Dequindre Cut...Open When?

**Boomer313** · April-15-09, 07:53 AM

Does anyone know if when the Dequindre Cut is officially opening? I walked it and biked it last year before it was open, but we had to get through an opening that someone made in the fence [[at the Jefferson end). The modelmedia website
http://www.modeldmedia.com/developme...ndre18409.aspx
says the official opening is May 14. I can't find anything on the Detroit Conservancy site http://www.detroitriverfront.org/.

Any information is appriciated.

Boomer313

**bike4beer** · April-15-09, 08:11 AM

I have ridden it multiple times. All the gates have been open. Not sure when the official opening is supposed to be but they may want to do it before every square inch of bench/pole/trash can are tagged.

**rajdet** · April-15-09, 08:13 AM

http://fadeddetroit.blogspot.com/200...ally-open.html
Faded Detroit Blog says May 14th. I was there for a bike ride a few weeks ago and there are no barriers up.

**Single Malt** · April-15-09, 08:15 AM

I pass it every day on my way to work. I've seen the southern end entrance open recently. There have also been electricians working on the pole lights. It looks ready to go, but I'm not sure what the deal is.

Looks open to me and there are no signs posted that says it is not.

**bohemianrobot** · April-15-09, 10:00 AM

I can't wait to ride through the DC at night when the lights work.

Does anyone know when the stretch north of Gratiot is supposed to be finished?

**Rocko** · April-15-09, 10:19 AM

I'm pretty sure that there are still railroad tracks in place [[unused, though) just north of Gratiot, and the rail line Detroit Connecting RR is still active as far south as Mack, so who knows...

**Todd_Scott** · April-15-09, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by bohemianrobot

I can't wait to ride through the DC at night when the lights work.

Does anyone know when the stretch north of Gratiot is supposed to be finished?

The lights are on -- Go ride!

The section north of Gratiot is still privately owned. Discussions with the owner are continuing.

I'll also mention that the City made some quick temporary improvements to the sidewalks along the south side of Gratiot from the Cut to Russell/Eastern Market. This will eventually be properly reconstructed in the near future. And, the conceptual design for the Dequindre Cut north of Gratiot includes ramped access directly into Eastern Market.

**ScienceFair** · April-15-09, 10:50 AM

I'm really excited about the future plans to link into Eastern Market, that will be fabulous. Does anyone know what the south end of the trail is like now? Last summer there was a chain link fence and a bunch of dirt and sand. It would be nice to have an actual destination at the end that would connect to the River Walk.

**Rocko** · April-15-09, 11:04 AM

I think the grand plan is to have the Dequindre Trail proceed straight out of the cut and meet the riverwalk at Tri-Centennial Park, right at the renovated Globe Trading Co. building. Not sure if any progress has been made on getting the trail down to Atwater, but no work has begun on the Globe.

As a side point, I was reading in the stimulus projects list and saw that the bridges that carry Larned over the Dequindre cut are due to be replaced with Stimulus money.... how will that work if they just open the trail next month?

**penelope** · April-15-09, 10:34 AM

I live close by and at the end of last summer my roomate and I rode bikes down there. It is going to be awesome. They should have an opening day bike party.

**Boomer313** · April-15-09, 02:44 PM

freep.com just reported the grang opening is may 14

Thanks for all the updates - I'm going ridin'.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009041...15076/1118/RSS

**Gistok** · April-15-09, 03:07 PM

I just drove by the cut last week, and for all the nice landscaping and work that was done... the remaining sidewalls of the [[long ago) removed bridges along the cut.... looks butt ugly!

**SDRdesign** · May-18-09, 01:06 PM

The cut opened on last Thursday. I havent walked it yet, but it looks nice at it's entrance though! Hopefully this weekend...
I'm not sure where info on it is. I found out through Preservation Wayne folks while helping with a tour at EM.

**Johnlodge** · May-18-09, 01:24 PM

You graffiti apologists just reinforce the general disrespect for other people's property that is already rampant. It's vandalism, plain and simple If it's not yours, don't fuck it up, how difficult is that? And why should there be a "legal" wall? You really think the people spraying this shit are going to say "oh, a legal wall, now I don't have to disrespect things that aren't mine!" How about the graffiti "artists" put a wall up in one of the vacant lots and spray on that? They can spend a fun day laying brick together, and when they're done they can spray their "art" all over it without destroying public property.

**GREENTROIT** · May-18-09, 02:56 PM

Well because somebody owns that vacant lot and we wouldn't want to harm other peoples property by building a wall on it now would we????

And most graffiti artists don't touch private property. It's sort of an unspoken rule that only public property should be touched. And as far as public property goes, the art should fit with its surroundings...

