MI: Advocating for safer streets

A coalition of local residents and nonprofit organizations has come together to push for safer and more effective transportation corridors across the Grand Traverse region.

The Grand Traverse Safe Streets Alliance is escalating its efforts to promote safer street planning and development to help pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and people using the growing number of mobility devices available to the public move around the area. The group includes representatives from TART Trails, the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Norte Youth Cycling, Disability Network Northern Michigan, Traverse City Track Club, the League of Michigan bicyclists and others.

“We’re learning so much as a group,” said Traverse City resident Richard Robbins, a frequent bicyclist who led the effort to organize the Alliance. He said the group includes different perspectives from cyclists, pedestrians, runners and people with disabilities.

The alliance formally launched in the spring of 2024, aiming to build on the progress of efforts from TART Trails, the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, Norte and others to promote and educate the public on the importance and benefits of a strong multi-modal transportation network.

The effort got a boost during the 2024 Smart Commute week, when more than 60 area residents showed up for a local screening of “The Street Project,” a 2022 film documentary about the global efforts to create safer streets through stories of pedestrians and bicyclists who were injured or killed on U.S. roads.

“I think that motivated a lot of community members,” said Dana Pflughoeft, the community engagement coordinator for TART Trails.

Following its formation, the group got help through Rotary Charities to establish an organizational structure, which includes an executive committee of representatives of its support organizations and a working group that meets monthly to work on projects and priorities. The group made a formal presentation to Traverse City commissioners in April, and has also reached out to other public bodies including the city’s Downtown Development Authority, the city Planning Commission and the Grand Traverse County Road Commission.

The alliance identified several locations in Traverse City that would benefit from infrastructure upgrades. They include a two-way bike lane on Front Street in downtown Traverse City, improvements to the intersection at Seventh and Union streets, bike lanes on Seventh Street, modifications to the intersection at Eighth Street and Woodmere Avenue, and upgrades to the Garfield Avenue TART Trail crossing and the Parsons Road roundabout crossing among others.

“These aren’t prescriptive as much as it’s ‘let’s just talk about these ideas that have come forth from all of our different Alliance members, so we can have the discussion,’” said Rick Venner, vice president of the Cherry Capital Cycling Club. “We’re not trying to say ‘this is what has to happen.”’

Beyond the intersections and specific projects the group has identified for needed upgrades, it also has a “2x4 Vision” to create two east-west and four north-south corridors across the city to create a network of connected, non-motorized transportation routes that can be comfortably traveled by all age groups and abilities. The alliance promotes an “8 to 80” principle aiming for streets that are safe and convenient for travelers ranging in age from children to the elderly, regardless of their mode of transportation.

The alliance also emphasizes the importance of more-visible street markings in improving street safety for all users. Numerous city streets still have barely-visible road markings entering the busy summer traffic season.

“It’s a great example of where (the Alliance) has a voice to the city and county around the idea of paint as a safety issue,” Robbins said. He said the budget should commit to painting twice a year.

Alliance members acknowledge that the area has made progress in recent years in improving multi-modal access, and raising awareness of the importance of safe and progressive street design. But some of those upgrades are more than a decade old, and don’t feature what Venner described as the “gold standard” of safe street design being implemented in other communities.

“If cyclists are predictable in how and where they’re riding, it’s better for the people in vehicles ... the safer streets are for cyclists- and more predictable — the better it is for those who don’t want to cycle,” Venner said. “It feels like we’re falling behind. Even though we’re a pretty pro-active, bicycle-friendly community, we are behind so many places ... we need to keep the pedal down on this.”

Michael Hanigan, a semi-retired radiologist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was cycling through downtown Traverse City earlier this week. Hanigan said while he was impressed with the city’s biking routes, he found it difficult to find connections between the city’s central business district and nearby bike routes including the TART and Boardman Lake trails.

“It’s a little bit more challenging when you get downtown on where you’re supposed to go,” Hanigan said. “I don’t think you can ever have too much signage pointing people to the trails.”

Robbins emphasizes that the group is not “anti-car,” and supports efforts to improve automotive transportation and bolster public transportation options. But the region is seeing explosive growth of e-transportation modes such as electric bikes, and more families are cutting down to one vehicle because of alternative transportation options, he said, making it more important to accommodate all forms of transportation.

City Commissioner Tim Werner, a regular bike rider in the city, said he’s supportive of efforts to improve the safety and design of city streets and local transportation routes, but said the city needs to follow through on its “complete streets” initiatives and not leave that responsibility to other groups.

“It’s a separate entity — they have their priorities and projects, and the city has its priorities as well,” Werner said. “As a city, we’re not delegating our priorities to an outside organization — that’s kind of my approach to anything.”

Werner said he would welcome the alliance’s support and recommendations for projects being pursued by the city.

“We should make use of that — we should leverage that support when our priorities do align,” Werner said.

In the coming weeks and months, the alliance is planning to host three to four public meetings a year to gather community input on local mobility needs.

“We’re getting a lot of input on the website — people wanting to volunteer their time, donate money ... there’s all sorts of queries,” Robbins said. “I think our main focus is to keep a constant presence in front of our municipal entities- cities, townships, road commissions and counties...we represent a big chunk of people that want something to happen, and they don’t want to wait.”

While the alliance’s early efforts are focused on Traverse City, officials said they want to expand their priorities and projects across the five-county region over the new few years.

“Our safe streets (initiative) is a five-county area, but it’s right now focused primarily in the city because we see a real need and opportunity with the city,” Venner said. “But it doesn’t end at the border of the city.”

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