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Belle Isle improvements: Groups give recommendations after multi-year transportation study

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After a more than two-year study of transportation on Belle Isle, the Belle Isle Conservancy and the state have finalized recommendations to improve travel on the island park.

According to the Michigan DNR, Michigan Department of Transportation and the conservancy, the 2.5-year study has led to the "Belle Isle multimodal mobility plan," which outlines a 10-year strategy to help visitors move through the park.

The key recommendations include:

  • Restriping the MacArthur Bridge with two lanes for cars in each direction and a dedicated two-way bike lane, providing a safe and separated path for cyclists and pedestrians to access the Detroit International RiverWalk.
  • Restriping the perimeter loop road to include one-way vehicular traffic and two-way bike lanes.
  • Converting Central Avenue, spanning 1.25 miles from the James Scott Memorial Fountain to the woods, creating a people-focused promenade for walkers, bikers, runners and others.
  • Installing wayfinding and directional signage to help visitors better understand how to move around the island.
  • Partnering with the Detroit Department of Transportation to expand bus routes and stops around the island; MOGO – a Detroit-based nonprofit bikeshare organization – to expand on-site bike sharing; and others to determine the feasibility of a ferry stop at Belle Isle.
  • Completing construction of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail, which also serves as the southernmost 6 miles of Michigan's Iron Belle Trail, for biking, walking and rolling around the island.

The plan focuses on making the island safer for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and more. It outlines dozens of different improvements that can be made and breaks it down into four phases.
Here is the breakdown by phase.

Phase one is expected to take place in 2025; phase two in 2026; phase three between 2027-2029 and phase four between 2030 and 2035.

The organizations said that the DNR Parks and Recreation Division will soon develop a plan that will outline additional priorities.

"The development of a strategic plan for Belle Isle will help us look at all the work that needs to be done in a holistic manner and develop a list of priorities that reflect the community’s needs and aspirations," said Amanda Treadwell, urban field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "Throughout the multimodal mobility study, many people shared their ideas for improving the park. We want to build on what we’ve already learned, and we're excited to continue this collaboration with our visitors and stakeholders."

You can read the executive summary below, or read the full report on the Belle Isle website.

Summary report for Belle Isle transportation study by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd