Kalamazoo Scraps Original Winchell Bike Lane Design. Is The New One Any Better?

Better or worse? That's for you to decide!

In response to strong public outcry, Kalamazoo officials have shared updated plans for the new pilot bike lanes coming to the Winchell neighborhood near the intersection of Winchell Ave and Rambling Road.

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As someone who literally just moved into this exact neighborhood I am now questioning my life decisions wondering why this all couldn't have happened before I moved in instead of after. Poor timing on my part.

What's Going On?

The City of Kalamazoo announced the original plans for Winchell Ave. on July 8th. and were instantly met with pushback. Considering all that Kalamazoo has been through when it comes to bike lanes and one-way streets-- I don't blame them!

Can we please just make a serious investment in public transit infrastructure to make mass transit an appealing alternative to driving, instead of trialing bizarre traffic patterns that don't actually help? - Xam Boni

After several neighborhood demonstrations temporary bumpers were put in place to help prepare residents for the new Edge Lane Road/Advisory Bike Lane layout, but of course it didn't take long for vehicles to start running into the bumpers knocking them out of place.

Wait, Nevermind

According to a bulletin to the Oakland-Winchell Neighborhood Association on Sunday, August 6 the Edge Lane Road Pilot program will not be moving forward, per James Baker, Public Services Director & City Engineer.

In the statement Baker says,

Based on the feedback we have received and discussions with neighbors, we are no longer moving forward with the Edge Lane Road design...Community voices are central and make sure the work we are doing is aligned with the needs of residents. We hope you find this updated plan to meet the neighborhood's needs and be more appropriate for the street.

What's a 'Sharrow'?

Now, instead of one shared lane for two-way traffic there will be a lane for vehicles in each direction and a designated parking lane for residents on the south side of the street. Baker adds there will also be several parking spaces near the entrance to the Asylum Lake Preserve.

The south bike lane will merge into a "sharrow" (a shared bike and car lane) along the parking area.

To put it simply: bikers and drivers will now share the same lane. So, are we happy yet?

I'll be honest, even though the road is in dire need of repaving I'm still not thrilled with all the wacky new designs. Hasn't the City of Kalamazoo ever heard of K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Stupid? Let's not overthink this!

Also, I know this is all in the name of safety but why is all the focus on bicyclists? In my personal opinion Kalamazoo should make pedestrian safety a priority; have you ever tried crossing any street in downtown Kalamazoo? No drivers pay attention to those flashing signs!

What do YOU think of the updated plans for the new bike lanes?