KALAMAZOO, MI -- A local complete streets organization says a roundabout planned for a busy intersection on the north side of Kalamazoo won't keep bicyclists and pedestrians safe.

The Complete Streets Coalition of Kalamazoo, a 501(c)(3) organization which advocates for safe, convenient and accessible infrastructure for all modes of transportation, announced its opposition to the design Wednesday. On May 15, the Kalamazoo City Commission will vote on a final design of the long-stalled project at the intersection of Harrison, Ransom and Gull streets.

The plan was originally unveiled in 2012 as part of new development in the River's Edge district, but has since been redesigned after residents expressed concerns about its safety for non-motorized travelers. Complete Streets Coalition Director Jim Ferner said the roundabout design is better than the first proposal; it's improved from an "F" to a "D+."

"As citizens, we must demand this intersection design be a 'B'+ or an 'A,'" Ferner said. "A better design does not mean it is a good, or safe, design."

Last week Mayor Bobby Hopewell defended the plan, which he said is significantly safer than previous designs. City staff listened to concerns of residents, he said, engaged the community and came back with a stronger plan.

"I believe good work happened here," Hopewell said.

The current plan calls for bicyclists to use an off-road path along Harrison Street, crossing on to Gull Street via a bypass connection. Bicyclists would then continue along a sidewalk, meeting up with the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail a few hundred feet north.

Pedestrians and bicyclists would be forced to cross through the roundabout to travel west through the Northside Neighborhood.

A Wightman & Associates design plan shows designs for a roundabout at Harrison, Ransom and Gull streets. The orange line indicates an off-road bike path for cyclists to access the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. Green circles indicate the location of trees. (Courtesy | City of Kalamazoo)

Other design features include installing 21 street lights and 27 pedestrian lights, planting 53 trees and adding 6,800 square feet of landscaping. Signage would be installed to ensure bicyclists follow the KRVT bypass at the intersection.

Traffic would be slowed to 30 mph prior to the roundabout and 15 mph through the intersection. The plan calls for narrow entry and exit lanes, a truck apron for large vehicles, splitter lanes to help pedestrians cross and connectivity to bike lanes and space for an off-road bike path.

Ferner said traffic will be slowed exiting and entering the roundabout, but not on nearby streets.

"Speeds on Gull, Ransom and Pitcher are excessively fast, according to a 2016 City traffic study," Ferner said in a statement. "The posted speed on these roads is 30 mph. The study finds 85 percent of the drivers are traveling 40 to 45 mph. At that speed a bicyclist or pedestrian hit by a car has over an 80 percent chance of dying."

Partially due to growth in the area and the irregular shape of the intersection, the number of traffic collisions has increased over time. Director of the Department of Public Services James Baker said more than 16,000 cars pass through the intersection every day.

Just as important, Ferner said, the design doesn't do enough to make the roundabout safe for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross.

As drivers prepare to merge into the traffic circle, he said their tendency is to look for oncoming cars from the left. Ferner questions if vehicles will look for bicyclists and pedestrians coming from their right.

Additional concerns with the proposed design include the ability of bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Gull Road safely at the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail, and the lack of bike lanes and pedestrian crossings to accommodate low income people in the area.

Members of the "Gear Geezers" recreational bicycle club, were present at last week's commission meeting. Phil Vanderweg said they will no longer ride a weekly route along the KRVT, starting at the People's Food Co-op.

He said the afternoon traffic is too dangerous and this plan does little to ensure safe use of the KRVT.

Commissioner Jack Urban said the design is an improvement when compared to previous iterations, but believes it represents a missed opportunity for a protected bike lane. He wants it to be the last street design that doesn't include protected bike lanes.

The plan incorporated design recommendations from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the National Association of City Transportation Officials and the Federal Highway Administration. Design standards state an on-road bike lane would be too dangerous at the intersection.

Rebekah Kik, director of the Department of Community Planning and Development, said said the city sought feedback from residents several times since last year, partially through the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 master plan process. Residents have consistently called for traffic calming measures and more pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

Bike lanes are planned for east and west travel through the Northside Neighborhood along North Street. Ransom Street will serve as the main way motorists will access businesses on both ends of the neighborhood, Kik said, creating a gateway into the neighborhood.

In recent years, the city has razed buildings, cleaned up properties and promoted the River's Edge district for mixed-use housing, retail and light industrial development. Mackenzies' Bakery and the People's Food Co-op were businesses referenced as popular locations for people enjoying the KRVT on the east side.

Ferner also noted there will be more residents to come with planed high-density developments in the area.

Ferner is calling on residents to call or write the City Commission before its vote on May 15. If approved, construction would likely continue into November of this year, with landscape work to conclude next spring.

"If this proposed roundabout design is the template for Complete Streets in Kalamazoo then cyclists and pedestrians are only slightly better off than what we had before a Complete Streets policy," the statement reads.