Lansing - A Bicycle Friendly Community

[Dale Freeman]

I know that I am preaching to the choir and singing a song that others have sung better (looking at you Tim Potter) but I have to say that the irony of this fading sign made me stop and take a picture. Lansing boasts of being a bicycle friendly community (2010-2014) on a road with a narrow, pot-holed, litter-strewn bike lane.

[Tim Potter]

Sadly, it seems that Lansing has lost its momentum / interest in investing in bike friendly infrastructure. I’m not aware of any cities losing their BFC designations, but Lansing seems to be going down that road.

This would be a good post for our Facebook group by the way.

Sent from Tim Potter's mobile

> On Jun 21, 2025, at 11:07 AM, Dale Freeman <dfree...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I know that I am preaching to the choir and singing a song that others have sung better (looking at you Tim Potter) but I have to say that the irony of this fading sign made me stop and take a picture. Lansing boasts of being a bicycle friendly community (2010-2014) on a road with a narrow, pot-holed, litter-strewn bike lane.
>
> --
> This is the Tri-County Bicycle Assn Advocacy Committee Google Group. The comments posted to this list are the expressions of individual members and are not to be construed as an endorsement by the TCBA-Advocacy group unless specifically stated otherwise. Our website is: http://biketcba.org/advocacy
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[Tom Hardenbergh]

The BFC experiment ran from 2010-2014.  Is there a city department that produced a report on what was accomplished during that time period to warrant the designation?  Some bicycle friendly improvements were completed locally during the past ten years.  The changes on Lake Lansing Rd east of Abbot have benefited me.  Active advocacy with enlightened officials must continue.      

On Sat, Jun 21, 2025 at 11:07 AM Dale Freeman <dfree...@gmail.com> wrote:

I know that I am preaching to the choir and singing a song that others have sung better (looking at you Tim Potter) but I have to say that the irony of this fading sign made me stop and take a picture.  Lansing boasts of being a bicycle friendly community (2010-2014) on a road with a narrow, pot-holed, litter-strewn bike lane. 

Sent from my iPhone

[Tim Potter]

The segment of Lk. Lansing Rd. you mentioned is E. Lansing and Ingh. Co. 

Yes, there probably were some improvements made in the years since 2014 that the City or advocates could recall for them to keep their BFC designation.  But the fact remains, that Lansing has been very disappointing in their lack of support for most proposed bike-friendly infrastructure in recent years, probably since Andy’s role was greatly expanded. 

Sent from Tim Potter's mobile

On Jun 21, 2025, at 10:59 PM, Tom Hardenbergh <greenv...@gmail.com> wrote:



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This is the Tri-County Bicycle Assn Advocacy Committee Google Group. The comments posted to this list are the expressions of individual members and are not to be construed as an endorsement by the TCBA-Advocacy group unless specifically stated otherwise. Our website is: http://biketcba.org/advocacy
 
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[Dale Freeman]

I think that what I was trying to say is that the sign was placed there because the city was proud of Kalamazoo St.  It represented the primary east-west bike lane in Lansing, especially as it connects to MSU and East Lansing.  Unfortunately, the city has allowed the quality of the overall roadbed to deteriorate.  This might be okay for motorists as there are more and better choices for them, but cyclists, particularly commuting cyclists can either go the long way around on the Lansing River Trail, dodging pedestrians or strike out through the neighborhoods.  Michigan Avenue looked promising in planning, but underwhelming in implementation so far.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tcatc/F04768E6-E779-4E1B-A775-C5D48BD1209F%40gmail.com.

[Bob Lovell]

How many TCBA -AC regulars are Lansing residents?  Rather than non-voters talking to stone walls in City Hall (both named Andy, confusingly enough)  maybe we should consider growing some local grass roots.  For one thing, there are a half-dozen biking/running groups in town, each doing their own advocacy work.  Maybe we should contact FLRT and see if they'd join us as the core of a coalition around non-motorized safety, fitness, commuting, and recreation in the Tri-County area.  Together our political megaphone would be louder.

