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Council advances near-term safety fixes for Harrison crosswalk, approves Hazlett cost‑sharing with MDOT; Kensington stop added at Chesterfield Parkway
Summary
Council accepted short-term improvements to a marked midblock crossing by Glencairn Elementary and approved a $576,740 local cost share for Hazlett Road rehabilitation including a lane reconfiguration; a multiway stop at Kensington Road and Chesterfield Parkway was approved on the consent agenda.
East Lansing city staff and outside consultants presented several near-term and longer-term measures to improve pedestrian safety at a midblock crossing on Harrison Road near Glencairn (Glencaron) Elementary and advanced a separate Hazlett Road rehabilitation project in coordination with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Public Works staff and consultant Spicer Group recommended short-term actions to be completed before the 2025 school year: replace and upgrade signage to current Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices standards, add an optical speed-feedback radar sign, refresh and make the crosswalk pavement markings more visible, widen the centerline striping, and add a 6-inch edge line to help visually narrow the travel lane. Staff also said they are seeking enhanced lighting from the Board of Water & Light, subject to that utility’s schedule, and that additional, more detailed traffic and pedestrian analysis will move forward in phase 2 of the Harrison Road rehabilitation project.
Council asked staff to prioritize deploying the short-term measures and to explore electronic or sensor-based approaches that would give drivers advanced notice of pedestrians in the crosswalk as part of the phase 2 study.
Separately, council approved a cost-sharing agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the Hazlett Road rehabilitation between Saginaw Highway and Park Lake Road. The contract and accompanying budget amendment authorize a local contribution of $576,740 (including a $75,000 contingency) toward a project that also uses federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funds and a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant to add pedestrian crossings and a lane reconfiguration (road diet) that will add bicycle lanes. The council-approved motion passed 3–1; the mayor voted no.
Traffic-calming items advanced under the consent agenda included Traffic Control Order (TCO) No. 497: installation of a multiway stop at Kensington Road and Chesterfield Parkway. That TCO was part of the consent package that council approved unanimously earlier in the meeting.
Council discussion repeatedly noted that road-diet changes can shift traffic to nearby streets and urged staff to monitor and mitigate cut-through effects in adjacent neighborhoods. Several residents testified during public comment about speeding, mufflers and cut-through traffic problems; council and staff said they will continue community engagement and pursue consultant-supported traffic analysis.
