Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study finds unsafe areas

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A majority of motor vehicle crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians occur at only a handful of intersections and stretches of roadway in Kalamazoo County.

The Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study, a federally-created metropolitan planning organization, identified 14 locations as “safety focus areas” based on the number of severe crashes, proximity to popular destinations and anecdotes from residents.

"We tried to find areas where there were some patterns and now we're taking the next step of investigating those a bit further and seeing if there are some obvious gaps in the road networks that could be solved," said Jeromie Winsor, an AECOM senior planner working with KATS. "Each of the areas are a bit different. With most you have a mixture of lots of auto traffic and pedestrian and bike activity."

Ten of these focus areas are at least a partially inside the city of Kalamazoo, including six locations close to downtown core neighborhoods. More than two-thirds of crashes occurred in the city, followed by Portage and Kalamazoo Township.

KATS expects to recommend specific actions that could improve issues in these zones in the future. Scroll through for a closer look at each location and serious crashes that have occurred.

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Pedestrian and Bicycle crashes in 2016

According to data from the Office of Highway Safety Planning, there were 68 vehicle-on-bicycle crashes in 2016, and 81 vehicle on pedestrian crashes in Kalamazoo County.

Seven bicyclists were killed last year, including five who were struck by a speeding truck in Cooper Township. Only eight percent of the crashes resulted in a serious injury, though in 63 percent of crashes someone involved sustained some kind of minor injury.

Three people were killed while walking on roads in 2016 Kalamazoo County. A total of 14.8 percent of pedestrians hit by vehicles sustained serious injuries, while 70 percent sustained some kind of minor injury.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Vehicle-bicycle crashes for 2005-15

According to Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, 797 vehicle-on-bicycle crashes were reported in Kalamazoo County from Jan. 1, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2015.

Of those, 77 percent resulted in some kind of injury, while 8 percent resulted in an incapacitating injury. Seven people were killed by a motorist while riding a bike in Kalamazoo County.

Sometimes, the driver fled the scene after a crash. This occurred in 173 crashes, though it was far less frequent than if the crash involved a pedestrian.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Vehicle-pedestrian crashes for 2005-15

Slightly fewer pedestrians than bicyclists were in crashes with vehicles from 2005 to 2015. A total of 773 were recorded by the Office of Highway Safety Planning.

Of those reported, 85 percent of crashes resulted in an injury, while 18 percent caused an incapacitating injury. Twenty-five people were killed by cars while walking streets in Kalamazoo County.

Drivers often left the scene of these crashes. In 215 cases, the incident was described as a hit-and run.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

How to read the maps

In the following maps, each dot represents a crash involving a pedestrian or bicyclist. All crash data comes from the Office of Highway Safety Planning.

This is only a portion of the picture. Incidents where a police report wasn't filed aren't included and the maps also only contain data up to 2015. Streets that are known to be dangerous are avoided and therefore have fewer incidents, which makes them difficult to identify in this way.

"There is a limitation here," Winsor said. "We are basing it on what we see as a safety focus area, because that's where incidents are occurring. Not to say all of these are dangerous, but there are obviously heightened incidents occurring."

Many crashes involve pedestrians or cyclists crossing the street without using a crosswalk. Winsor said areas without pedestrian and bike facilities can result in more people entering the roadway.

"It becomes a question of whether people are going to walk a quarter mile out of the way or cross the street where they have the opportunity," he said.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

South Drake and West Michigan

An area near the intersection of South Drake Road and West Michigan Avenue on Kalamazoo's west side is the site of 15 crashes reported from 2005 to 2015, including one that killed a pedestrian in 2013.

Incapacitating and fatal incidents only affected pedestrians, with four of these kinds of crashes reported, versus no severe crashes for bicyclists. However, bicyclists were most affected by intersection crashes, at five, compared to three involving pedestrians. Over half of all crashes occurred near intersections.

Crashes are concentrated around several apartment complexes in the area. The intersection of Michigan Avenue and Emajean Street was the site of three crashes near a pedestrian crossing, but crossing distances in this area are roughly between 60 and 85 feet.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Feb. 10, 2013 -- Breeana Kay Dixit killed

Shortly after midnight on a clear night on Feb. 10, 2013, a GMC Yukon was west on West Michigan Avenue in the right-hand lane approaching Emajean Street. Breeana Kay Dixit, a 22-year-old teacher, began to cross West Michigan in a crosswalk when she was hit by the vehicle, which had a green light.

