In 1999, during the first Tour de Troit, 30 people attended. Last Saturday, more 7,000 riders biked together for the 13th annual Tour de Troit, an event held to promote healthy living and infrastructure for non-motorized transportation in Detroit. The ride began at 9 a.m. at Roosevelt Park, in front of the Michigan Central Train Depot in Corktown, while an epic 62 mile race started earlier in the day. The route took riders all around Detroit, from Corktown to New Center, over to Belle Isle and Downtown.
The event has raised nearly $180,000 since 2005 to support non-motorized transit projects. More than 17 miles of bike lanes have been developed as part of sponsor Southwest Detroit Greenlink’s efforts with money raised by Tour de Troit events. With all of the public excitement surrounding Detroit bike culture (as evidenced by the recent popularity explosion of the weekly Slow Roll), Tour de Troit has the potential to exceed all expectations for future participation.
It really is becoming “Detroit Bike City.” For more images, scroll on down:
