HERE - Complete Streets Coalition of Kalamazoo
Transcription
HERE - Complete Streets Coalition of Kalamazoo
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 ======================================================== 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: 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.