[msb-alumni] Re: Lansing one-ways prepare for conversion Six downtown streets will become two-ways

From: "Vickie" <happytraveler1972@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 15:32:02 -0700

BlankIt’s about time they made those streets both ways.  It’s been a pain to
tell people how to travel through downtown, for no reason, for so long.  I’m
sure the 496 construction will cause a challenge, but sometimes those things
just have to be done. Maybe they’ll even fix all the pot holes. smile.  Take
care all.
Vickie Rolison

From: Steve
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2021 5:33 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Lansing one-ways prepare for conversion Six downtown
streets will become two-ways

Well, I wonder if this might cause the city to put in some Adaptive Pedestrian
Signals.  It would appear that at least under the guidelines that are still
advisory, this would be a requirement.  It is certainly something where one
could sue under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 2 that covers
state and local governments; the theory being that accessible signals are a
more effective way of communicating with the blind and visually impaired.
Steve

Lansing one-ways prepare for conversion Six downtown streets will become
two-ways By Craig Lyons

The traffic signals at the intersection of Allegan Street and Capitol Avenue in
downtown Lansing are in place for when the streets change from one-way to
two-way.

LANSING -- Cars driving the wrong way on Lansing's major downtown corridors
will soon be a thing of the past as their time as one-way streets is nigh. The
city's plan to convert six downtown streets -- Grand Avenue, Capitol Avenue,
Walnut Street, Pine Street, Allegan Street and Ottawa Street -- from one-way to
two-way is expected to start this fall after being delayed by the COVID-19
pandemic.

The city is hosting an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 15 in the City
Hall lobby for people to learn more about the project and offer feedback on the
designs. Public Services Director Andy Kilpatrick said feedback from residents
and downtown business owners will help the city refine its plans.

"This will allow us to finalize the design," he said.

Here's some key things to know about the two-way street conversion project:

• Why change streets to two-way traffic?

The streets were first changed to one-way travel in the 1950s to help move
traffic and ease congestion through the downtown, Kilpatrick said. Decades
later, those downtown streets have a much lower volume of traffic requiring a
single direction of travel. Drivers will be able to reach their downtown
destinations faster with the two-way streets and they won't have to circle
around the one-way streets, Kilpatrick said.

For downtown Lansing visitors, it means they won't have to figure out how to
navigate the streets and potentially wind up going the wrong way on a one-way
street, he said.

The two-way conversion will make it safer for pedestrians as it will lower the
chances of a collision because there will be fewer vehicles turning at
intersections, Kilpatrick said. The two-way streets will also cut down on
jaywalkers because it will close gaps in traffic flow, he said.

• Converting streets from one-way to two-way isn't without precedent in
Lansing. In 1999, the city converted Washtenaw, Ionia and Shiawassee streets to
two-way traffic.

• Which streets will be affected?

The project will only adjust the traffic flow of six downtown streets: Grand
Avenue between Washtenaw Street and Oakland Avenue Capitol Avenue between
Washtenaw Street and Oakland Avenue Walnut Street between Washtenaw Street and
Oakland Avenue Pine Street between Washtenaw Street and Oakland Avenue Ottawa
Street between Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Allegan Street
between Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Kilpatrick said the city delayed converting the north/ south streets from
Washtenaw to Malcolm X as the Michigan Department of Transportation has a
project planned for Interstate 496 that will require detouring traffic onto
local streets, Kilpatrick said.

• How much will it cost?

Converting the six streets is expected to cost about $3.3 million, Kilpatrick
said. The state is funding the project.

The lion's share of the cost will be replacing traffic signals at 40
intersections, Kilpatrick said.

For some it's as easy as changing the signal, he said, but others require
putting in new poles and equipment. Grinding off the existing paint, restriping
the lanes and putting in new signs have a minimal cost compared to changing the
signals, he said.

• What will the streets look like?

Once the two-way conversion is finished, each street will have a single
northbound and southbound travel lane and a center turning lane, Kilpatrick
said. The exceptions to that design will be Grand and Capitol avenues, which
both need extra north and southbound lanes because they have more traffic, he
said.

In areas with a high volume of bus stops or truck deliveries, the city might
have to add pull-offs to prevent those vehicles from blocking traffic,
Kilpatrick said.

The city is also finalizing plans for bike lanes. "Those are details that we're
still trying to work through," he said.

• When will the changes start?

The city and the Lansing Board of Water & Light have already started changing
out traffic signals at some intersections to prepare for the conversion. The
major part of the project will start in fall 2021, Kilpatrick said. That's when
people will start seeing the lane reconfiguration on Grand, Capitol, Walnut and
Pine north of Washtenaw. Once MDOT's I-496 project is finished, the city will
convert those last portions of Grand, Capitol, Walnut and Pine as well as
Allegan and Ottawa in late 2022 or early 2023, Kilpatrick said.

Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@xxxxxxx

References:
- [msb-alumni] Lansing one-ways prepare for conversion Six downtown streets will become two-ways
  - From: Steve

[msb-alumni] Re: Lansing one-ways prepare for conversion Six downtown streets will become two-ways

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