Last Monday (5/5), we
presented our Safety For Stadium petition to City Council. Sadly, only a few hours after that meeting ended, a man in a wheelchair was
killed in a crosswalk by a drunk driver while trying to cross Huron St - another of our city's deadly multilane roads - a block from City Hall.
In
our comments at that City Council meeting, we noted that the city
administration's proposed budget includes ZERO dollars for "quick build
safety projects" to reconfigure deadly multilane roads like Stadium.
Fortunately, Councilmember Briggs
plans to bring forward a budget amendment to change that - but we remain far from certain that this amendment will gain majority support.
We,
along with other local advocacy organizations, are planning a brief
protest this coming Monday, 5/19 at 6:30pm in front of City Hall,
immediately prior to the City Council meeting at 7:00pm. This is
the critical meeting
at which City Council will be amending and adopting the city's annual
budget. See the attached press release for further details.
After
the protest, we will proceed to Council Chambers to watch the meeting.
(For anyone willing, we encourage you to speak at public comment in
favor of Councilmember Briggs' budget amendment. This time, there is no
public hearing, so you'll need to call the Clerk's office earlier in the
day on Monday to sign up for a speaking slot. See
the instructions on the city website; when asked, you can say the agenda item you wish to comment on is "
DS-8: Resolution to Adopt Ann Arbor City Budget and Related Property Tax Millage Rates for Fiscal Year 2026".)
But even if you aren't up for speaking, your presence at the protest and/or in Council Chambers will help make a difference!
Whether you can attend Monday or not, it would also help to email your City Council representatives directly (and cc
cityc...@a2gov.org)
*by Sunday* with a subject line such as "Support road safety now,"
"Fund quick build road safety," "Pass the road safety amendment" etc.
and describe your experiences using Ann Arbor roads — on foot, with
mobility devices, by bike, or by car. Our representatives are well aware
of the data, but stories from people who are directly affected by their
dangerous roads can be compelling.
As always,
please reach out with any questions! We'll be hosting our monthly
coffee hour on Thursday at Sweetwaters where we can debrief on the
meeting and other initiatives.
Adam Goodman and Kirk Westphal