Poorest County, White Lines and Cyclists

Last week we stayed just north of Silver Lake, in Oceana County.  Oceana County is one of the poorest counties in the State, with little industry other than agriculture and tourism. Silver Lake is separated from Lake Michigan by massive sand dunes, and is the only place where you can drive dune buggies on state owned dunes.  Not surprisingly, it has go cart tracks, putt putt, video games, ice cream, Bubba’s BBQ, and many similar attractions.

Riding a bike around Silver Lake is quite the experience.  The dune buggies are diverse, and entertaining. The license plates include Ontario, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, as well as many Michigan plates. The people who drive the buggies also are interesting. With some, you wonder if they have more tattoos than teeth.

Given the motorized vehicle emphasis of Silver Lake, it was refreshing to discover that Silver Lake, like many other communities, embrace cycling. Unlike the Grosse Pointes, both businesses and governments in Oceana County truly welcome cyclists, and understand what they have to offer.  The major roads through and around Silver Lake have marked and painted bike lanes, including on roads with posted speeds of 55. It is easy to travel to and through Sand Lake and the other communities in Oceana County, including Hart, Shelby, Mears and Pentwater. It is safe to cycle to the retail areas and to patronize the businesses, which my wallet reminds me still that we did many times.

Unfortunately, here at home in the Grosse Pointes, where many well to do, well heeled, and well educated live, --shopping, schools, parks, and, of course, on Lakeshore Road. They assert that riding on residential streets with the maximum speed of 35 is just too dangerous. Indeed, they assert that riding on a sidewalk on Lakeshore is safer than riding in the street, ignoring the studies that show riding on a sidewalk is five times more dangerous than riding in the street, and ten times more dangerous than riding a marked bike lane. 

If one of the poorest parts of the state, one full of red necks, mullets, and tattoos, can welcome cyclists with white lines, it is time for the Pointes to do the same.  The money is available to designate bike routes that take cyclists where they want to go and to mark the routes with bike lanes and sharrows.