff Klein, the city’s deputy chief of landscape architecture.
It’s anticipated that the new pathways will be completed by the end of next year.
The newest stretch itself will be a 2.8-mile-long series of off-street pathways and on-street bike lanes that will run from Warren to Fullerton on the city’s west side. Klein explained that this particular stretch of the Joe Louis Greenway was selected because officials believe that its completion can have the biggest immediate impact, touting the benefits of environmental remediation and blight removal to precede construction.
Major trailheads are planned at Warren and Grand River with smaller access points in between. Design plans reveal a Warren Gateway with a large public park complete with a playground, picnic and grilling area, and access to a path that winds its way through the rail corridor before transitioning to on-street bike lanes.
Visit Joe Louis Greenway online to view the full presentation, design renderings, and more.
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