Photo Request

bulldog1979 · February 24, 2010, 09:34:38 AM

As some people may know on here, I'm very active on editing and expanding the Wikipedia coverage of the Michigan highway system. I have a request to make if anyone is willing. I've been working on the I-275 article and I think I have it pretty decent shape. I happened upon some New York Times articles about the cancellation of the northern section through Oakland County from the 1970s. After finding those, and some other articles from that timeframe, the rest of the research and writing fell together for me.

What I'd like is some photographs of the freeway, if anyone has any they'd be willing to share. Wikipedia, and the other Wikimedia Foundation projects requires photos submitted and posted have a free license for their use. These photos could be in the public domain (no copyright) or licensed under the Creative Commons scheme. I've found photos in the past on Flickr with a CC license, but they've had the NC/ND restrictions (non-commercial reuse or no derivatives allowed) which isn't accepted on the site. Usually I can contact the photographer with an e-mail through the site, explaining what I would like and get permission. All photos that I use have proper attribution to the original photographer. (Other editors may not be as meticulous.)

I don't get to Detroit very often, and the last time I did was only long enough to pick up a friend at the airport. My current plans won't be taking me in that direction for a while.

If anyone has any photos they'd be willing to contribute to the article, let me know. If they're hosted on Flickr with a compatible license tag, they can be copied directly over to the servers if I know the URL for the photo. If they're hosted on another site, they can be copied, and I can forward your permission to the administrators on wiki to confirm your permission.

Truvelo · February 24, 2010, 11:07:23 AM

I took some pictures in November of the southern half. They're not online but if there's anything in particular you're after I can put them online.

bulldog1979 · February 24, 2010, 08:03:09 PM

Quote from: Truvelo on February 24, 2010, 11:07:23 AM
I took some pictures in November of the southern half. They're not online but if there's anything in particular you're after I can put them online.

Just looking for photos that help illustrate what the road looks like. Preferrably they'd be clear shots that include one or both of the carriageways and something unique about the highway.

thenetwork · February 25, 2010, 09:33:34 PM

Quote from: bulldog1979 on February 24, 2010, 08:03:09 PM
Just looking for photos that help illustrate what the road looks like. Preferrably they'd be clear shots that include one or both of the carriageways and something unique about the highway.

The one thing that fascinated me about the I-275 freeway when it first opened in the late 70's was the fact it was the only freeway that I was aware of that had a bike/multipurpose trail along it's entire length from I-75 to I-96 West in Novi. For all I know, it might have been the ONLY interstate that carried a bike path along it's entire length. Back in the day, I tried to "clinch" the entire I-275 bike path by 10-speed, but I only covered the route from the Novi terminus along I-96 to just south of I-94.

Sometime in the 1990s, much (if not all) of the southern bike path section through Monroe Country was closed and abandoned and quickly went into disrepair with overgrown foliage and areas where drainage issues went unchecked.

The cool thing about the bike path was, like the actual freeway itself, access to and from the bike path was limited to the same interchanges that vehicles used -- the trail was placed within the ROW fences and would pass under most of the overhead bridges which carried cross-street traffic.

Truvelo · March 02, 2010, 08:50:30 AM

I've had a look through my pictures and they are mostly of the strange lighting due to the proximity to the airport runway such as the image below. The only pictures I have with I-275 shields were taken on I-75 and I-94 but not I-275 itself.

bulldog1979 · March 02, 2010, 04:25:18 PM

Cool, I didn't know about the bike path. I'll have to see what I can dig up about it to include in the article. I have a couple of Michigan native's who have either sent me some photos, or are going to take some for me. Thanks guys. Any other interesting tidbits about I-275?

thenetwork · March 02, 2010, 09:13:56 PM

Quote from: bulldog1979 on March 02, 2010, 04:25:18 PM
Cool, I didn't know about the bike path. I'll have to see what I can dig up about it to include in the article. I have a couple of Michigan native's who have either sent me some photos, or are going to take some for me. Thanks guys. Any other interesting tidbits about I-275?

This is a good start about the "I-275 Metro Trail" nee "Bike Path" (http://www.michigantrails.org/projects/i-275-bikeway/). It does have some pictures of the trail, including areas that were never fully maintained since it opened 30+ years ago.

It sounds like M-DOT is working with local groups to "rebuild" the entire 42-44 mile trail, but like most highway projects, it will be built piecemeal.

bulldog1979 · March 03, 2010, 05:30:27 AM

Thanks to everyone, the article has been updated with some photos I received from Howard Goldman, and a section on the bike trail was added. Of course anyone is free to add their contributions to the article.

Hellfighter · March 03, 2010, 03:18:39 PM

I have plenty of I-275 images at the northern terminus. If you want to use them, PM me.

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Photo Request