The Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative (DECC) was founded in 1992 as a consortium of community development organizations and institutions dedicated to revitalizing Detroit’s Eastside. The mission today is to transform the Eastside of Detroit by creating active greenways that connect people and communities.
The first phase of The Conner Creek Greenway is near completion and we, along with our partners, have constructed one more mile of greenway trail, added three interpretive signs, taught 150 youth in five locations how to repair bikes, helped launch a new conservancy that will lead the redevelopment of Chandler Park, reintroduced families to the benefits of kite flying and hosted a bike tour for 700 cyclists.
The first phase of our nine-mile greenway build out is almost complete, and the demand for programming increases each year. DECC and The Conner Creek Greenway have become very important to the development of non-motorized transportation in Detroit. We are excited about the upcoming year and expect to accomplish several new projects over the next 12 months:
- Teach 150 youth how to repair a bike, ride safely on the streets and provide them with a bike, helmet and lock.
- Build one mile of greenway from East Outer Drive at Conner to Van Dyke up to Eight Mile, including a connection into the neighboring City of Warren;
- Design protected bike lane and greenway connections through Chandler Park and along East Jefferson Avenue;
- Design and develop a new bus stop with green infrastructure features at Gratiot and Conner;
- Host a variety of educational and recreational programs for all ages, including biking, hiking, yoga, flower planting and bicycle training & safety classes;
- Plan for the development of a new Belt Line Greenway, similar to the Dequindre Cut, that will connect to the riverfront;
- Maintain the eight miles of built greenway in partnership with the Greening of Detroit, including areas in Conner Playfield and Maheras Gentry Park; and
- Help the Detroit Greenway Coalition advocate to link over 100 miles of trails and bike lanes across the entire City.