Police found Dixit, known as "Miss Bree" by her students, lying in the road. The 22-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Howard and Michigan

At the west edge of Western Michigan University's main campus, the intersection of Howard Street and West Michigan Avenue provides access to several bars and restaurants frequented by students living in nearby apartment complexes.

Forty motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrian or bicycles were reported there from 2010-15, including several resulting in severe injuries to pedestrians. Crossing distances at this intersection range from 85 feet to over 100 feet.

In 2006, a Dodge Caravan ran a red light at the intersection of Howard and Michigan, hitting a pedestrian who was in the crosswalk. The person was thrown 10 feet and was hospitalized. The driver fled the scene but was later located.

Two other serious injury crashes were the result of pedestrians running across the street during a green light. Several crashes further west on Michigan Avenue were the result of either poor lighting conditions or pedestrians crossing where there was no crosswalk.

Crashes occurred on street sections with between two and five lanes. Michigan at the west approach to the Howard intersection is six lanes across and is five lanes with a median east of Howard. Howard ranges from five to six lanes across the intersection.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Nov. 2, 2016 -- Boy killed crossing West Main

Though West Main Street (M-43) is not among KATS areas identified for this report, it was the site of dozens of crashes from U.S. 131 to downtown Kalamazoo.

Last Nov. 2, a 10-year-old Kalamazoo boy was struck by a car and killed while trying to cross West Main in an area where there are no crosswalks or traffic lights.

According to Kalamazoo Township police, the boy was hit at approximately 8:05 p.m. by a vehicle driven by a 52-year-old Kalamazoo man. The vehicle was westbound on Main when the boy and others attempted to cross the street near Northampton Road.

Conditions were dark and rainy. The child was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Paterson and Burdick

This area on the north side of Kalamazoo is surrounded by single-family homes, several churches, the Family Health Center and some neighborhood office and commercial buildings. Twenty-one crashes of vehicles with bicyclists or pedestrians were reported in this area from 2010-15.

Sidewalks are present throughout the area, but there are no existing bicycle facilities.

Three pedestrians were hospitalized for injuries in crashes where the driver left the scene of the crash.

In April 2014, a 5-year-old boy was leaving the driveway of a home in the 1700 block of North Rose Street on a bicycle when he was struck by a car. He was hospitalized and the driver was cited for driving with a suspended license.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

Nov. 18, 2012 -- Trevor Stuck dies in 5-vehicle crash

A Richland man was killed at the scene of two crashes in Kalamazoo Township on Nov. 18, 2012.

Trevor Stuck, 23, was a backseat passenger in a Chrysler Sebring when the driver lost control of the car and it rolled over into the median at a curve on the U.S. 131 Business Loop near Dunkley Street.

Stuck and another passenger were ejected from the car, which was inbound on the business loop.

A nurse on her way home from work and a Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputy on her way in to work stopped to help. While they tending to Stuck, the driver of a Jeep lost control on the same curve and drove into the crash scene, striking them. They survived.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Downtown Kalamazoo

Downtown Kalamazoo is defined here by a slim rectangle between Kalamazoo Avenue and Lovell Street north to south, and King Highway roughly to Oakland Avenue from east to west.

Because it is the hub of the Metro Transit system, downtown is identified as one of the most important non-motorized zones. There were around 100 crashes motor vehicle crashes with bicyclists or pedestrian reported in this downtown area from 2005-15.

A majority of these resulted in minor injuries, but a handful sent pedestrians or bicyclists to the hospital. Some of the most crash-prone intersections include roads that cross paths with Westnedge Avenue, Rose Street, Michigan Avenue and Kalamazoo Avenue.

There appears to be a correlation between injury crashes and intersections with major one-way streets. These are also streets that carry some of the heaviest traffic downtown and have higher speeds than others streets.

Several crashes occurred as vehicles turned onto these busy streets and failed to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

July 13, 2012 -- Pedestrian hurt in hit-and-run

In July 2012, a 47-year-old pedestrian was legally crossing East Michigan Avenue at Harrison Street when a vehicle failed to yield and struck the man. The driver fled the scene.

