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Residents press council to fund quick‑build 'road diet' pilot on Stadium Boulevard
Summary
More than 300 residents signed a petition asking council to allocate local funds for a quick‑build safety pilot to reconfigure multi‑lane sections of Stadium Boulevard and Maple Road after federal funding fell through.
Residents and safety advocates urged Ann Arbor City Council on May 5 to use local funds to create a quick‑build safety pilot on Stadium Boulevard, saying repainting and flexible posts could reduce speeds and prevent serious injuries.
Adam Goodman (Ward 5) presented a petition with roughly 300 signatures asking council to fund a two‑year pilot to reconfigure remaining multi‑lane segments of Stadium and Maple into two travel lanes with a center turn lane and protected bike lanes. Speakers said the city’s Vision Zero goal and repeated serious crashes on multi‑lane corridors require immediate local action now that federal Safe Streets for All funding is unavailable.
Why it matters: multiple public commenters and transportation advocates said multi‑lane roads are the city’s most crash‑prone corridors and that quick, low‑cost changes (paint, flexible posts, bollards) can speed implementation and save lives while longer engineering projects proceed.
What speakers said - Adam Goodman presented the petition and urged council to appropriate local funds for quick builds, noting the city’s previously planned federal grant is no longer available. - Mark Skirbo and Mark Scurbo (resident commenters) described frequent near‑misses and past fatalities along Stadium, said quick builds are low cost and effective and urged council to act without waiting for resurfacing projects. - Matthew Ostrowski, a petitioner, said a two‑lane configuration with protected bike lanes would protect families and cargo‑bike users and cited federal research on crash reductions. - Transportation commissioners and advocates urged deactivation or conversion of flashing yellow arrow signals at crossings and faster coordination where MDOT or University of Michigan coordination is required.
Council action: no appropriation was made during the meeting; petitioners asked for amendments to the proposed budget or targeted local funding to be brought forward for council consideration.
