MyWHaT

Where infrastructure and design fails to provide safe, convenient and intelligent transportation choices (like Traverse City’s Eighth Street), you might want to consider own personal bike lane LightLane.

In fact, we might start asking that the city purchase every household 1 or 2 of these prototypes. They will come in handy if the city continues to fail to include a comprehensive implementation of a truly walkable & bikable city.

Do we need MDOT or the city engineer’s approval for that?

Seriously, why bother with design and engineering when you can just buy a movable, shine everywhere lane that travels with you? Except for the minor detail that it doesn’t work all that well during the daytime–it is pretty dark most of the year here in NWMI…

LightLane is an interesting gizmo– I want one–but I also want streets built with more than one intention and one mode of transportation. Remember, ask the city why the 2010 8th Street repave includes nothing for bicycle commuters.

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Oh yeah, what do you think of the LightLane?

At issue: This spring a major project to replace water & sewer mains along 8th St. will take place between Barlow and Garfield. This includes a repaving of the road. Unfortunately, the repave doesn’t include improvements for bicycle commuters or enhanced crosswalks.

Instead, the city has prioritized keeping limited south side parking, current lane-widths (12-13 feet) and a relatively new left turning lane that runs an entire block. In addition, they are adding left turning lanes in both directions at the Barlow St. intersection.

This will be major obstacle for implementing more balanced transportation strategies for the next 20-30 years. It not only doesn’t include improved amenities for non-motorized traffic, it offers no attempt at street calming despite the high number of automobiles going over the posted 25mph.

It is plain that the city engineering department has no intention of encouraging non-motorized commuters on Eighth Street.

The problem: The contract for the work is already signed and it is moving forward. It also includes federal stimulus funds that may be forfeited if there is a change of order to accommodate a new design. As has come to be expected, the time and money squeeze is in full effect.

So, the question is, “What do we do?”

Contact the city.

At least three city commissioners have voiced a commitment to pursuing an altering of the current design. Mayor Chris Bzdok will be posting information on the Plan for TC Web site by mid-week.

Please, if you’re interested in a Complete Street on Eighth, Contact the city manager & city commissioners today. Ask them:

What is the current status of the 2010 Eighth St. repave and design?

Does it include designs for bicycle commuters and traffic calming? If not, why not?

Will they revisit the issue? (Keep us posted.)

(More questions, share them with us in a comment…)

Be sure to mention that the infrastructure policy strategy (PDF) includes a complete street approach and that you are willing to support any effort to revisit the design.

This is not an easy change of order. It is in effect an MDOT project on a city street–they hold the power through the power of the purse.  Still, there are options and more may become clear as this week progresses. For beginners, here are some choices:

1. Get a second opinion. Can a complete street approach work within the current footprint? For instance, traffic lanes can be as narrow as 10 feet to create room for bike lanes. Why keep the lanes at 12 or 13 feet?
2. Design a shared roadway. If there is absolutely no room for bike-lanes (doubtful), can shared-lane markings be used to help calm speeds & give a visual cues for riders. Bike Sharrows, although newly used in the United States, are a possible and an inexpensive possibility.
3. Mandate a retrofit. They could allow the current redesign to take place to secure the funds, but direct that a retrofit be designed and implemented within one year.

A fourth option, is to accept staff opinion & direction for Eighth Street. This option supports an incomplete, disconnected, poorly implemented pedestrian and bicyclist policy. It also makes irrelevant year’s of citizen time & energy that specifically calls for traffic calming and bike lanes along 8th Street.

Hopefully, that is not the final outcome, but it’s up to us to make certain of this.

Call or send a inquiry to the city.

• City Manager R. Ben Bifoss Traverse (231) • 922-4440 • bbifoss@traversecitymi.gov
• Mayor Chris Bzdok • 932-0319 • chris@envlaw.com
• Cmmn. Jody Bergman • 929-3438 • jbergman@ci.traverse-city.mi.us
• Cmmn. Barbara Budros • 929-3438 • bbudros2@ci.traverse-city.mi.us
• Cmmn. Jim Carruthers • 922-7768 • jccarruthers@gmail.com
• Cmmn. Ralph Soffredine • 946-0344 • rsoffred@ci.traverse-city.mi.us
• Cmmn. Michael Gillman • 941-1277 • mgillman@conklinbenham.com
• Cmmn. Mary Ann Moore • 947-3527 • maryannmoore@charter.net

You may also consider contacting the city engineering department to register a complaint.

• City Engineer • Tim Lodge • 922-4466 /228-7546 • tlodge@ci.traverse-city.mi.us

Mark February 8th as the date to have already called, written, emailed city staff and representatives. Then, join what will be a packed house on February 8th.

Cut, paste & fire option: bbifoss@traversecitymi.gov, chris@envlaw.com, jbergman@ci.traverse-city.mi.us, bbudros2@ci.traverse-city.mi.us, jccarruthers@gmail.com, rsoffred@ci.traverse-city.mi.us, mgillman@conklinbenham.com, maryannmoore@charter.net, tlodge@ci.traverse-city.mi.us

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Will you pledge to contact the city manager and city commission on this issue?

What other options are out there?

What’s your long-term vision for 8th Street?

NOTE: Mayor Chris Bzdok and commissioners Maryann Moore and Jim Carruthers are aware of the concerns, but they and other commissioners need to continue to hear support for a redress.

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