
Visitors to Belle Isle Park can expect some significant navigational improvements over the next decade, thanks to a joint effort by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the Belle Isle Conservancy. A newly completed study, which has taken about 2.5 years and is now offering recommendations to alleviate traffic woes, aims to make the island park more accessible and visitor-friendly. It includes a variety of proposals to rework roads, trails, and sidewalks that will ultimately benefit those who walk, bike, or drive to and within the scenic Detroit gem.
Among the suggestions from the Belle Isle multimodal mobility plan is the restriping of the MacArthur Bridge to accommodate a two-way bike lane and two lanes for motor vehicles in each direction. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the intention is to provide a safer journey for cyclists and pedestrians accessing the Detroit International RiverWalk. A conversion is also in the works for Central Avenue, into a promenade of 1.25 miles intended for a variety of recreational activities, to allow easier travel for walkers, bikers, and runners from the James Scott Memorial Fountain to the woods.
The plan doesn't stop at infrastructural tweaks. Installing new signage to aid in wayfinding is part of the overhaul, as well as expanding the Detroit Department of Transportation's bus routes to the island and investigating the potential of a ferry stop to the locale. Tandem biking opportunities, through a partnership with local nonprofit MOGO, are also set to expand.
Some aspects of the recommended upgrades are already underway. Travelers can look forward to the completion of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail, designed for two-wheel aficionados, which forms part of the Michigan Iron Belle Trail's southern route. "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," Amanda Treadwell, urban field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, noted in a statement, as per the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.