DETROIT – Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for the public’s input on ways to make it easier to access and get around Belle Isle.
In the winter, Belle Isle may not be as crowded, but there’s still enough going on to show the different ways people get around the island, both fast and slow. Now, the state wants input from visitors of all kinds to help improve the island in a new survey.
“In the summer months, when folks are out here enjoying the beach or the sunshine it can get really congested,” said the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Urban Area Field Planner Amanda Treadwell.
Belle Isle has been under DNR control since 2014 and this past year, the island doubled in the number of visits, hitting the five million visit mark.
The Belle Isle comeback has been exciting. It’s a crown jewel for the Detroit River, but all that congestion means more near misses with cars, bikers and people simply walking around or enjoying the day.
The mix of traffic and people has also led to tragedy. Last summer, a 12-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run.
The incident sparked debate over whether cars should be allowed on the island at all and how Belle Isle can be better for everyone. Which is exactly what the DNR wants to know in its new survey.
“Our goal with the survey is to increase the safety and improve the experience for our park visitors,” Treadwell said.
Right now, their most often talked about problem is how to know where to go.
“We’re talking about directional signs,” she said. “Showing people how to get to the aquarium, how to get to the nature center. There’s so many great attractions on the park that sometimes the one-way traffic circulation can make it difficult for new visitors to know where they’re going.”
It’s not just drivers they want to hear from either. “Things are a lot closer than people think. It’s maybe a 5-minute walk between the playground and the aquarium. We’re looking for ways for people to get out of their vehicles and explore the park on foot,” Treadwell said.
The survey goes through Feb. 19 and is available in Spanish, Arabic, is e-reader compatible and can be taken on paper in person.
To take the survey, visit the Belle Isle Park Multimodal Mobility Study page on the state’s website by clicking here.