Two upgrades to Belle Isle are nearly complete, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced, marking a significant step in a years-long effort to increase safety, ease congestion and improve accessibility at the beloved island park.
Upgrades include a new, two-way cycle track that will give bicyclists a continuous, separate loop around the perimeter of the island. Cyclists will be able to circle the entire park without crossing in front of vehicle lanes, and high-visibility road markings will make the route clear for cyclists and drivers.
“This new, two-way cycle lane will help advance our goal of enhanced multimodal mobility and recreation opportunities in the park,” said Amanda Treadwell, DNR urban area field planner. “We’re asking high-speed cyclists to use the road’s cycle track, which allows walkers and casual riders to safely enjoy the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail at their own speed.”
The DNR also will make Central Avenue a two-way street from Picnic Way to Portage Way, easing congestion on Riverbank and the beach area, Treadwell said. Central Avenue will be temporarily closed Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, May 29, and should reopen Friday, May 29, with the new traffic pattern.
This summer, the DNR will add new signs to make the park easier to navigate, the department said.
Study addresses Belle Isle traffic, safety issues
Belle Isle is a popular park and frequently crowded with vehicle traffic on weekends during warm weather.
On Monday, there were so many vehicles on the island that the DNR closed it to additional vehicles for approximately two hours, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., the DNR said on social media.
Belle Isle has occasionally hit capacity since the DNR took over management of the Detroit-owned park in 2014, according to social media posts.
There are about 3,000 marked parking spaces on Belle Isle and additional unmarked spaces, according to a study launched in 2023 by the DNR, Michigan Department of Transportation and Belle Isle Conservancy, which hired Wade Trim to conduct the study. The three groups sought ways to improve traffic flow, parking and movement on Belle Isle, the popular island park owned by the city of Detroit.
Some of those marked parking spots are not in highly desired areas, so they go unused. The study found there are 2,500 to 3,000 spaces where people want to park on peak days, and when they are occupied, “the bridge typically requires a temporary closure to additional traffic.”
Belle Isle visitation has increased since 2014, according to the study. There were approximately 2.1 million visitors in 2014, 4.2 million in 2017 and 5.6 million in 2023.
Recommendations from study
After the study, the groups released a mobility plan in early 2025. The top recommendation for improving travel around the island park was building a separate two-way bike path for cyclists.
Other recommendations included: improving the MacArthur Bridge with a safe and separate bike and pedestrian path; converting Central Avenue into a “people-focused promenade” for walking, biking and running; expanding bus routes and bike-sharing stations on the island; and finishing the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trail.
In the study, Wade Trim staffers identified a series of ongoing problems, such as people parking cars in bike lanes, unsafe pedestrian and cycling routes between the island’s popular spots and people who drive too fast in the wide roadways.
Reckless driving is a significant and deadly issue on Belle Isle. On Memorial Day in 2022, 12-year-old Ghadir Saleh was killed when a 23-year-old driver drove onto the beach, striking Ghadir and her 16-year-old sister.
The driver fled but was later arrested and charged with murder and other crimes.
ckthompson@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Changes underway for Belle Isle biking, driving
Reporting by Carol Thompson, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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