Council awards mobility study for 9 Mile and Coolidge intersection to OHM Advisors
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Summary
Oak Park approved a contract and budget amendment to hire OHM Advisors to design improvements at the 9 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway intersection and to develop future land-use recommendations; the study will focus on traffic flow, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations and possible right-of-way needs.
The Oak Park City Council voted unanimously Feb. 3 to award a professional-services contract to OHM Advisors for a mobility study and future land-use recommendations for the area around the 9 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway intersection.
Director Maroney (city staff) told council the quarter improvement authority is funding the study and that the work will focus on the intersection itself — the missing middle section of 9 Mile Road where traffic volumes and multi-modal connections have complicated prior planning. “Part of doing the study is figuring that intersection out,” Maroney said, adding that the study will consider pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicle traffic as well as whether additional right-of-way acquisition would be required for some design options.
Why it matters: the study aims to close a gap in the city's 9 Mile corridor planning, connect bike lanes through the corridor and identify design options that maintain traffic flow while improving safety and mobility for all road users.
Maroney told council there is not currently enough room at the intersection for a roundabout without buying additional easements or right-of-way, a constraint that the study will analyze. Council approved a motion that included a budget amendment to fund the work; the roll-call vote was unanimous.
Ending: OHM Advisors will deliver intersection design alternatives and land-use recommendations. Staff said the results will inform future construction and right-of-way decisions for the 9 Mile corridor and potential connections to Southfield.