ANN ARBOR – The city’s Healthy Streets program is underway with more changes set for this week.
Healthy Streets was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide extra space for those who walk and bike around town.
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The project’s deployments include numerous soft closures in neighborhoods and both temporary and permanent lane reconfigurations on busier thoroughfares.
See below a map of the planned installations:
Several neighborhood streets are receiving soft closures as part of the program. This includes the installation of barricades indicating no through traffic and a Healthy Streets warning sign indicating cyclist and pedestrian use.
This is to prevent cars from cutting through neighborhood streets and allow for residents to enjoy their street while staying socially distant.
According to a city release, if 20% of a street’s residents share their disapproval of a soft closure, then the neighborhood could opt out of the program.
The following soft closures are expected to be in effect through November:
- Arborview Blvd (Miller to Westwood)
- Baldwin Ave (Stadium to Packard)
- Brandywine Dr (Packard to Yost)
- Broadway St (Plymouth to Plymouth)
- Brooklyn Ave (Packard to Golden)
- Bydding Rd (Brooks to Summit/Miner)
- Chandler Rd (Barton to Indianola)
- Chapin St (Huron to Miller)
- Crest Ave (Huron to Liberty)
- West Davis Ave (Main to Seventh)
- Elmood Ave (Packard to Edgewood)
- North Fourth Ave (Beakes to Depot)
- Granger Ave (Ferdon to Packard)
- Harpst St (Packard to Tremmel)
- Hikone Dr (Hikone to Southern terminus)
- Iroquois Pl (Packard to Stadium)
- Jewett Ave (East of South Industrial to Packard)
- Lillian Rd (Eli to Terhune)
- Longshore Dr (Barton to Argo Livery parking)
- Maplewood Ave (Packard to Edgewood)
- Morton Ave (Harding to Baldwin)
- Northside Ave (Barton to Pontiac)
- Redwood Ave (Platt to Nordman)
- South Revena Blvd (Huron to Charlton)
- Rosewood St (East of South Industrial to Packard)
- Shadowood Dr (Ellsworth to Hemlock)
- Snyder Ave (Seventh to Main)
- Springbrook St (Packard to Marshall)
- Starwick Dr (Pontiac to Barton)
- West Summit St (Hiscock to Brooks)
- Sunset Rd (Newport to Wildt)
- West Washington Street (Revena to First)
- Worden Ave (Jackson to Dexter)
- Yost Blvd (Washtenaw to Terhune)
Lane reconfigurations are also taking place to install more bike lanes on major roads.
These are the following reconfigurations for 2021, according to a city release:
- South Main Street (William to Stadium) – the reconfiguration is for a three-lane cross-section with protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, a vehicular travel lane in both directions, and a center turn lane. This deployment is proposed to be temporary and will be removed in the Fall.
- Packard Street (Hill to State) – this deployment would remove left turn lanes at Packard/State and Packard/Hill to install bike lanes. The deployment will be permanent.
- Packard Street (Eisenhower to eastern City limits) – the reconfiguration is for a five-lane cross section with bike lanes on both sides of the street, two vehicular travel lanes in both directions, and a center turn lane. The vehicular travel lanes will be narrowed to accommodate the bike lanes and the posted speed limit may be lowered. This deployment will be permanent.
Prior to implementing the changes, the city of Ann Arbor sent out a survey to residents to gauge whether there was enough local support for the project.
“The public’s input, both for and against, were taken into account in the decision-making process, along with other factors such as safety, connectivity, equity, feasibility, cost and street jurisdiction or ownership,” reads a city release.
“The complete public input results are available, as well as a copy of the Engineering Design plans for 2021 Healthy Streets deployments.”