KALAMAZOO, MI -- The city of Kalamazoo controls the destiny of formerly state-owned trunklines that carve through the downtown and neighborhoods.

Monday, the City Commission approved a memorandum of understanding with Michigan Department of Transportation that transfers control of sections of Stadium Drive, Westnedge Avenue, Park Street, Michikal Street, King Highway and M-43. It was among four action items approved by the commission to improve safety and accessibility of transportation routes.

Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain said the decisions empower staff to implement changes demanded by residents in the master plan. Creating a “connected city” was a primary goal of the master plan.

Kalamazoo will be responsible for funding maintenance on the roads -- though MDOT will contribute $11.7 million to cover the next 10 years -- in exchange for being able to implement long-awaited changes.

Commissioner Don Cooney alone voted against the jurisdictional transfer. He expressed concern about the cost of future maintenance and converting one-way streets to accommodate traffic in both directions.

“We’re going to take on more cost with this project when we’re really not able to take care of the streets we have now,” Cooney said.

Motorists shouldn’t expect any changes in 2019. The bulk of this year will be dedicated to planning and seeking community feedback, based on a complete streets policy also passed Monday and traffic data compiled in a recent MDOT study.

For years, the city has grappled with how to improve transportation through downtown while MDOT holds control of major thoroughfares. Through the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 master plan and strategic vision process, non-motorized safety and accessibility were shown to rank highly among the concerns of residents.

The city’s master plan calls one-way streets -- particularly Michigan and Kalamazoo avenues -- “the greatest challenge” for those who want to live, work and play downtown. Anticipated changes include slowing down traffic speeds and converting one-way streets to accommodate traffic in both directions.

According to the memorandum, road segments will no longer function as state trunkline highways.

The highlighted streets would be owned by the city of Kalamazoo is an agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation is approved on Jan. 7, 2019.

MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa said the state would have no hand in approving future changes to the streets. The agreement was already approved by the Michigan’s Attorney General’s Office, the MDOT State Transportation Commission, the State Administrative Board and the Kalamazoo City Attorney’s Office.

“That’s the beauty of the plan -- once the transfer is complete, they become city streets again,” Schirripa said last week. “One level of bureaucracy (would be) out of the way as the city embarks on its vision for what downtown should look like.”

Eastbound traffic from M-43 would likely be rerouted from U.S. 131 to M-89 in Plainwell, Schirripa said, and traffic on M-43 headed west could take M-89 near Richland. The route through downtown will still be available.

Overall, Chamberlain said the city is seeking to address a quality of life issue by improving transportation. People in lower income brackets walk and bike more often, according to a presentation before Monday’s vote.

Kalamazoo has been working toward the “promise of a vibrant, connected city” for years, said City Planning Director Rebekah Kik. As it stands, fast-moving vehicles using one-way roads cut off access to services and sequester neighborhoods.

“I believe if vast, one-way wide streets was going to get us there we would be there," she said. "We would so be there right now.”

A 2005 study estimated it would cost $10.6 million to convert downtown streets.

It’s not clear what the cost would be today, but Cooney said it would be expensive. A combination of city-dedicated funds, grants and private donations could cover costs for such a project, which would likely roll out over several years.

Safer transportation brings economic benefit

Kik said more needs to be done to connect neighborhoods, the downtown and college campuses. Business-owners and other stakeholders agreed.

“We want to be a vibrant downtown," said Michigan News Agency owner Dean Hauck. "What we are doing now is losing people to our downtown because it is becoming even more difficult to be a business-owner here.”

This is a great idea and long overdue. Who knows better what our city center needs than our city? Thank you, MDOT and @KalamazooCity staff for making this happen! https://t.co/d1V059WqSZ — Patti Owens (@pattimowens) January 8, 2019

Businesses, offices, apartments, restaurants, bars and nighttime entertainment span Michigan and Kalamazoo Avenues. Studies suggest motorists who are quickly pushed along these streets overlook downtown storefronts while pedestrians and bicyclists feel unsafe.

Hauck’s business opened its doors in 1947 on Michigan Avenue. She said the business was “practically destroyed” when Michigan Avenue became a one-way street because patrons have a difficult time accessing it.

Discover Kalamazoo President Greg Ayers and Downtown Kalamazoo Partnership President Andrew Haan both said converting one-way streets will make the city’s urban core more attractive for business.

A 2018 W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research study completed for the city recommended an economic development strategy for the urban core of Kalamazoo. Converting trunklines to two-way streets would help to calm traffic and help many under-performing retail sectors in the downtown increase performance, the study notes.

A retail market analysis conducted by Gibbs Planning Group in 2017 found that traffic calming and two-way street conversion could increase the amount of retail space that could be supported downtown.

“By changing the one-way streets to two-way streets and engaging in traffic calming, it is expected that pedestrians and bicyclists would find the downtown more accessible and attractive for shopping, dining, and leisure activities,” the Upjohn study reads. “Easier access by these modes would offer college students, as well as employees of businesses, better connections to shopping, dining, and leisure activities downtown.”

Representatives of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College said the jurisdictional transfer is needed to better connect their campuses to other parts of the city.

Kalamazoo is on the hook for maintenance

Estimates provided by the city show it would cost $480,000 to $580,000 to maintain streets obtained from MDOT, offset by around $330,000 in additional Act 51 funds from the state.

Commissioner Jack Urban said the city is taking a financial risk to “seize an opportunity." Cooney was less optimistic.

Public Services Director James Baker is confident that federal grants will help pay for future maintenance. The new Downtown Economic Growth Authority will help fund repairs on sections in the downtown area, he said.

Schirripa said MDOT made significant investments in roads tapped for transfer to lessen the financial burden on Kalamazoo.

MDOT would remain responsible for maintaining Michigan Avenue bridges over Portage Creek and the Kalamazoo River, a railroad bridge over Michigan Avenue and pumps at a viaduct on Michigan Avenue.

The memorandum does not transfer the real estate underlying streets to Kalamazoo. If future projects wish to vacate any of the right-of-way, it will need to be addressed separately with MDOT or the Federal Highway Administration, depending on which road agency originally acquired the right-of-way.

New policy to make streets accessible

Kalamazoo planners will consider the effect future road projects will have on safety for non-motorized traffic under a new policy passed Monday.

The complete streets policy calls for the creation of a committee of technical staff and an advisory committee of residents, advocates, and a planning commissioner that will review street designs before they are finalized. All publicly and privately funded projects will be stacked against a checklist that considers crash statistics, nearby transit connections, street capacity, pedestrian and bicycle facilities and other things.

“For us not to look at how streets impact our lives … would be remiss,” Kik said. “It would be simply irresponsible. We need to look at all of the users on every single street in this way.”

Projects and street improvements associated with private developments will be judged during the site plan review process.

However, exceptions to design and infrastructure recommendations can occur if the cost or impact of accommodation is “excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use or probable future use” of the project, where historic, cultural, or other artifacts would be harmed or destroyed in the process and in areas like highways or pedestrian malls where certain modes of traffic are prohibited by law.

The policy requires a minimum of two community meetings for street projects.

A comprehensive inventory will be kept, recording pedestrian and bicycle facility infrastructure so projects to eliminate gaps in the sidewalk and bike network can be prioritized.

A year after projects are completed, a follow-up report will evaluate the project’s impact on crashes, injuries, and fatalities, pedestrian and bicycle counts, vehicle miles traveled and satisfaction from residents. The policy calls for a new non-motorized plan to be created every five years.

"Complete streets is not about the luxury of leaving your car behind because it’s a sunny day,” Kik said.. “We’re talking about how we make our streets safe for everyone every day.”

Matt Hollander, president of Hollander Development Corporation, is a lifelong cyclist. He said he’s been hit by vehicles three times.

“I see what happens when we don’t have complete streets for bicyclists,” he said.

City clarifies pedestrian and bicycle ordinances

Changes made to the city of Kalamazoo’s ordinances are intended to make streets safer for people traveling on foot or bicycles.

New ordinance language clarifies when bicycles can be used on sidewalks and when vehicles yield for pedestrians at crosswalks. The ordinances will take effect on June 1, 2019 to give the city time to educate the public about its ongoing complete streets initiative and put appropriate signage in place.

Amendments to § 36-280 of the Kalamazoo City Code clarify how vehicles are required to stop and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and bicyclists at intersections.

Vehicles must yield for people stopped at an intersection or crossing the roadway at a marked crosswalk or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Pedestrians and bicyclists are required to stop at at the curb before entering the roadway and are prohibited from “suddenly” leaving the curb to enter the path of a vehicle when it is too close to safely yield.

The ordinance prohibits vehicles from passing another vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. Pedestrians and bicyclists are required to yield for emergency vehicles when its siren is activated.

Amendments to § 36-215 and 36-225 of the Kalamazoo City Code state bicycles are not allowed on on the Kalamazoo Mall or anywhere signs show riding is prohibited, like Bronson Park.

Bicycles on sidewalks are required to yield right-of-way to pedestrians and give an audible warning before passing pedestrians. A bicyclist emerging from an alley, driveway or building is required to yield to all pedestrians and vehicles before entering the roadway.