Trump’s Canada Bridge Threat Could Kill a Rare International Bikeway

President Trump’s threat to prevent the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge between Canada and the United States could impede one of the few bikeways that links the two countries. 

As Chava Gourarie explains in Streetsblog USA, “Spanning the Detroit River and named for the Canadian ice hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings, the Gordie Howe was designed to facilitate a more direct path for car and truck traffic between freeways on either side of the border — and it would have also included a bike and pedestrian path, protected from the six lanes of car traffic beside it.”

The bridge was built and financed by Canada and is close to completion. It would be the region’s only bike and pedestrian crossing. The bridge would be part of the Trans-Canada Trail, a 17,500-kilometer trail that is the longest in the world, and would allow hikers and bikers to traverse both countries in a continuous trip. “For over a decade, a coalition has championed the Gordie Howe bike path and laid the groundwork to connect the bridge to a network of urban bike paths and trail greenways on either side of the border, creating a powerful catalyst for cross-border tourism, cultural exchange and connection to the region’s environmental assets.”

Advocates on both sides of the border say they’ll continue doing their work — “and hope that the bridge and its bike path open as planned.”