Ferndale Adds Bike Repair Stations, Crosswalks to Go with Bike Lanes
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 8, 2016)
Ferndale, MI –  The Ferndale Moves plan moves forward, and bicycle owners are pumped to learn that if they need air for their tires or tools to fix their brakes or keep their seat adjusted there are now stations for that along bike routes in the city.
Three new repair stations are part of the overall push for complete streets in Ferndale, and part of a grant awarded to five communities that have been collaborating on a 14-mile bike route project.  Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak have also added things like bike lanes, routes, ADA compliant curb cuts etc. The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant came through MDOT and SEMCOG in July 2015.
According to City Planner Justin Lyons, “the intent of the project is to provide every-day cyclists a way to connect to other communities without having to ride on busier streets, if they are not comfortable. The 14-mile route also raises awareness that a one to three mile bike ride from Ferndale to places like Royal Oak or Oak Park is an attainable, a healthy option, without needing to drive a car, pay for gas, parking, etc.”
Ferndale Mayor Pro Tem Melanie Piana was among one of the first cyclists to try out the new repair station at Geary Park.  For the inaugural check-up she rode a 1967 bicycle that used to belong to her aunt. “It was in my grandmother’s basement for 30 years.  Just needed a little air in the tires.  It still rides great,” she said.  Piana owns several bikes and often rides around town or to her job in Detroit.
She easily hoisted the cream and mauve-colored frame and hung it on the bars of the station where it was the perfect height to check it over.  Inside the station’s main green tube, a slew of tools attached by steel wire is there for easy use.  There is a pump for filling tires and QR codes on the station lead to information about how to make common bicycle repairs.
“I have to tell you this story,” Piana said.  “I studied Germany for a year in Muenster, which is the second most popular city for biking in Germany . Well I went back in 2006 for an environmental conference for work and I saw these solar powered bike repair stations everywhere, all this great infrastructure they’d added to make the city more bicycle friendly.
“Someone told me the station were similar to having gas stations everywhere for your car.  You need places where you can pull over safely and put air in your tires or tighten things up.  It can be lifesaving.  If you are a mile from your house and something gets wobbly, it’s nice knowing there is someplace near by you can tighten things up and have a safer ride home.”
Bike stations are up at Woodward Heights and Wolcott, W. 9 Mile and Plannavon and Pinecrest and W. Cambourne at Geary Park. There is also a new crosswalk that’s been added on Planavon, along with ADA compliant curbs so bikes, wheelchairs and strollers can move easily.
Ferndale has been proactively promoting the walkability and bikeablity of the community, and the Mayor Pro Tem is proud of the city’s increasing number of bike lanes, traffic-calming features like lane reductions, and safety features like more cross walks and cross walks that flash with yellow lights to alert drivers.
City leaders, including Piana, have also been vocal advocates for regional public transit, including the upcoming Regional Transit Authority ballot proposal that would fund a system to connect Oakland County with Wayne, Washtenaw and Macomb Counties.
Learn more about City of Ferndale complete streets initiatives and progress at http://ferndalemoves.com/.