Traverse City: 8th Street reconstruction project ignores bikes
Fri, Feb 5, 2010 - By Missy Luyk
Friends of TART,
Action alert! You’re input is critical at this time, especially if you live within the Traverse City city limits! The Traverse City Commission is having a study session on Monday February 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Ave) to discuss current plans to rebuild 8th Street between Garfield and Barlow. The current plan as designed does not accommodate safe provisions for bicycles. TART believes strongly that now is the time to redesign the 8th Street corridor with the Complete Street concept in mind, which means streets are designed to have room for all users (autos, bus, bike and pedestrian). There may be an opportunity to change the roadway to incorporate dedicated bike lanes along the corridor.
If we do not ask for bike lanes to be added at this time, we could be missing an opportunity to make Traverse City an even more Bicycle Friendly Community. It could be many decades before 8th Street is completely reconstructed again. Please attend the meeting or contact the City Commissioners directly by phone or email. You may find their contact information here.
We hope you will heed our call to action! More resources and information related to this action alert can be found in my post script.
-Missy Luyk
P.S. What are Complete Streets? Learn more here…
According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, “complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.” On the statewide level, the League of Michigan Bicyclists and Michigan Environmental Council have teamed up to bring Complete Streets to Michigan Find out more about complete streets statewide, by visiting MichiganCompleteStreets.org The City of Lansing is the first city in the state to adopt a complete street ordinance. Find out more about Lansing here.
P.P.S The League of American Bicyclists announced Traverse City as a bronze-level 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community. The Bicycle Friendly Community award recognizes Traverse City’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling and its practice of making focused investment in bicycling programs and facilities. The award judges were particularly impressed with Traverse City’s trail system, cycling events, bike advocacy groups, the local bike club, the Boardman Lake Trail Bridge, miles of bike lanes on city streets, TART-in-Town bicycle routes, annual Smart Commute Week program coaching people to use a bicycle as alternative transportation in addition to recreation and exercise, the Safe Routes to School program and the community’s commitment to improving cycling facilities. To learn more about the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community program, visit www.bicyclefriendlyamerica.org
Missy Luyk, Trail Program Specialist
TART Trails, Inc.
Office: 415 S Union St (2nd Flr) in Old Town Traverse City
Mail: PO Box 252 Traverse City MI 49685
231.941.4300
www.traversetrails.org