The Gordie Howe International Bridge will open its multi-use path to pedestrians and cyclists on Aug. 5, giving people a free way to walk or ride between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River.
For Vincent Dockett, that means more than a new route. He said he is looking forward to riding across the water and into another country and back, a trip that will be possible without paying a toll but only after travelers show approved documents at customs.
The path is 1.5 miles long and separated from vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. It will be the only border crossing between Michigan and Canada where people can legally cross on foot or by bicycle, a rare option at a crossing built for cars and trucks and now opening a lane for people moving at a slower pace.
That makes the opening especially notable because there are no existing connections right now between Detroit and Windsor for people walking and biking, said Todd Scott of the Detroit Greenways Coalition. Nearly two decades after the group began pushing for a pedestrian and bicycle link across the river, the bridge’s path gives the idea a real opening. Scott said there are great trails on both sides of the river, and on the Detroit side the new route connects to the Joe Louis Greenway.
The crossing is free, but it is not casual. Pedestrians and cyclists will still pass through dedicated customs facilities before entering the bridge, and they must carry approved travel documents. Valid passports, enhanced driver’s licenses and NEXUS cards will be accepted, which means the path opens the border to foot and bike traffic without removing the border itself.
The question now is not whether people can use it. They can, beginning Aug. 5. The real unknown is how often they will. Scott said he does not yet know the impact this will have on cycling or whether it will draw visitors from far beyond Detroit and Windsor, but the bridge’s first day for walkers and riders will test whether a long-sought route becomes a regular part of how people move between Michigan and Canada.
To mark the opening, the Detroit Greenways Coalition has created a bike tour that begins and ends at the Gordie Howe International Bridge and runs through Southwest Detroit, Michigan Central, downtown Detroit, Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut, Belle Isle and the Detroit RiverWalk. For Dockett, though, the appeal is simpler than the map: a chance to cross the water, cross the border and come back the same way.
