Gran Fondo: 'Big Ride' or Big Headache?
Supporters of the race say it has the potential to be a marquee event, while city leaders in Royal Oak worry a massive community bike ride down Woodward Avenue is unsafe.
At City Hall tonight, the Royal Oak City Commission will be advised to reject any special event permits that would encourage people to come to town and cycle down Woodward Avenue in June 2013. In a memo to commissioners, City Manager Don Johnson said the Gran Fondo event promoted by the Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) is unsafe and a drain on city services. The event would consist of a professional bicycle race from Detroit to Pontiac and back, followed by a massive community bike ride. Cities along the route are encouraged by WA3 to come up with special events to coincide with the ride. “The staff and I are in complete agreement with our position. We see this as a very high risk/low reward event,” writes Johnson. “We think …
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