Next week the city lays out a road map for reclaiming Division St.  And January 25th, we’re having a big event to discuss the future of Traverse City. 

Division St divides our town, degrades adjacent neighborhoods, and compromises our safety.  The Grand Vision, the city master plan, the master plan for the GT Commons, and growing public sentiment all call for more walkable, bikeable corridors, including on Division.  Neighborhoods along Division hope for less noise, and a safe way to cross to the Commons and Munson. 

Last spring, thanks largely to the efforts of TART’s Bob Otwell and then-Mayor Michael Estes, MDOT agreed to put on hold an asphalt replacement project that would have locked in the status quo for 10 more years.  The goal is to do something better.  A couple weeks ago, the city manager and I had a good discussion with MDOT Director Kirk Steudle and State Senator Jason Allen.  The MDOT Director remains enthusiastic about the Grand Vision, and specifically about re-doing Division St in a way that will help our city instead of just imposing on it.  Based on that conversation, this Tuesday the city commission will review a proposed road map for fixing Division St.  The road map looks like this:

January - The city hires URS and a sub-contractor with serious chops in the field of walkable/bikeable/neighborhood-friendly road design.  We need URS because they are the only local firm approved by MDOT for this kind of work.  We need the sub-contractor because this cannot be a run of the mill project – it needs to be state of the art. 

February to April – Then city creates a steering group of advocates from the adjacent neighborhoods, TART, Munson, and the Commons to work with the consultants to re-design Division St.  This will require a public input meeting at the beginning of the work to get ideas, and another at the end to review the product.  Important priorities include slowing traffic; safe crossings at 14th, 11th, 7th, Front, and the Parkway; better access to the Commons and Munson; and safe non-motorized infrastructure up and down the length of the corridor.  This could mean a road diet (three lanes with bike lanes), or it could mean a 4-lane, reduced speed concept with crossings and a treed median, like on Woodmere.  The Woodmere concept would require a strip of the park property on the west side of Division between 14th and 8th. 

May – If parkland is involved, the City Commission decides whether to put the question on the August ballot.

August - If city voters approve the use of parkland, MDOT’s Director is willing to work to get a design-build contract done for the fall.  If not, the city may ask MDOT as a backup plan to schedule the asphalt maintenance project the following spring.

Division St is a hugely important project for the quality of life in our city.  Please give us your comments, or come to the city meeting Monday night and let us know what you think.

Talking About Traverse City’s Future.  What do you want Traverse City to be?  What aspects of our community should we preserve? Get rid of? Make better?  As we head into 2010, the City of Traverse City invites you to take part in Traverse City Tomorrow, a special interactive event Monday January 25th @ 7 pm at the City Opera House, featuring local leaders and hometown heroes sharing ideas for the future of Traverse City.  

Moderated by Mary Grover of the League of Women Voters, panel guests will discuss local success stories and take questions and suggestions from the audience on how we can make Traverse City “more like Traverse City.”  Guests include (in alphabetical order):
 
Derek Bailey – Tribal Chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

Don Coe - Managing Partner of Black Star Farms

Michael Moore - Oscar-Winning Filmmaker and Founder of the Traverse City Film Festival

Ed Ness - President and CEO of Munson Medical Center

Tim Nelson - President of Northwestern Michigan College

Marsha Smith – Executive Director of Rotary Charities

The city commission and leaders of local governments throughout the region will be in attendance. Ideas and suggestions generated by the discussion will be used to drive priority-setting in our community over the next year. In addition to live audience participation, there will be numerous opportunities for audience members to leave their comments and feedback at the event.

The event will be televised live on Up North 2 (Channel 97) and streamed live online at www.upnorthmedia.org.   Refreshments will be served at a free reception with panel guests immediately following the event.  More details will be placed on this site and on www.facebook.com/planfortc as they become available. 
 
It’s your community.  We hope you will join us for this important discussion on January 25th!

Question of the Week.  The question of the week is what should the city’s top 3 priorities be this year.  Check it out by clicking on question of the week, and give us your list.      

 

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