Pair of Major Road Projects Approved by City Council
City Council approved two projects that will significantly alter busy streets in East Lansing at its Tuesday, Jan. 23 meeting. The projects have caused plenty of discussion in the community over the last few months and will primarily impact Hagadorn Road and Trowbridge Road.
The Hagadorn lane conversion was approved unanimously by Council.
The conversion of Hagadorn Road from Grand River Avenue to Burcham Drive from four to three lanes with two bike lanes and two pedestrian crossings has been a controversial topic in the community for the past few months.
Many community members shared their concerns about the project, which has been called a “road diet,” at a Dec. 4 public hearing during a Transportation Commission meeting. The Transportation Commission took these opinions into consideration at its Jan. 8 meeting and ultimately decided to unanimously recommend the plan to Council.
Director of Public Works Scott House presented the plan to Council at the Jan. 23 City Council meeting. He highlighted that in the 0.67 mile distance, there are currently no pedestrian crossings, 11 unsignalized intersections, 54 driveways and six bus stops, and the goal of this plan is to improve safety.
“Our traffic study indicates that, if we do nothing, conditions on Hagadorn will get worse,” House said.
House acknowledged the multiple concerns of community members, but stated that the eight other four to three lane conversions in the city have seen significant reductions in accidents and, since implementation, have not received negative feedback.
“At first, there is always trepidation, fear of the unknown, and it has always worked out,” House said.
Council members asked for clarifications on the location and implementation of the pedestrian crossings.
The crossings will be north of Albert Street, south of Ann Street and north of Beech Street, south of Melrose Avenue. The crossings will include hash marks and an island in the middle of the road, similar to the setup on Abbot Road near City Hall, House said. The new crossings will also include flashing, rectangular beacons that pedestrians can use to alert drivers they are crossing the street.
“So if you want to cross, you’ll push a button and it will flash to alert traffic to stop,” House said.
Mayor George Brookover asked for clarifications if the pedestrian crossings will accommodate disabled individuals, and House stated that, at the moment, there are no audio components, but this option can be investigated further.
“I hope you guys figured out the safest way for people to cross who have disabilities at this site,” Brookover said.
Brookover and Meadows both expressed their belief that pedestrian operated lights would be a better option for this improvement plan.
House stated that, in a four to three lane conversion, the island is safer and allows for more free flow of pedestrians and traffic.
Brookover also expressed concern about the passing lane being implemented as the third lane, asking for clarification on if it is legal for somebody to go around a CATA bus that is stopped in the middle lane, as well as if you can utilize the middle lane to pass another car in motion.
House called upon East Lansing Police Department Chief Kim Johnson, who was in the audience, to clarify traffic laws and regulations.
“If it’s two double yellow lines, you cannot pass,” Johnson said. “But I think it’s only one yellow line, from my recollection, so, technically, if it’s one yellow line, you can pass a bus that’s stopped.”
A car would not be cited for going around a stopped bus, however “we would consider it improper lane usage for that center lane if a car was moving around another car going in the same direction,” Johnson said.
A motion was presented by Councilmember Erik Altmann to approve the plan and seconded by Councilmember Mark Meadows.
Councilmember Dana Watson expressed her support for the project.
“There’s comfort in traffic slowing down,” Watson said.
She also highlighted the safety of the project for bicyclists and the Marble Elementary School students who cross Hagadorn Road.
Altmann expressed his support for the lane conversion, as well as the other eight in the city.
“There are eight of these [four to three lane conversions] around the city, and all have gone in without any incident,” Altmann said. “People seem to like them, the drivers seem to like them.”
Brookover also said he would be voting for the proposal, however, “very reluctantly.”
“I think we can make this change,” Brookover said. “I think it probably, in the end, is beneficial. But unless we enhance it with enforcement of the traffic laws, then I think we’ve just spent a lot of money on something that, in the end, isn’t really gonna help a whole lot. I don’t want people to get hurt, I don’t like that, that’s all.”
Ultimately, Council unanimously approved the proposal. Approval was for the concept of the project, not contracts to do the work.
The Michigan Department of Transportation’s request to modify Trowbridge Road as a part of US 127 improvements was approved in a 3 to 2 vote.
House presented the proposal to Council and introduced six Michigan Department Of Transportation (MDOT) staff members who have been participating in the project.
The $204 million dollar project was presented to the Transportation Commission at its Oct. 2 meeting. The request is part of an MDOT US 127 improvement project, as MDOT representatives appeared at the Jan. 22 meeting to request permission to make adjustments to city roads.
The Transportation Commission unanimously voted to recommend the plan to Council under three conditions:
- MDOT share existing and post construction informal speed data with the Red Cedar Community Association (RCCA).
- If the design proves unsuccessful, MDOT will make modifications.
- A request for greater speed enforcement along Trowbridge Road.
Council was first presented the project at the Oct. 10 discussion-only City Council meeting and requested three items from MDOT:
- Peak traffic volume on Trowbridge Road (current and future).
- Wait times at the proposed indirect left in 2045.
- Traffic warrant review for a signal at Trowbridge Road and Arbor Drive.
MDOT and House returned on Jan. 23 to present their findings to Council and request final approval.
“We know this project is unpopular,” House said. “We know that this is taking away two cut throughs at Palmer and Arbor Drive. However, the end result will be safer and more efficient.”
Council members asked for clarifications on many different topics from both MDOT staff and House.
Questions were asked about the decision to make these specific changes, about signage on Arbor Drive, about data on the design of this particular indirect left and about the adjustments of speed.
Both Brookover and Meadows expressed concerns about the speed of the new ramp, which will be 45 miles per hour.
“The expectation is that cars will be traveling faster off this new ramp than the old ramp, correct?” Meadows asked.
MDOT staff clarified that this is true, as the current speed of the ramp is 25 miles per hour. The current ramp speed does not meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards.
Council members were concerned about this increase in speed, but MDOT stated that because of the ramp design and the curvature on the road, the specific speed of 45 miles per hour is correct under MDOT guidelines.
Council also expressed a desire to include a traffic light at the intersection of Arbor Drive and Trowbridge Road as well as possibly another light at the intersection at Trowbridge Crossing Road.
House stated that, at Arbor Drive, the city of East Lansing can control only westbound traffic but not eastbound traffic “because it impacts the Trowbridge downstream and expressway.”
“We could put a light to limit westbound traffic,” House said. “Eastbound, that would require a discussion and would probably be contested due to the impact on the ramp.”
Brookover moved to approve the project with two conditions:
- A traffic light be installed at the intersection of Arbor Drive and Trowbridge Road.
- A two-way light be installed at the corner of Trowbridge Crossing Drive.
House explained that the implementation of these lights, which would cost around $400,000, would be the city’s duty and outside of the MDOT project.
“If it’s a million dollars to build these lights, I think it’s worth it,” Brookover said.
Altmann and Meadows voted against the motion, sharing their concerns about the isolation it would cause to the Arbor Drive neighborhood and their belief that there is a better solution.
“I think that the safety benefits of removing the Arbor Drive meeting cut through and replacing it with an indirect left, I think those safety benefits are overstated,” Altmann said.
Brookover, Singh and Watson voted for the approval of the project, stating their belief that the proposal improves safety.