**Johnlodge** · May-18-09, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by GREENTROIT

Well because somebody owns that vacant lot and we wouldn't want to harm other peoples property by building a wall on it now would we????

And most graffiti artists don't touch private property. It's sort of an unspoken rule that only public property should be touched. And as far as public property goes, the art should fit with its surroundings...

Hey, you're starting to get the idea of respecting things that don't belong to you. Public property doesn't belong to you either, though, so unless you have the permission of the public, IE the local municipality, then your "art" doesn't belong on that either, because our tax dollars pay for it.

detmich · May-18-09, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Hey, you're starting to get the idea of respecting things that don't belong to you. Public property doesn't belong to you either, though, so unless you have the permission of the public, IE the local municipality, then your "art" doesn't belong on that either, because our tax dollars pay for it.

How about taggers get together and buy some thing of their own to tag on? Or is that too middle class for their sensibilities? Greentroit and Django you are simply acting as apologists for vandals. No rationalization, no clarification required. Whether you think it looks nice is irrelevant. Vandalising other's property is aggresive, illegal, antisocial behavior. You may enjoy it, much as a john enjoys his time with a prostitute, but it doesn't make it right.

gravitymachine · May-18-09, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by GREENTROIT

And most graffiti artists don't touch private property. It's sort of an unspoken rule that only public property should be touched....

on that first point, you must be living in a different city than i am [[detroit), and on the second, what makes public property so deserving of the honor?

**vintagesoul** · May-18-09, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

You graffiti apologists just reinforce the general disrespect for other people's property that is already rampant. It's vandalism, plain and simple If it's not yours, don't fuck it up, how difficult is that? And why should there be a "legal" wall? You really think the people spraying this shit are going to say "oh, a legal wall, now I don't have to disrespect things that aren't mine!" How about the graffiti "artists" put a wall up in one of the vacant lots and spray on that? They can spend a fun day laying brick together, and when they're done they can spray their "art" all over it without destroying public property.

Thank you for the chuckle. Great suggestion, I'd love to hear your solution for our homeless population. Perhaps we could build a wall...say near 8 mile...

lol sorry, I couldn't resist. C'mon, I'm willing to listen to real ideas and solutions to problems, but the people on here who seem to have a personal vendetta against people who do graff is just incredible. I can't possibly take you seriously.

as a detroit resident, I personally hope the walls in the cut become fully legal and that there are more legal walls allowed in the city. i love graff, i look for it everywhere i go.

detmich · May-18-09, 05:24 PM

You are so cool. I hope I can be as free and easy as you are one day.

Can I borrow your fixed gear please?

**vintagesoul** · May-18-09, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

You are so cool. I hope I can be as free and easy as you are one day.

Can I borrow your fixed gear please?

Maybe, but only if you ask me nicely.

**Det_ard** · May-18-09, 09:14 PM

Rode through today. Where's all the good art? 90% pure junk, 10% minor league "art".

**rjk** · May-30-09, 09:18 AM

I finally got a chance to check out the DC prior to going to EM this morning.
I was extremely impressed. They did a really nice job with that and it's a great addition to the downtown area.

As far as the graffiti goes, I really don't think it adds much at all, but I don't find it all that intrusive that it takes away from the DC. Reading this thread a week or two ago I was under the impression that there would be much more graffiti and the DC would have a much rougher feel to it.

Someone in this thread had mentioned that minus the graffiti it would have too much of a pristine feeling or something along those lines. Even with the minimal graffiti I thought it pretty much had a pristine and clean look about it. It makes me wonder if graffiti artists would even want to go down there as opposed to going to an area with a grittier feel.

**GREENTROIT** · June-24-09, 07:23 AM

http://www.freep.com/article/2009062...d+to+RiverWalk

The EDC approved an $871,900 lengthening of the Dequindre Cut from Woodbridge [[where it ends), to Atwater. Also, the Michigan DNR announced that they will connect the Dequindre Cut to the Riverwalk through Tricentennial State Park. This is supposed to be done by Fall. Good news for the DQ and for greenways in Detroit...

gravitymachine · June-24-09, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by GREENTROIT

http://www.freep.com/article/2009062...d+to+RiverWalk

The EDC approved an $871,900 lengthening of the Dequindre Cut from Woodbridge [[where it ends), to Atwater. Also, the Michigan DNR announced that they will connect the Dequindre Cut to the Riverwalk through Tricentennial State Park. This is supposed to be done by Fall. Good news for the DQ and for greenways in Detroit...

great news. without meaning to denigrate the many people who have made the cut and the riverwalk possible [[and continue to do so), it'll be a much easier sell with a seemless connection between the two