The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route Expanding to the Motor City

Last October I had the opportunity to bicycle through the Motor City, and I had an outstanding tour guide in Todd Scott, the Detroit Greenways Coordinator for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Todd really loves his home city and was game to take me all over, but limited time kept us contained to the heart of the city, much of which involved the Detroit River. A few items on the agenda were a priority for us -- including the Dequindre Cut Greenway, which leads to the Detroit RiverWalk (where you can rent bikes from the Wheelhouse) and eventually, the sculpture you see me standing by, which is dedicated to the Underground Railroad.

Long before it became the car capitol of the world, Detroit was known as a major crossing point for freedom seekers into Windsor, Canada.

Speaking of Canada, Ontario is extremely important when talking about the Underground Railroad. Canadian Slavery was abolished in 1833, almost 30 years before the Civil War. Many black settlements were formed in southern Ontario, especially after the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 (freedom seekers could be legally recaptured north of the Mason Dixon Line and returned to their southern owners). Geographically, southern Ontario provided the closest access to Canada from many of the slave-holding states, but Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Buffalo River all had to be forged to reach the shores of freedom.

You might remember that in 2007, Adventure Cycling released the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route maps and ran our first tours along the 2,008 mile-long corridor. Starting in Mobile, Alabama, the route runs north to the confluence of the Ohio River; from there, it heads north-east to Erie, PA and then Buffalo, NY -- another important crossing point into Ontario. The route terminates in Owen Sound, a community that has held an Annual Emancipation Day Celebration since 1862.

Though hundreds of communities played an important role in helping freedom seekers find safe haven throughout the north and south, we couldn't include them all. We planned for the main route to become a spine from which connections, like day-trip routes and additional Underground Railroad spur routes might evolve.

In 2008, we added the Pittsburgh spur connecting Pittsburgh, home to our partners at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health, to the main route via Erie, PA.

Now, at the urging of the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program (and with support from Adventure Cycling members), we're pleased to say we'll be expanding the Underground Railroad Route once more -- to south eastern Michigan (including Detroit) and south western Ontario (including the Buxton Historic Site).

There is an intense amount of passion in Detroit for this history. I witnessed a small sampling during my visit. The Michigan Freedom Trails Commission and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will play an important role in helping us incorporate the best sites and history into this route, and cycling advocates will help us ensure the route stays true to the Adventure Cycling standards of scenic and safe roads and trails.

Though there's a lot of work to be done to get this route from concept to map, I am honored, once again, to be working with dedicated people on something that will bring economic and active transportation opportunities to a city once known as the Paris of the Midwest.

photo by Todd Scott

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CONNECTIONS is posted twice a month by Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling's special projects director and features the cultural, historical, geographical, and human connections created through bike travel. Find out about our award-winning Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.