There were no witnesses located and no video surveillance in the area that showed the incident. The victim complained of lower back pain and had a laceration to the back of his head. He was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital by ambulance.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

July 10, 2015 -- Suspected drunken driver hits pedestrian

Around 9 p.m. July 10, 2015, a woman in a Buick Lucerne was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed and ran a red light at East Water Street. The woman crossed the center line and struck 37-year-old Christopher Brown as he was walking along a crosswalk at Pitcher Street.

Brown was hospitalized with severe injuries. The driver was arrested on a charge of felony drunk driving causing serious injury. She was also cited for having no proof of insurance since her insurance was expired.

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July 20, 2015 -- Car runs red light and hits bicyclist

Around 5:45 p.m. on July 20, 2015, a 63-year-old bicyclist was riding east on West South Street, and began to cross South Rose Street with a green light.

A 24-year-old woman driving a Toyota Camry Solara traveling south on South Rose Street did not stop at the intersection, striking the bicyclist in the middle of the intersection. The bicyclist was hospitalized at Bronson Methodist Hospital, while the driver of the vehicle was cited for disobeying a traffic signal.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

South Westnedge

An area south of downtown Kalamazoo, near a one-way section of South Westnedge Avenue from Cedar Street to West Maple Street, was the site of around 36 crashes of vehicles with pedestrians or people on bikes from 2005-15. Most occurred at intersections – 72 percent – and these tended to affect bicyclists more than pedestrians.

In three instances, pedestrians were found by police lying in the roadway after the driver fled the scene.

Westnedge in this area passes Knights Inn, Westnedge Park, a PNC Bank, and a strip of businesses on Vine Street. South Westnedge has sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Westnedge is generally a three-lane, one-way southbound road throughout this area. Some sections with neighborhood retail have on-street parking on one or both sides, or dedicated turn lanes. In these sections the lane count is reduced to two. The crossing distance is generally 40 feet curb to curb.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Nov. 3, 2016 -- Bicyclist killed by bus

Though this section of Burdick Street in Kalamazoo is not on the KATS list, it was the site of another fatal bicycle crash with a motor vehicle.

On Nov. 3, 2016 a teenager on a bike was killed when struck by a Metro Transit bus at 12:34 p.m. near the intersection of Burdick and Millview Avenue.

First responders found the 17-year-old lying in the roadway. Life saving measures were attempted, however the bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety he was headed east down a hill on Millview when he failed to stop at a traffic sign and crashed into the side of the bus that was traveling south on Burdick.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Lake and Vine at Mills

The intersection of Lake Street at Mills Street was the site of nine crashes from 2005-15. Surrounding the intersection are two bus stops and the Millerstreet Market.

Around 35 such crashes occurred in this area in the Edison neighborhood, including one fatal crash in 2015. All incapacitating and fatal crashes in this area involved pedestrians.

Sidewalks are prevalent, and almost all roadways appear to have continuous sidewalks. Mills has a bike lane through the area, and Vine has a bike lane up to Mills.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

June 12, 2015 -- Leonard Harris killed in hit-and-run

At 9:55 p.m. June 12, 2015, a Buick Regal was south on Mills Street when it struck a 50-year-old man who was crossing the road. After being hit, Leonard Harris fell to the ground and was run over by an SUV.

Both drivers stopped to check on Harris, but the driver of the SUV then fled the scene and was not located.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Gull east of Riverview

A section of Gull Road east of Riverview Drive and west of Ashbury Aveue was the site of 19 crashes, including one fatal incident.

Pedestrians were struck either attempting to cross Gull Road or walking with traffic. Crossing distances range from approximately 60 to 80 feet from the intersection with Riverview to Inverness Lane. The speed limit on Gull is generally 40 mph, with two lanes in either direction and a center turn lane.

In 2010, a pedestrian was hospitalized when a vehicle failed to yield to the woman while she was crossing Gull on foot.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

July 26, 2010 -- Eljean Lee Belmonte killed on Gull

At 10:05 p.m. July 26, 2010, a 2-door BMW was eastboujnd on Gull Road when 61-year-old Eljean Lee Belmonte walked into the roadway and was killed.

