Kalamazoo City Commission tables Safe Routes to School contract amid public pushback

The Kalamazoo City Commission unanimously agreed Monday to table a Michigan Department of Transportation contract for infrastructure improvements along Winchell Avenue and Howard Street after residents raised concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly for children walking to school.

The contract, MDOT No. 25-5691, would fund new sidewalks, curb ramps, tree removals, rectangular rapid flashing beacons and pavement markings along the two corridors. The project stretches along Winchell Avenue from Rambling Road to Oakland Drive and along Howard Street from Stearns Road to Merrill Street.

The item was originally placed on the consent agenda but was moved to the regular agenda at the request of Commissioner Chris Pradel following public feedback ahead of the meeting.

The project is funded through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program under Safe Routes to School. Federal funds and toll credits cover up to $387,825 of the estimated $435,192 total cost, with the city responsible for the remaining balance.

City staff said the project has been in development since 2019 and that design work was completed in 2023. Approval of the MDOT contract would allow the project to move toward construction.

Several residents spoke against the Howard Street portion of the project, citing broader concerns about pedestrian safety and walkability, especially for students traveling between neighborhoods and nearby schools.

“When that process was conducted, the most concerning location identified in that process was the crossing from the Vine neighborhood to Maple Street crossing Howard at the bottom of Merrill,” one resident who has three children attending Kalamazoo Public Schools said.

Other residents echoed those concerns, warning that children regularly navigate four lanes of traffic with vehicles traveling more than 40 miles per hour.

“We’re talking about preteens trying to navigate four lanes of traffic with cars going 40-plus miles an hour,” another resident said. “They’re froggering across here, wearing backpacks, in the dusk. It’s just been a wheel of fortune so far that something tragic hasn’t happened.”

Multiple residents also said sidewalks along Howard Street are often not cleared and become difficult to use during winter months, raising concerns about year-round accessibility and safety for students.

Commissioners questioned Director of Public Services James Baker about the concerns raised and whether the project timeline allowed additional public input. Baker said the two corridor projects are combined under one MDOT contract and cannot be split for approval.

“I don’t know if those changes would be recommended — we’re getting into some challenges of designing from the dais,” Baker said. “Staff does not usually recommend that, but if the commission is not prepared to go forward, let us take something back and see what our options are.”

Vice Mayor Drew Duncan said he shared parents’ concerns about safety but also worried about maintaining the grant funding.

“I don’t want us to lose the funding,” Duncan said. “But $50,000 is never going to be worth the life of a child, and I’m hearing parents plead with us about a safe pathway forward.”

Staff said the city conducted one-to-one outreach but did not hold a formal public meeting before developing the plans.

“It would go a long way personally if we could just have one meeting to give the team time to have that communication dialogue with residents,” Pradel said.

City Manager Malcolm Hankins said postponing the vote would not jeopardize the grant and that bringing the item back for consideration at the commission’s second March meeting would be feasible.

Commissioners voted unanimously to table the item and revisit it at a future meeting. City staff said they plan to prepare additional information, including visuals, and hold a meeting to gather resident feedback before returning to the commission.

“If we postpone it to one more meeting, it’s not going to have a delay on receiving the funds,” Commissioner Jae Slaby said. “It will not jeopardize these funds. It will not jeopardize the contract. So why not just have the due diligence done and send the message to the community that we are hearing their concerns?”

Other business

Commissioners also unanimously approved two regular agenda items with minimal discussion.

The first extended the city’s property and casualty insurance contract through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority at a cost not to exceed $1.13 million, along with a $100,000 deposit to the member retention fund and a related budget amendment.

The second authorized a $2 million sole-source purchase of Neptune water meters from Ferguson Waterworks to support the city’s ongoing water system operations.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.