Community Planner Nolan Bergstrom told the Kalamazoo Planning Commission the city’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) planning‑and‑demonstration grant has produced a safety action plan that lays out near‑term intersection, sidewalk, lighting and bus stop projects and the strategy to pursue implementation funding.

The plan, developed with consultants Alta Planning + Design and AECOM, uses a Safe System approach that emphasizes reducing speeds and designing streets to protect vulnerable roadway users — people walking, biking and using transit. Bergstrom said the plan is intended to unlock federal SS4A implementation grants once the city adopts the plan.

Bergstrom described plan components including an intersection countermeasure toolbox, pedestrian safety mapping that distinguished low‑stress and high‑stress corridors, and a prioritized list of 50 intersections with five that have detailed ‘cut sheets’ and cost estimates. He said the consultants found roughly three‑quarters of the city’s streets to be low stress but flagged several corridors and isolated high‑stress segments, naming examples such as West Main, Kalamazoo Ave, Stadium Drive and parts of Kilgore Road.

Commissioners pressed staff about data and seasonal impacts. Bergstrom said the plan used crash reports from the Michigan police reporting system and consultant analyses; he noted limitations — those datasets reflect reported incidents and vary by reporting practices — and said staff can return with seasonal or winter‑specific crash summaries on request.

Bergstrom emphasized that education and outreach are central to the implementation strategy. "We need to beef up our messaging," he said, noting past confusion around treatments like two‑way cycle tracks and highlighting quick‑build projects as a way to test changes before making permanent curb or drainage modifications.

Next steps include presenting the plan to the City Commission for adoption and continuing coordination with partners such as Kalamazoo Metro and Consumers Energy on bus stop and lighting improvements. Bergstrom said adoption would position the city to pursue federal and state implementation dollars for permanent safety upgrades.

The Planning Commission did not vote on the plan this evening; staff indicated the City Commission will take up adoption in a forthcoming meeting.