A few weekends ago the sky’s cleared and the sun finally blessed Eastern Michigan with a much needed spring weekend. April seems to have an effect on people, we shed our sweaters and get ready for spring cleaning. Our cleaning efforts often spill over into our neighborhood and Earth Day reminds us to clean up our environment. I live near the Dequindre Cut and was happy to participate in the spring clean up with my fellow fellows.

The Dequindre Cut was originally a railroad line which ran through the city to Royal Oak. In the 1830s the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad constructed a rail line through the east side of Detroit to reach the over 400 growing industries. By the 1930s the bridges for the cross roads where completed, totaling 16. The railroad thrived as a transportation option for people and products for a time but by 1982 the passenger service on the Dequindre Cut rails was discontinued. A few years later the freight traffic stopped running and the Dequindre Cut sat abandoned.

The Dequindre Cut attracted graffiti artists as there were many bare concrete bridge abutments and overpasses. Some of these pieces lasted as they are were protected from the weather. In 2003 the Dequindre Cut began to transform as the GreenWays Initiative granted $98,750 to the Downtown Detroit Partnership. In order to change the rail lines into the now bike path, the project was financed by an additional $3.4 million. The first mile was opened  to the public in 2009.

Today you can travel from Mack Avenue to the Detroit Riverwalk by foot, bike, or skate board. There are plenty of graffiti murals for you to enjoy, as well as work out stations and benches for you to use. Go enjoy and take in the sun!