The Metro: How can streets be safer for bikers, pedestrians in Detroit?

This week on “The Metro,” we discussed bike and pedestrian safety and how Detroit is making our streets safer. 

A view of a street with a bike lane from handlebars

A protected bike lane in Detroit.

Photo credit: Sandra Svoboda, for WDET

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The city of Detroit ranks No. 3 in the nation for pedestrian fatalities, but we’re not alone.

It’s getting more dangerous to be a pedestrian or cyclist just about anywhere you look in the U.S. — where pedestrian deaths have gone up 68% since 2011, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Roughly 30% of Detroiters don’t own a car, so the question of how to stay safe navigating the city’s roads and sidewalks is a serious one for many. Today on The Metro, we discussed bike and pedestrian safety and how Detroit is making our streets safer. 

Guests:  

  • Jason Hall: Founder of Slow Roll Detroit and RiDetroit, an e-bike and walking tour company.
  • Leona Medley: Executive director of the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership
  • Todd Scott: Executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 11, 2025: 

  • Life Remodeled is working on a new opportunity hub on the east side, Anchor Detroit, that will open up in the Denby neighborhood December 2025. WDET’s Jack Filbrandt toured the building and discussed the project with Vice President of Opportunity Hubs Brandi Haggins.

  • Metro Producer Sam Corey sat down with Director of Fiscal Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy James Hohman to discuss a new report that found corporate subsidies aren’t creating new jobs like people hoped. Hohman talks about why legislators give money to corporations to create jobs even though they often don’t come to be.

Tomorrow’s question: Should students use artificial intelligence in schools?

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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Authors

  • The Metro
  • Lauren Myers
  • Sam Corey is a producer for 101.9 WDET, which includes finding and preparing interesting stories for the daily news, arts and culture program, The Metro. Sam joined WDET after a year and a half at The Union, a small newspaper in California, and stints at a variety of local Michigan outlets, including WUOM and the Metro Times. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago.