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Public raises safety and design questions about downtown bulbouts; staff explains design choices and outreach plan
Summary
Public commenters asked the commission about bulbout design, safety (flagpoles, planters, benches) and inconsistent sizes; city staff said designs follow the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and that planters are nonrigid and were moved in response to vehicle movements and community feedback.
Several members of the public raised concerns about downtown curb "bulbouts," asking whether decorative elements such as planters, benches and flagpoles pose collision risks and why sizes vary between corners. City staff replied that the design followed accepted traffic engineering guidance and that some pylons and posts were moved after observing vehicle movements.
The discussion matters because bulbouts change curb geometry in downtown intersections, affect pedestrian seating and visibility, and represent an implemented change that city staff will remove or adjust seasonally depending on weather and survey results.
Public commenter Josh Conwilpin asked whether planters or benches in bulbouts encourage people to sit in areas that are effectively a paved, drivable surface and added, "tear down those obstacles, and stop wasting our money with these things." He also asked why sizes were inconsistent at some intersections, particularly Maine and Clark.
City staff responded that a primary difference between the flagpole and the planters is that the flagpole is fixed to the ground while the planters are not. "The planters will actually give if they're contacted by a vehicle," a staff member said, noting the planters are intended to be forgiving on impact. Staff said some pylons were moved back after community input and field observations of large vehicles to provide more clearance.
Staff also said the manual for uniform traffic control devices guided geometric decisions and that the Western Transportation Institute at MSU assisted the effort. The survey about bulbouts has been open about a week; staff said survey results will be published after the improvements are removed for the season, likely in October depending on weather.
Commissioners and staff reminded residents that the bulbouts come from the downtown master plan approved by the commission and built from a public process that generated many comments and guided the design. Staff said ongoing feedback will be organized and presented to the commission in a way that clarifies community priorities.
The public comment period closed with staff and commissioners agreeing to continue collecting survey responses and to return summarized feedback once the temporary installations are removed for seasonal maintenance.
