River Trail blocked across Harrison Rd at Kalamazoo St - necessary?

[Dave]

Hi, Stephen:

I just spoke with you in person regarding the bridge construction related closure of the River Trail where it crosses Harrison Rd, at and along the north side of Kalamazoo St. This affects anyone walking, cycling, etc. on the River Trail when traveling between MSU and points west in Lansing, etc.

I am wondering, was it absolutely necessary to block this crossing off? Couldn’t the crossing itself remain open, while of course keeping everything else between there and the bridge closed?

It appears to me that there is sufficient space between the bridge and the actual marked Harrison Rd crossing to move the barricading back several feet to re-open just the trail crossing. Even the concrete Jersey barriers could be left in place where they are right now.

It seems that simply un-blocking the curb cuts and the crosswalk could be sufficient, even if the crossing signal remains turned off in the meantime.

Dave Goodman