Biking Gets a Boost in Ypsilanti

On December 6, the Ypsilanti City Council gave the Ypsilanti Health Coalition unanimous approval to install a series of bike racks along the Michigan Avenue business district. Four of the inverted “U” style racks have been installed in front of businesses and two placed at City Hall, for a total of 12 bike parking spaces.

The racks are the first wave of bike parking to be installed in key locations throughout the city to support biking in the community. The bike rack project is one of the Ypsilanti Health Coalition’s initiatives in the “Washtenaw Steps Up” project. The coalition plans to host a community event in the spring to celebrate the bike rack installation project.

“The bike racks will allow Ypsilanti residents to practice ‘active living’ by biking downtown and safely locking up their bikes,” said Debbie Young, facilitator of the Ypsilanti Health Coalition. “More biking will contribute to the health of the community and to the vitality of the business district.”

Washtenaw Steps Up’s overall goal is to implement policy and environmental changes to make it easier for Ypsilanti residents to be physically active and eat healthily. A healthier nutrition and activity environment may lead to decreased obesity and cardiovascular disease among Ypsilanti adults and youth in the future.

The Ypsilanti Health Coalition (YHC) acts as the lead community group for the Ypsilanti project, with support from Washtenaw County Public Health. As a long-standing local health coalition with representatives from Parents Together, Hope Clinic, U of M Health System, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, and other organizations, the YHC has addressed childhood asthma and nutrition issues, focusing especially on at-risk groups within Ypsilanti.

Several other community organizations have joined the YHC to work on Washtenaw Steps Up, including EMU, the Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Development Authority, Growing Hope, the City of Ypsilanti, the Recreation Commission, and Ypsilanti Public Schools. Other community stakeholders are welcome to join the YHC at any time.

For more information about the Ypsilanti Health Coalition, contact Deb Young at (734) 712-4543.