City transportation engineer outlines pedestrian crossings, bike plan expansions and traffic-calming targets

John Bartlett, the City of Grand Rapids' transportation engineer, briefed the Mobile GR Commission on Feb. 6 about a portfolio of pedestrian, bicycle and traffic-safety projects planned for the next three years and the funding sources that will support them.

Bartlett said the city will install enhanced pedestrian crossing treatments at 36 locations over the next three years through a combination of grant funding, city capital allocations and partnerships with local organizations. "These are funded through a combination of grant funding, city capital projects, as well as partnerships with entities like Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.," Bartlett said.

He also reviewed progress under the Bicycle Action Plan (adopted in 2019). The city has installed 19 new miles of bicycle facilities since adoption, Bartlett said, and five of those miles are separated or otherwise elevated-protection facilities; 3.5 miles of existing lanes have been upgraded to safer conditions. Bartlett said a consultant-developed five-year capital plan for bicycle projects totals about $15 million and staff will present project details to commissioners on request.

Funding highlights Bartlett noted included: roughly $900,000 annually available through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and $2.7 million in HSIP "vulnerable user" grants for 2024'26 that will pay for 32 enhanced crossings; Transportation Alternatives and Carbon Reduction Program funds identified in regional transport plans for 2026'9; congestion-mitigation funding that supports signal-timing work (about $250,000 annually); and nearly $700,000 a year contributing to the regional traffic signal management center.

Bartlett described steps to modernize pavement markings, convert crosswalks to higher-visibility continental markings, and expand durable pavement-marking materials in neighborhoods to lengthen service life. He also explained the neighborhood traffic-calming program, currently funded at about $150,000 per year, and a proposed shift from a reactive model to a proactive one. Under the proactive approach staff scored neighborhoods for crash and speeding risk, developed concept plans for the top-ranking areas and identified 83 devices that could be installed over two years across those neighborhoods.

Bartlett emphasized staffing constraints: his nine-person team (six staff in traffic safety plus his engineering leadership) is responsible for plan review, signal operations, pavement markings, data collection, school crossing reviews and coordination on many capital projects. Commissioners and staff discussed specific engineering measures, including pedestrian-activated flashers at roundabouts, more frequent use of four-way stops or four-way flashers at low-traffic hours, and semi-permanent speed-feedback devices at locations where speeds change.

Bartlett said the city will pilot a semi-permanent speed-feedback sign at a location where the posted speed transitions — Ann and Monroe — and evaluate the device's effects. He also noted ongoing coordination with public safety agencies and the Vital Streets oversight process as the city plans future capital investments.

The presentation closed with a request for commissioners to review the bicycle capital plan and provide guidance on prioritization; Bartlett said staff will return with more detail and recommended projects as funding and staffing permit.