Bob Lovell

6185 Graebear Trail

East Lansing, MI 48823

517 256-4552

On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 8:34 AM Tim Potter <flyingdu...@gmail.com> wrote:

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tcatc/F04768E6-E779-4E1B-A775-C5D48BD1209F%40gmail.com.

[Tom Hardenbergh]

Oh Tim, I agree with you.  The presence of a staunch supporter of bicycling, elected or not elected, and an embedded attitude of inclusion for NMT within Lansing government has been fragmented and rare.  While the Lansing River Trail network is important, the road system surrounding it seldom affords safe access to it.  Bicycle riders have figured out how to exist in this environment.

      

On Sun, Jun 22, 2025 at 8:34 AM Tim Potter <flyingdu...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Kwiatkowski, Nicholas]

I know I’m a Lansing resident, and there are maybe two or three others on the advocacy group from what I understand.

 

Strong Towns Lansing is specifically coordinating multiple groups of Lansing residents to push for better cycling, walkability, and mass transit.  STL does meet monthly and has two city council candidates as well as a mayoral candidate in the group. 

 

We’ve approached the Friends of the Lansing River Trail, but their mission is specifically about that regional trail and they don’t want to expand their advocacy – but their board also seems to be hyper-focused on recreation and not connectivity.

 

As far as current major reconstruction projects in the Lansing area that are going to be continuing with poor or no cycling infrastructure – we found out that Mt. Hope between Penn and Krugger’s Landing will not have any cycling lanes when it gets redone in the fall, and Pleasant Grove will keep the current design (unprotected cycling lanes that are often confused with parking).  Kilpatrick just let us know that the S. Washington Ave re-design won’t accommodate cyclists at all, even though they survey by DLI insinuates that it is a part of the design.  I honestly can’t point to any cycling lane improvements that aren’t done by the parks department in the last two years.

 

-Nick

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tcatc/CAFkoq9-CqN6CcrESuG9U4u%2B%2B1UrZA_1K26%2BT0SdcaK5EAa%2B0MQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[pres...@biketcba.org]

I have talked with Dick (George) Hayhoe about TCBA assisting FLRT with donating money for yard signs for the upcoming millage vote, like TCBA did a few years ago. Perhaps coordinating TCBA's donation along with FRLT's efforts to assist in this advocacy might help motivate them?

Pat

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From: tc...@googlegroups.com <tc...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Kwiatkowski, Nicholas <n...@msu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 3:25 PM
To: boblo...@gmail.com <boblo...@gmail.com>; flyingdu...@gmail.com <flyingdu...@gmail.com>
Cc: greenv...@gmail.com <greenv...@gmail.com>; tcatc <tc...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [TCBA-Advocacy] Re: Lansing - A Bicycle Friendly Community

 

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[Kevin Schumacher]

On an unrelated note:

 

I’m looking for a hitch mounted bike rack for my daughter.  If anybody has an easy to use one for a 2” hitch, let me know.

 

Don’t forget to hydrate!

 

 

Kevin V.B. Schumacher

 533 South Grand Avenue

Lansing, MI 48933

(517) 482-3800

(fax) 482-8253

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From: tc...@googlegroups.com <tc...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Dale Freeman
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2025 12:35 PM
To: flyingdu...@gmail.com
Cc: greenv...@gmail.com; tcatc <tc...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [TCBA-Advocacy] Re: Lansing - A Bicycle Friendly Community

 

I think that what I was trying to say is that the sign was placed there because the city was proud of Kalamazoo St.  It represented the primary east-west bike lane in Lansing, especially as it connects to MSU and East Lansing.  Unfortunately, the city has allowed the quality of the overall roadbed to deteriorate.  This might be okay for motorists as there are more and better choices for them, but cyclists, particularly commuting cyclists can either go the long way around on the Lansing River Trail, dodging pedestrians or strike out through the neighborhoods.  Michigan Avenue looked promising in planning, but underwhelming in implementation so far.

 

 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tcatc/CAJh7GkixHW-9QbsaAq%3DSgW6KWXH8c8j7DQMJ8wc8iaC58Q-c2A%40mail.gmail.com.