A historic moment at the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Hundreds of people lined up on both sides of the crossing Wednesday morning to be among the first to use the multi-use pathway that opened at 8 a.m., allowing cyclists and pedestrians to cross between Windsor and Detroit.
Anyone crossing on the pathway should anticipate a one-way 20-minute crossing by bike or a 45-minute crossing by foot. This does not include travel to and from the entrances/exits of the path or border processing times.
From entrance to exit, the path is 3 km/1.8 miles and can be steep in some areas with an approximate 5 per cent incline.
The pathway will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer, with the last entry allowed at 7 p.m.
One of the people lined up for the opening was Patrick Mifek who came here from London wearing his Montreal Canadiens jersey.
“I actually wanted to cross over on my inline skates,” says Mifek. “I wanted to be wearing my full Montreal Canadiens outfit, but they won’t let you inline skate across, so I decided to bicycle across. Definitely want to be one of the first people to inline skate, and, at least, I’ll be the first Montreal Canadiens fan from the Canadian side to come over.”
Nicole Bentley rode across to the Detroit side and back with her friend Donna Comartin.
“I have to say, it was the jolliest bunch of people crossing that bridge,” says Bentley. “Every single person we crossed with was so happy, so excited, and so friendly; it was a really beautiful experience.”
The first cyclist to cross the bridge into Windsor was Detroit’s Neil Greenberg, who says he was smiling the whole way.
“There was a lot of symbolism to it being able to get between Detroit and Windsor, the U.S. and Canada,” says Greenberg. “Easily had everyone smiling and helpful all the way; that’s not to be taken for granted and something pretty cool and special we get to enjoy around here.”
Detroit’s Marcel Murray was the first runner to cross the bridge and spoke with AM800’s Rob Hindi when he arrived on the Windsor side.
“It was about a 5 per cent incline as we know, and I came across it in around 12 minutes, but it was a lot,” says Murray. “I run every day; I try to run every day. I wanted to do something historic; I really wanted to make history.”
Anyone planning to use the pathway is reminded to bring their passport.
Users are reminded that there is no on-site parking at either port of entry. In Windsor, parking is available at the Malden Park trailhead. In Detroit, parking is available at the Clark Park trailhead.
To support a safe environment during anticipated times of high-volume activity, e-bikes are not permitted for use during the first few weeks.