Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Safe Routes To School topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves MDOT Safe Routes contract for Winchell and Howard improvements
Summary
The Kalamazoo City Commission on March 16 approved an MDOT contract to fund sidewalks on Winchell Avenue and a redesigned crossing at Howard and Merrill to improve student safety; staff said construction is targeted for 2027 and community input will determine crossing placement and features such as rapid flashing beacons or a HAWK signal.
The Kalamazoo City Commission voted unanimously on March 16 to adopt a resolution approving MDOT contract number 25-56-91, a $47,367 Safe Routes to School grant award to fund pedestrian and crossing improvements on Winchell Avenue and at the Howard–Merrill crossing.
Public Services Director James Baker told the commission staff held two public meetings with the Vine neighborhood association and will continue community engagement to finalize the exact crossing location. Baker said the recommendation before the commission bundles two projects — sidewalk installation on the south side of Winchell between Rambling Road and Oakland Drive and crossing improvements near Maple Street Magnet — and that the city will coordinate the work with the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study to align larger roadway changes planned for 2027. "We plan to continue to engage with community members," Baker said, describing three popular alternatives for the crosswalk (at Merrill, roughly 100 feet west, or roughly 100 feet east) and noting staff will refine location and features through design.
Parents and neighborhood leaders urged approval. "We should not let this opportunity to protect them and to make them safer slip away," said Dr. Todd Ellis, vice president of the Maple Street parent–teacher organization, who described students walking in darkness and called for beacons and clearer crossing controls. Ellen Foley, president of the Maple Street PTSO, said the four‑lane Howard Street crossing allows vehicles to pick up speed and described near misses she has observed when students try to cross.
Baker outlined potential safety measures staff will evaluate, including rectangular rapid flashing beacons and the HAWK pedestrian signal used elsewhere in the region, and said some elements are being piloted in other parts of the city to provide data for design choices. He told the commission the project is included in the capital improvement program and the city can advance construction to 2027; some limited work such as tree removals and grading could begin earlier.
Vice Mayor Drew Duncan moved the resolution and Commissioner Hess seconded. Clerk Barling recorded 'yes' votes from Commissioners Praedel, Wilson, Vice Mayor Duncan, Mayor Anderson, Commissioner Hess and Commissioner Hoffman; the motion passed. City staff said next steps include completing design work with community input and processing contract supplementals and change orders to adjust crossing location or features before construction.
The commission and staff emphasized the combination of engineering, education and enforcement in improving school-area safety, with targeted enforcement and patrols used as interim measures while designs are finalized. The resolution authorizes the city manager to sign related documents and accept the MDOT grant funding. Construction is targeted for 2027 with substantial completion anticipated by fall 2027.
