No Bikes, pedestrians, or wheelchairs allowed.

[wolverine]

One of Washtenaw Co. most busiest thoroughfares, Washtenaw Ave, has to be the most inaccessible area of AA-Ypsi metro if you aren't taking a car.

Today i rode my bike from U of M all the way out to Eastern Michigan along that trail that runs along the Huron River. I figured I'd take Washtenaw back assuming it had sidewalks because all of the businesses. However, right when I left the Ypsi City limit, the sidewalks came to an abrupt end, and so started the dotted landscape of vicious landscape berms, uncut curbs, and broken driveways. It was horrible.

I mean, we are talking about an area which has a ton of businesses. Is it fair that when an elderly or handicapped person steps of that kneeling bus, they are faced with a rugged unkept terrain along the road? I noticed a few businesses did their best in hopes others would follow. A couple banks, a pizza hut, taco bell, and a car dealership, and one gas station, and a church put in sidewalks, but they served no purpose when they would end in the grass of the neighboring property.

Then there was the pinnacle moment. Some independent repair shop put up a banner, BLOCKING two crosswalks where they meet at the curb. I was crossing and hoping to skirt alongside it when a car was about to run the red light. I sped up and ended up brushing up against the banner a bit too hard. I realized it had just been hung when some young woman started chewing me out for hitting her sign, to which I replided, "You have a permit?"

Finally, the sidewalk started up again once I reached the Arborland Property, which essentially, the city limit.

Perhaps whatever township that is should learn from sprawlyburbs like Troy or Auburn Hills, that you can put sidewalks in places people will least expect them. Guess what, I counted almost 55 people walking through the grass!

FYI, Washtenaw Ave is curbed. It has no gravel area to traverse on bike which makes it 10 x more difficult

[nofunk]

Yep. Welcome to Pittsfield Township. Carpenter Road is like that too -- hit and miss sidewalks -- a pedestrian nightmare.

You know there are still dirt roads between Washtenaw and Packard? Guess they want to keep that rural feeling...

[mr.rwilson]

bikes belong on the road. sidewalks are for pedestrians.

[ZachariahDaMan]

I disagree, do you realize how little space there can be for bikers in the roads? On some roads there is plenty but not always. Not to mention cars going by you at 50 mph.

[wolverine]

bikes belong on the road. sidewalks are for pedestrians.

[mr.rwilson]

I ride my bike on the road every day. If there is not enough room on the shoulder or if it's not paved ride in the right lane. You have a right to be on the road. If you follow simple rules it's safe to ride on the road.

WHAT EVERY MICHIGAN BICYCLIST MUST KNOW

http://site5.20776.org/lmb/What%20Every%20...Must%20Know.pdf

[wolverine]

I'm aware of those rights. I'm an avid cyclist as well, but I know where to draw a line when it comes to safety. How are rights going to protect me when I paralyzed in a hospital bed? This is a very dangerous road. There's is too much visual distraction on either side. Reaction times are extremely low, and as I mentioned earlier, I was almost hit by a car that ran a red light.

It's a bit different when there is a wider right lane, frequent traffic control devices, and a denser environment which psychologically causes drivers to slow down.

This is not just about bikes, though. People who choose to walk through the grass, which in many situations is unkept, have to deal with getting muddy or tripping or hidden objects. And wheelchairs? Forget it.

[dtown]

I hate that too. Davison TWP near where i live (im in the city now), i beleive, requires that all new commercial developments have sidewalks along the road, on certain roads at least. Its good, but when there is patches of hit and miss sidewalk, its just as bad. 50 feet of cement, 50 feet of riding in someones lawn. Unless the sidewalks are continuous, it is almost useless. Makes me glad i can drive now. i still enjoy cycling, but in the suburbs, riding in the streets is just too dangerous.

[urban_izzy]

you know your right wolverine but, if we had all those pedestians on Washtenaw it would take so much longer for me to drive from Ypsi to AA. I have taken the trip down the river on bike before it is a very nice ride I have however ran into the same problem where once you get to your destination there really is no better way of getting back than taking the river trail. Packard is prolly the best road/street route beings is has street bike routes and sidewalk bike routes up until you reach Carpenter Rd... then you have to navigate through some crap until the trails start back up again.

One would think that if there was enough traffic on the side of the streets that there is a dirt path because the grass is dead the township would do something about it. Another great attempt at being "pedestrian friendly" can be seen at the meijer/target complex on Carpenter. Here you have a drive between the back of the parking lots and the apple bee's or McD's. Here you have stop signs with cross walks painted in front of them going from grassy mound to grassy mound. My personal fav is the cross walk from the a grassy area into the middle of the apple bee's driveway....

[Michigonian]

The AATA provides bike racks on buses for bike commuters down Washtenaw Ave too. I've ridden my bike through there before and have gotten so frustrated that I ended up taking up a full lane of road because of lack of options. Suprisingly, nobody honked at me... Never again though. Michigan needs to do away with all political power given to townships, either that or townships need to start planning better. You can always tell when you leave a historic town in Michigan and enter the township because you see crappy development.

[wolverine]

Yeah, for one block I ended up using the right lane, but there were a bit too many close calls.

I drove that route today to go to Walgreens, and noticed on two separate occasions, cyclists riding in the turn lane.