1. automotive and vehicles
2. cars

I offer this critique of the Stadium/ Michigan Ave design charette that I put together from
conversations with Dan Burden, State transportation officials and National Transportation Planners,
Engineers and Designers.
Jim Ferner, Complete Streets Coalition member
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In order to:
 Promote an active lifestyle, reduce health care costs and improve the public’s health
 Improve social equity, safety, accessibility and convenience for all users
 Enhance the environment and counter the effects of climate change
 Make Kalamazoo a “cool city”- one that is attractive to knowledge based businesses, good
talent and retains our graduates
The final charrette design was a start, the first time in 60 years since downtown streets have been
reconfigured. However it the downtown streets need to be considered comprehensively to make
them safe for all users and taken to the next level. There needs to be a broad based community
forum that explores implementation of a plan to make Kalamazoo a livable, sustainable city.
It will probably be another 60 years before we have the chance to do it again. Let’s use this
opportunity to take our time and do it right.
Dan Burden says one lane of traffic can handle 16K vehicles a day. According to the latest traffic
counts for downtown, KATS says there are:
 15 K vehicles on E. bound W. Michigan at W. Main St.
 5K north bound vehicles on Park St that turn east on to W. Michigan.
 East of Portage St., this number is reflected in the 20K vehicle count on east bound E.
Michigan.
 18K vehicles W. bound on Kalamazoo Ave
The charette design calls for 4 lanes of traffic at W. Main and W. Michigan east to Westnedge then 3
lanes eastbound to the river. At Harrison and E. Michigan/Kalamazoo Ave. the lanes drop to two
eastbound through lanes. This creates a situation where three lanes of traffic are funneled into two.
The two lanes at this point are still more vehicle capacity than the counts indicate are needed. With
so many lanes left for vehicles through downtown what will make this plan actually safer for all users,
slow the vehicle speeds down from the 40 to 45 mph that is presently driven and make downtown
truly a destination as opposed to the cut through it is now? At present there is virtually no
enforcement of speed or pedestrian right of way. Wide lanes, excess capacity, and one way streets
allow cars to speed and promote cut through traffic through downtown and our neighborhood streets
(Stuart, West Main Hill, Westwood, and Vine). What do these streets and intersections need to make
them safe for all users?
Recommendations:
 Narrow the traffic lanes to 10 feet. This is an acceptable AASHTO standard. Narrower lanes
encourage drivers to go slower. Remember AASHTO standards are guidelines that can be
amended according to what citizen’s want. MDOT design guidelines talk of context sensitive
design. The context we are currently dealing with in downtown and these one way streets is
that of a dragstrip. Do we want Downtown Kalamazoo and its surrounding neighborhoods to
be a destination with a sense of place that is safe for all users or to continue its current use as
a cut through for commuter traffic?

Change the one ways streets to two way (W. Main to Douglas, Douglas to Kalamazoo Ave,
Kalamazoo Ave. to MichiKal and W. Michigan Ave. and Kalamazoo Street. through downtown).
one lane in each direction, with protected bike lanes on both sides of each street. This
configuration will accommodate the vehicle capacity the current traffic counts indicate and
allows these streets to be safe, convenient and accessible for all users.
This will:
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maintain capacity according to the current counts,
will maintain current parking levels
allow drivers to access their destinations quicker,
slow the traffic to make downtown a destination making it safer for all users
eliminate the cut through traffic in downtown and the neighborhoods
The charette plan calls for a protected bike lane on W. Michigan from W. Main St to Rose St. then the
bikes are taken off Michigan and diverted north to Water St. How are bicyclists supposed to access
E. Michigan from Rose St. to the river except through back alleys? Separate and unequal status
again. How are bicyclists supposed to access the south side of W. Michigan or W. Michigan from
Rose St. to the river?
National statistics and studies say it is 5 times more dangerous to ride off the street on sidewalks or
paths. The multi-use path along W. Michigan from W. Main St to Oliver St. in addition to making it
unsafe for cyclists, doesn’t allow them to access the east side of W. Michigan. Given that there are
approximately 30K students at K College and WMU combined it will be crowded with pedestrians,
disabled in wheelchairs, skateboarders, people walking dogs, in line skaters and cyclists the first day
it is opened. Given the congestion and the velocity difference between cyclists and pedestrians there
will be accidents along this path. Congestion will frustrate the faster cyclists and they will not use it or
they will use W. Michigan/Stadium Ave. How safe will that be?
Solution:
 Leave the proposed multi-use path for slower cyclists and pedestrians
 Install an additional one on the east side of the street for slow bikes and pedestrians
 Install protected bike lanes on both sides of Michigan/Stadium Ave from the intersection of
Stadium and Howard St.to the intersection of W. Main and W. Michigan.
Where are the pull outs for buses on these streets?
Solution:
 Bus pullouts allow traffic to flow smoother.
 Install bus shelters with reader boards to inform passengers when the next bus is coming.
 Bus shelters provide passengers cover from the weather and allow the disabled a sturdy
platform to enter and leave the bus.
Join us to make these streets safe for all users and the City more livable.