Dearborn Plans Walking, Biking Program

DEARBORN, Mich. – The second annual Walk and Roll Healthy Dearborn walking and biking program kicks off on Wednesday, May 3, as the first in a weekly series planned through October. Every Wednesday evening, friends, families and community members are invited to meet at a different park for a 1.5-mile walk or a 5-or 6-mile bike ride around the neighborhood.

The free walks and rides are family-friendly, and the speed is set at a pleasant pace, so that participants will be able to chat with friends and take in the sights of the neighborhood around them. “These walking and biking events help to foster community socialization and cohesion and connect people to Dearborn’s plethora of beautiful parks,” said Sara Gleicher, who is the project manager for Healthy Dearborn, which is a coalition led by Beaumont, in partnership with the City of Dearborn and Dearborn Public Schools.

Routes are not usually planned out, but the walks tend to stay near the starting park. The schedule of Walk and Rolls and other Healthy Dearborn events can be found here. This year, Healthy Dearborn hopes to have most walks led by community leaders, including Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., who will participate in a walk at a date still to be determined. The developing schedule for walk leaders so far is:
· May 3, Levagood Park: City Council President Susan Dabaja
· May 31, Martha Myrtle Park: 19th District Chief Judge Sam Salemey
· June 23, Pine-Linden Park: Fire Chief Joseph Murray
· July 19, Rosalie-Hubbard Park, Dearborn Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko
· July 26, Pocket Park in downtown west Dearborn on Michigan Avenue between Mason and Monroe Streets: Beaumont-Dearborn CEO Kelly Smith

Bike routes are usually more adventurous than the walks, but still move at a comfortable, social speed. “We live in such a diverse city,” said Walk and Roll Founder Tracy Besek. “Each week and each neighborhood brings such a unique look at Dearborn.”

“Both walking and biking are great ways to start healthy habits,” said Besek. Kick-off times will be at 7 p.m. for events May through August. Start times for September and October will be earlier in the evening. Meeting times are a half an hour before the official start in order to go over rules and safety instructions.

“The more people that are out riding, the safer our city becomes for cyclists of all levels as bicyclists are more visible and readily accepted by motorists,” said Besek.

Walk and Roll is one piece of the Healthy Dearborn initiative, which was launched in 2015 by Beaumont Health. A Community Health Needs Assessment was conducted by Wayne County and determined that there are four areas in the county that need to improve, health-wise. Those areas are heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and access to care.
“More and more research shows the importance of physical activity to individual and community health,” said Gleicher. “Healthy Dearborn was launched to prevent chronic disease through promoting healthy eating and active living.”

Some of the other Healthy Dearborn activities for this year include Transformation Tuesday workouts in City Hall Park, blood pressure screenings, healthy food tastings, and more. For more information on the benefits of walking and other healthy activity visit here.

Photo courtesy of the city of Dearborn