Committee hears Vision Zero mid‑plan update, school traffic‑calming rollout and federal pedestrian‑signal earmark

Public commenters opened the June 17 meeting with critiques focused on Vision Zero implementation and roadway design, and city staff spent the evening outlining how project work, school coordination and pedestrian‑signal upgrades fit into the mid‑plan progress.

Adam Goodman, a fifth‑ward resident, told commissioners that the city’s Vision Zero report risks “painting a rosier picture than our reality,” and that parts of the city’s bike network that count toward an “all ages and abilities” goal appear to include buffered lanes on high‑speed roads that do not meet plan criteria. “The real goal and benefit of the quick build program is to be able to do pilot or demonstration projects rapidly and to iterate on them rapidly … We are not doing that,” Goodman said, urging a gap analysis to shorten idea‑to‑installation timelines.

Margaret McCall urged that the roadway right‑sizing draft include explicit safety outcomes and recommended adding projected 85th‑percentile speeds for each corridor so the public can see how proposed changes would reduce pedestrian fatality risk. She cited illustrative risk differences: at higher impact speeds the likelihood of death or serious injury is much greater than at 20 mph, and she said that projected speed reductions should be front and center.

Kirk Westall argued roundabouts should be the default for intersection redesign because they reduce speeds and severe injuries; he cited an asserted 90% reduction in fatal and incapacitating injuries versus signals and pointed to other states that prefer roundabouts.

City staff framed those public comments as consistent with ongoing internal priorities. Cyrus (city transportation staff) reviewed coordination with Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS): staff meet regularly with district and building‑level Safe Routes representatives and are integrating school traffic‑calming into capital projects. Staff described a three‑zone approach (red/yellow/green) to prioritize locations within typical school walksheds; high‑priority zones adjacent to schools will receive vertical devices such as raised crosswalks or speed tables when practical. The Arbdale reconstruction project was cited as an example where raised crosswalks and other speed‑management devices will be installed following engagement with school and neighborhood stakeholders.

Cyrus also discussed accessible pedestrian signals (APS) and training he attended that reinforced how critical non‑visual actuation (audible cues, tactile feedback) is for blind and low‑vision users at intersections, particularly as vehicle and signal phasing becomes more complex. He said staff installed 16 APS locations in 2025 and noted that RRFB crosswalks are APS‑ready.

Suzanne presented a Vision Zero mid‑plan summary that inventories short‑ and medium‑term actions and highlights recent project accomplishments. She listed external funding captured in recent years, including a $3.8 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, a roughly $737,000 federal earmark for pedestrian signal upgrades, and a $1 million American Rescue Plan allocation. The report compiled project counts and miles (sidewalk gap fills and bike facility additions) and proposed an interactive map showing projects and before/after speed and volume data to better show outcomes.

Commissioners asked how many schools staff had surveyed (Cyrus said about a quarter complete and substantial progress expected over the next construction season), whether the team can make APS installations automatic where appropriate, and how major corridor crossings (Liberty, Stadium) would be addressed beyond local‑street interventions. Staff said corridor‑level work is underway and that corridor improvements (including potential HZIP grant work) will address crossings along major streets.

Claims and unanswered points: staff acknowledged the public request for outcome metrics (for example, 85th‑percentile speed projections) and said they are working on mapping and before/after speed measures, but no firm commitments were made during the meeting on changing quick‑build procedures or immediately changing right‑sizing analytic methods.

Next steps: staff will continue school walkshed analysis, fold high‑priority school needs into upcoming capital projects, move forward with Division Street APS upgrades funded via a federal earmark, and continue work on an interactive project/outcome map linking treatments to before/after speed and volume measurements.