How do you really feel about Detroit’s new bike lanes?

Welcome to Friday Open Threads, wherein we’ll pass the mic to readers to speak up about topics of interest, distress, horror, and more. Have something you want discussed? Let us know. This week’s topic: Detroit’s new bike lanes.

Work was recently completed on East Jefferson, reducing the number of traffic lanes from seven to five and installing new protected bike lanes on each side. When work started, it drew “get off my lawn” type ire from everyday motorists who missed the many public meetings and announcements beforehand. But now that we’ve had a chance to drive or ride them a while, how do we really feel?

Bike lanes aren’t going away in Detroit, and they won’t lead to a car-free Motor City like some fear. Detroit has been left with very wide roads, which are dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, if not protected.

The new road design has slowed down traffic on East Jefferson, which before was often like a race track. Has it slowed down too much? Has it affected your commute at all? Are you more likely to bike to work or use the bike lanes to get to and from Belle Isle? Do you live near Michigan, Cass, or Livernois Avenues, where we’ve seen other protected bike lanes built? Are they used frequently?

And how do you feel about the implementation of bike lanes? Can the city do a better job of communicating and reaching out to residents? Let us know in the comments below.

Some people obviously aren’t fans of Detroit Bike City. Can we compromise with Detroit Scooter City?