Belmonte was originally listed in critical condition when taken by ambulance to Borgess Medical Center, but died due to "blunt-force injuries from being struck by an automobile."

The car's driver was convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death and sentenced to a year in jail.

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Bryan M. Bennett

March 4, 2016 -- Bus passenger killed on Gull

On March 4, 2016, a 21-year-old man struck by a Jeep on Gull Road died at Bronson Methodist Hospital.

The preliminary investigation showed the man, who did not have the right of way, attempted to run north across Gull near Brook Drive when he was struck by an eastbound Jeep.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Gull near Sprinkle

Two people were killed near the intersection of Gull and Sprinkle roads, with six crashes involving motor vehicles with bikes and pedestrians total. Five of the six crashes were bicycle related, including the two fatal incidents.

Located in Comstock Township, the section of road is near a strip of businesses including Menards, Walmart and Meijer, and a bus stop. Area land use is generally auto-oriented, with frequent driveways and parking lots in front of strip commercial development.

Gull is generally five lanes: two lanes in either direction with a center turn lane. Speeds limits in the area range from 45 to 55 mph.

A shared-use path runs along the north side of Gull.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

Aug. 1, 2013 -- James Sell killed crossing Gull

James Sell, an 82-year-old Kalamazoo man, was killed around 10:40 a.m. Aug. 1, 2013 when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office said Sell exited a private driveway and attempted to cross Gull Road near the 5600 block when he was hit by a Honda Civic.

The sheriff's office determined the driver could not have avoided Sell, who failed to yield and was not wearing a helmet.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

June 25, 2015 -- Alicia Palmore killed on Gull

A Ford Focus had a green light at the intersection of Sprinkle and Gull roads when it struck Alicia Palmore, a 27-year-old bicyclist who was crossing the road near the crosswalk on June 25, 2015.

The driver told police he never saw the bicycle crossing the road. Palmore was prounced dead at the scene.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Riverview between Michigan and Gull

Starting just east of the Kalamazoo River near downtown Kalamazoo, this urban area looks at Riverview Drive between Michigan Avenue and Gull Road. Nine crashes of vehicles with pedestrians or bicycles were reported between 2010 and 2015, including three that resulted in severe injuries and one in a fatality.

The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail can be accessed to the west.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

April 6, 2010 -- Joe Jackson killed, 1 hurt on Riverview

Shortly after 1 a.m. April 6, 2010, two men were on a bicycle headed west on Hotop Avenue when they failed to yield to a vehicle on Riverview Drive.

A 19-year-old was pedaling the bicycle downhill on Hotop when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Riverview, while Joe Jackson, also 19, was riding on the handlebars.

The bicycle struck the side of the vehicle and Jackson was killed.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Ninth near I-94

This area in Texas Township was the site of four crashes involving vehicles and pedestrians, including two fatal incidents in 2013.

One fatality occurred directly at the point of exit/entry with the freeway, while the other was between N Street and Financial Parkway.

Although there are sidewalks along this stretch of Ninth Street, they are frequently interrupted by wide driveway aprons serving auto-oriented businesses. Near I-94, sidewalks disappear completely.

Ninth Street ranges from five to seven lanes in this focus area, with widest lane counts closer to the intersection with I-94 due to additional turn lanes. The speed limit is 45 mph.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Oct. 26, 2013 -- Tammy Hartman struck by truck

An Otsego woman was struck by a tractor-semitrailer and killed on I-94 on Oct. 26, 2013. Tammy Sue Hartman, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene in the eastbound lanes of the highway near Ninth Street.

Investigators said Hartman was trying to cross the I-94 at 10:38 p.m. when she was struck by the semi-truck. Troopers said they believe Hartman was dead and lying in the road when she was then hit by a Michigan Department of Transportation truck.

Hartman and her sister were hitchhiking to California and caught a ride with a driver when the two women apparently got into an argument and parted ways, police said. Hartman, who authorities said may have been drunk at the time, was initially struck by a car's mirror while walking on the off ramp for Ninth Street from eastbound I-94.

