Stewart neighborhood asks Kalamazoo City for speed signs, speed bumps and radar displays

Representatives of the Stewart neighborhood told the City of Kalamazoo Committee of the Whole on Nov. 20 that they want immediate traffic-calming measures on several neighborhood streets and asked the commission to prioritize installations before larger road conversion projects are completed.

"We are requesting 25 mile per hour speed limit signs to be installed this fall facing each lane of ongoing traffic" on several blocks, said Jessica Van Stratten, a Stewart neighborhood resident. Van Stratten listed the specific locations requested: Stewart Avenue (between West Main Street and West Kalamazoo Avenue, and between West Kalamazoo Avenue and North Street), Woodward Avenue (between West Main Street and West Kalamazoo Avenue, and between West Kalamazoo Avenue and North Street), and Elm Street (between West Main Street and West Kalamazoo Avenue, and between West Kalamazoo Avenue and North Street). She also requested speed bumps in 2026 at three locations on Woodward and Elm, and two permanently installed radar-controlled 35 mph speed-display signs near West Main at Thompson Street and on West Kalamazoo Avenue near Elm Street.

"We know that the road conversions that are planned to happen will greatly alleviate some of these traffic challenges and safety issues. But the reality is there's safety issues now," said Elijah Nish, a Stewart neighborhood board member, who told commissioners there were "8 accidents this spring, on West Main and Douglas, that could have resulted in death of pedestrians and drivers." Stewart neighborhood leaders said their neighborhood plan, completed in 2023, identified safety and traffic calming as priorities but that implementation has stalled.

Gary, who identified himself as chair of the Stewart Neighborhood Association, introduced the requests and deferred to Van Stratten and Nish for details. Speakers requested follow-up in writing and urged the new city manager — to be selected later the same evening at the business meeting — to prioritize these neighborhood safety fixes.

The requests were presented as neighborhood-led, specific, and actionable: six sign locations, three speed-bump placements for 2026, and two permanent radar displays. No formal action or vote on those requests occurred at the Committee of the Whole; they were submitted for staff consideration and follow-up.