Re: Towar Road / Lake Lansing intersection

[Tim Potter]

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Transportation meeting last evening and spoke re: the Towar Road / Lake Lansing intersection project. I believe that the ICRD and City of EL staff better understand the non-motorized community needs now, although it was quite insulting for the ICRD staff to keep referring to our “in the weeds” concerns/ questions. 

This article that someone posted to the TCBA Advocacy Facebook group came to mind during the meeting especially when they were describing the county goal of improving the “efficiency” of the intersection:  https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/2/17/transportation-engineers-are-legally-obligated-to-protect-the-public-its-time-to-demand-they-do-so

Kudos to Mike Unsworth for asking the ICRD staff which mode of transportation they’re focused on when they refer to “efficiency“. 

I’m sorry that I didn’t speak my mind on this project during the meeting. I find it difficult to formulate my thoughts that quickly. I look forward to discussing this project and our concerns at our next monthly meeting.

Tim

[Bob Lovell]

I spoke with ICRD staff following the meeting.  The "efficiency" problem here is that placing a signalized crosswalk connecting the park with QD and its icecream cones would require all lights to turn red when actuated (don't ask me why, but they are sure.)  They've agreed to study this request, apparently only due to outside concerns.  They believe kids crossing from the park to QD wouldn't use it anyhow but would jaywalk - playing Frogger through 2-way traffic with the turn lane as their safety island.  When used, they believe, road rage would develop as all drivers stop for an intersection which empties of peds quickly.  I think Frogger describes the present problem neatly, but at least the westbound lanes currently stop.  ICED's preferred solution is a 2-stage crossing from park to QD, with the second stage a diagonal crossing both of the Birch and Tower Roads.  There would be no crosswalk for Birch alone under the plan, but I don't see that as much of a loss.  I asked about current accident rates; they're low and mostly related to traffic trying to get to QD from the west.  I asked about road rage among eastbound drivers who currently stop for the light and they changed the subject to cars stacking up.  I told them my concern is with vulnerable users and their response is that all users must compromise.

I expressed my belief that ICRD pays at best lip service to the various community Complete Streets policies.  They demurred, saying they are a road division and their funding stops at curb cut accommodations.  Anything else the locals want to pay for they are glad to do.  Apparently, this means that in applying for safety enhancement grants like the one funding this project, vulnerable users are left out past the curb cut.  This may explain the occasional 4' sidepath to nowhere.  They emphasized the bike accommodation inherent in creating a 5-lane road with bike lanes.  They did seem to become aware of the disappears-at-intersections problem.

And so, they will not connect the new park trail with the side path on the south side of Lake Lansing which begins at Northgate, where there is a ped-actuated light for Lake Lansing, regardless of whether they install a direct park-to-QD crossing.  They would plan and install this connector if the local authority, probably East Lansing, pays.  Since this is the one missing piece in a sidepath running from west of Coolidge to east of Hagadorn (and maybe soon beyond), it would seem to make sense to include it in this project.

Bob Lovell

6185 Graebear Trail

East Lansing, MI 48823

517 256-4552

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[Tim Potter]

Thank you for cornering the ICRD staff yesterday after the meeting Bob and grilling them further.  They've been telling Mer. Twp. Transp. Comm. for several years now that they're happy to sign/mark our Twp. roads properly with bike lanes IF the Twp. wants to pay for that and maintain it in the future, which has always struck me as odd since these road conversion projects are presented to the communities in public hearings as benefiting bicyclists yet they don't finish the project to make them federally recognized bike facilities.

Someone with some time might want to run the various reports for that intersection using this awesome tool:
https://www.michigantrafficcrashfacts.org

Note that you can also specify distance around an intersection for the crash reports, so if you do 1500 ft. for example you might also pick up any crashes reported for the other signalized intersection at Northgate in the same summary report showing the past 16 years of crashes (their database goes back to 2004).

I'm including a marked up Google map showing the 2 intersections and the section of missing sidewalk that Bob is referring to here for people who need visuals like me to better understand.

Tim

PS:  Anyone know the identity of that ICRD staffer was in the back of the room making comments on the plans?

*************************
MSU Bike Advisory Comm. member
Mer. Twp. Transportation Commission member
TCBA Advocacy Comm. member
Ride of Silence webmaster
LCI #5207

Ride of Silence:  www.rideofsilence.org

2022 Ride of Silence: Wed. May 18th, 7:00 PM
One day. One time. One world, world wide.
Let the silence roar....

[Tim Potter]

I just rec'd this copy of the Powerpoint from last night's meeting which I've rec'd permission to pass along.

Tim

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On Tue, Oct 5, 2021 at 7:50 AM Tim Potter <flyingdu...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Alice Dreger]

Hi, Tim,

We also obtained that from the City this morning and included it with the article so that people could have access to it, all in one place online.

I wish they would include these things on the agendas because then everyone would have ready access, in advance. I’ve been asking for this for seven years, but it only happens sometimes. I think it would really help with public engagement. 

Alice

<2021 Joint TC Meeting with Meridian Township_wl+krj_final.pdf>