Police said she walked from the off-ramp across a grassy area between the ramp and eastbound lanes of I-94 and may have been trying to cross the interstate to get to the McDonald's restaurant where her sister was. Moments later, she was struck in the eastbound lanes by the semi-truck and then the MDOT truck.

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Nov. 1, 2013 -- David Kremer killed on Ninth

David Kremer, who used a cane, was trying to cross Ninth Street to reach the bus stop on the east side when he was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The 68-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

At the time, Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas said weather conditions were misty and hazy. Matyas said it appeared neither Kremer nor the driver saw each other until it was too late.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Westnedge between Kilgore and Milham

Fifteen crashes were reported at this section of Westnedge Avenue between Kilgore Road and Milham Avenue. Five were incapacitating bicycle crashes, and 12 total involved a bike.

Eighty-percent of the crashes were related to an intersection. Pedestrian crossing signals are located at the intersections, but some blocks measure in excess of 900 feet without east-west crossing opportunities.

South Westnedge is generally a five-lane road throughout this section but at the intersection with I-94 it widens further to eight to nine lanes, including turn lanes. West Kilgore and Milham are each five-lane roads with two lanes in each direction with center turn lanes.

The area is home to a number of large auto-oriented retail stores and chain restaurants. Portage Northern and Hackett Catholic Prep high schools are approximately one-third of a mile to the west.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Romence and Westnedge

The intersection of South Westnedge Avenue and Romence Road was the site of seven crashes from 2005-15, with at total of 15 taking place in the surrounding area.

Two crashes occurred at the Millennium Trail crossing south of The Crossroads mall, and five occurred at the Millennium Trail crossing at Garden Lane and Westnedge south of the intersection.

One pedestrian was killed in 2013.

In June 2014, three pedestrians crossing Romence Road were struck by a Ford Mustang that failed to yield. One of the three was hospitalized.

The northeast corner of this intersection is home to The Crossroads mall, and nearby are large auto-oriented retail stores and chain restaurants. Romence and Westnedge are both five lanes wide in the area.

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Mark Bugnaski

Dec. 21, 2013 -- Tyler Titus killed on Romence

Tyler Titus, 23, was killed after he was hit by a truck near the intersection of South Westnedge Avenue and Romence Road in Portage on Dec. 21, 2013.

Titus was seen by a Portage Public Safety Officer lying in the middle of the road about 5:48 p.m., after trying to cross Romence at the intersection.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Grand (U.S. 131) in Schoolcraft

Far removed from any of the other safety zones, this area in Schoolcraft was the site of two pedestrian deaths in crashed with vehicles. North Grand Street, which is U.S. 131, is approximately 71 feet from curb to curb and five lanes wide.

The length of blocks in the section is almost one-eighth mile between intersections – over 600 feet. There are no existing bike facilities within this area.

On Oct. 27, 2011, a 72-year-old man was killed by a Chevrolet Trailblazer while crossing Grand. The driver did not see the man, who was wearing dark clothing at 7 p.m.

On Dec. 7, 2012, 60-year-old Ann Daugherty was killed by a semitrailer while crossing the street.

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Malachi Barrett | mbarret1@mlive.com

Portage near I-94

Thirteen pedestrian and bicycle crashes occurred at the south end of the Milwood neighborhood near the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.

Although there are sidewalks in this area, they are not continuous. Portage ranges from five to seven lanes through this area.

A few minor crashes occurred involving bicycles. In one, a bicyclist was riding north on Portage between the I-94 overpass and the east bound I-94 exit ramp to Portage Road when a Honda Civic hit his rear tire and knocked him to the ground.

The bicyclist stated the driver told him to watch where he was going and then drove off.

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Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

Jan. 10, 2008 -- Donald McClish killed on East Main

On a wet, rainy January night in 2008, Donald McClish was struck and killed in the 2200 block of East Main Street in Kalamazoo. The 53-year-old man was walking north across East Main around 9 p.m. when he was hit by a Chevrolet Monte Carlo that was headed east.

Police noted McClish was dressed in dark clothing, and poor visibility appeared to have been a factor.

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Courtesy photo

Read more about bicycle safety

Click here to search crash data used in this report

Click here to see more details about each intersection and data from KATS

Safety and security top concerns for Kalamazoo bicyclists, pedestrians