Overview:
Upcoming water main work along Cork Street will allow the City of Kalamazoo to update its water service and replace lead service lines. This project creates an opportunity to update the road and reimagine its design. This work along Cork Street will primarily take place between Sprinkle Road and Lovers Lane and involve a full reconstruction of the street. Construction work will also include sidewalk repair, resurfacing of the street, pavement repair at the rail crossing, and a review of signal timing, including at the Lovers Lane and Cork Street intersection. Based on community feedback including from Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, pedestrian movements along Cork Street will also be reviewed, especially at the elementary and middle schools. Upon completion of the above work, Cork will be configured with one through lane in each direction, a continuous center turn lane, and bicycle lanes.
The goal of this street redesign is to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety while offering a balance of travel options, specifically:
Three lane roads are easier for pedestrians to cross than four lane roads.
Broken sidewalk will be repaired and curb ramps updated to comply with American Disability Acts (ADA) standards to improve pedestrian movements.
The continuous center turn lane prevents vehicular backups as drivers make a left turn.
Striped and signed bicycle lane provides an improved route for bicyclists.
This project is in alignment with the 2025 Master Plan. Project design for Cork Street is estimated to begin in 2018 and project construction is estimated for 2019. The City will reach out to the Milwood neighborhood in the months before construction to give additional updates and information, such as estimated start and end dates, detours, and impact on such services as garbage and recycling pick up.
PROJECT MANAGER:
James Baker, Director of Public Services
OBJECTIVES:
Achieving complete streets
Expanding bicycle network
Improving pedestrian and vehicular safety
SCHEDULE:
Street Design Meeting - Cork & Portage Street Corridors Meeting
Thursday June 14th 2018, 5:30pm, Threads Church, 2031 East Cork St.
A meeting to discuss the design and future construction work on the Cork and Portage Street Corridors.
Project Design: 2018 (estimated)
Cork Street Project Informational Meeting
Monday March 18 2019, 6pm - 7pm, Threads Church, 2031 East Cork St.
This meeting is a follow up meeting from a Street Design Meeting that took place in summer 2018. Join us at this meeting for additional updates and information such as estimated construction start and end dates, detours, and impact on such services as garbage and recycling pick up.
Construction: 2020 (estimated)
PARTNERSHIPS:
Michigan Department of Transportation, Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study
STAFFING:
Public Services Engineering Staff, Community Planning & Economic Development: Planning Division Staff
OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS:
For design and construction
CONSISTENT WITH PLANS:
2025 Master Plan, Strategic Vision, 2045 Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Metropolitan Plan
VISION:
Achieving complete streets, expanding bicycle network, improving pedestrian and vehicular safety
STRATEGIC VISION GOALS:
Connected City, Great Neighborhoods, Inviting Public Places, and Safe Community
METRICS:
Each Complete Streets Project will have measurable evaluation attached. Additional bicycle route added, improved sidewalk around priority areas per 2025 Master Plan
BUDGET:
TBD through design phase
FUNDING SOURCES:
Partial federal funding & streets Capital Improvement Plan