The Oakland Drive/Winchell Neighborhood Plan set goals for improving non-motorized connectivity and traffic safety in the neighborhood. As a result, City staff have been working to put the neighborhood plan into action through several traffic calming and non-motorized improvements.
Our staff continues to monitor traffic changes to determine if any adjustments are necessary. Speed data, observations, and community feedback has led to changes in the design and placement of these traffic calming tools and will continue to be essential for informing this work.
If you have questions or feedback on City projects, you can always reach out to the City by calling 311 or (269) 337-8000 (if you are outside the city limit) or emailing 311@kalamazoocity.org.
WHAT’S BEEN DONE So far
2019 (Safe Routes to School)
Walking Audits
Volunteers, City staff, and the Michigan State University team completed walking audits for both Winchell Elementary and Maple Middle School.
Kick-Off Meeting
During this meeting the Michigan State University team provided an overview of the Safe Routes to School process and engaged attendees in issue identification for walking and biking to each of the schools.
2020
Started to change all Yield signs to stop signs at all neighborhood intersections.
New crosswalk and pedestrian island installed on Oakland Drive at Maple St.
2021
Sidewalks repaired and installed on Rambling Rd and Waite Ave
Winchell Ave re-striped to right-size (11 feet down from 17 - 18 feet originally) vehicle lanes to slow down traffic and add bike lanes.
Drop-off / Pick-up Zone in front of Winchell Elementary
2022
Rubber mini traffic circles installed on Chevy Chase Blvd at Waite Ave and Lorraine Ave
Rubber Curb Bump Outs installed on Winchell Ave at Rambling Rd, Broadway Ave, and Aberdeen Dr.
New bike lanes added to Broadway Ave and Chevy Chase Blvd.
2023
In June 2023 the mini traffic circles on Chevy Chase Blvd were cleaned and reset and the curb bump-outs along Winchell Ave were replaced with narrower, canoe-shaped bump-outs to facilitate safer turning movements.
These changes are based on feedback from neighborhood residents and an evaluation of each measure’s performance over the previous year.
The curb bump outs and traffic circles were filled with asphalt to make these temporary materials more durable. Neighborhood-led beautification efforts are also an option now.
Installation of Oakland Drive Winchell Nature Walk Signs
Edge Lane road concept explored with resident feedback and in-person demonstration
Winchell Ave (west of Rambling) was repaved in 2023. Once finished, it was repainted to have a vehicle lane in each direction, with bike lanes. There is parking along the south side of the street near the Asylum Lake Preserve. The south bike lane merges into a sharrow.
Original plans for this part of Winchell Avenue were to install an Edge Lane Road. Based on feedback and discussions with neighbors, the plan was changed to a more conventional layout that still considers different types of users and is still consistent with the Oakland Drive/Winchell Neighborhood plan.
City staff and the Oakland Drive Winchell Neighborhood Association met with residents to discuss this new concept and demonstrate how it would work. Following this demonstration and resident feedback, the concept did not move forward. We appreciate the Oakland Drive/Winchell residents who shared their comments and feedback about this concept.
2024
Safe Routes to School for Winchell Elementary (planned project completion)
New sidewalk on Winchell from Rambling to Oakland Drive on the South Side of the Roadway
Enhanced crossing on Howard Street near Maple Middle School (mid-block)
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons for more emphasis
Enhanced Crossing markings using paint
Monitoring the condition of mini traffic circles
If any changes are needed or discovered, these will be implemented as soon as possible
Monitoring traffic counts and speed data neighborhood-wide
About Safe Routes to School (SRTS) - Winchell Avenue
Safe Routes to School is focused on creating a safe walking and bicycling environment for children as they travel to school and was identified as a need during Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 and neighborhood planning. The City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Michigan State University, and Michigan Fitness Foundation, worked together in 2019 to complete the Safe Routes to School planning process for Maple Middle School and Winchell Elementary School. The planning process included surveys, walking audits, and community meetings, resulting in an action plan for each school which is used to apply for infrastructure and programmatic grants from the State.
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PROJECT INFORMATION
Project Manager:
Dennis Randolph – Traffic Engineer
Data Monitoring and Gathering (Crash & Speed)
Overall Traffic Calming Efforts
George Waring – Senior Civil Engineer
Mini Traffic Circles
Safe Routes to School
Consistent With Plans
Master Plan, Strategic Vision, Oakland Drive Winchell Neighborhood Plan
Strategic Vision Goals
Connected City, Complete Neighborhood
Metrics
Speed & Crash Data
Looking for reductions in Average Motorist Speeds to Posted Limits (25mph)
Monitoring for reductions in crashes
Resident feedback
Safe Routes to School Data Gathering (2019)
Traffic Calming Data Gathering (2021-2022)
Edge Lane Road Demonstration/Exploration and Feedback (2023)
Continually monitor projects (2023 - Present)
Budget
Varies based on project
Funding Source
Foundation for Excellence (All Traffic Calming Projects)
Safe Routes to School (State of Michigan)
Local Capital Funds (Repaving of Winchell Avenue)
Other
This work will also provide insight into the effectiveness of these traffic calming treatments as staff look to plan larger scale or city-wide projects in the future. If you’d like to review other traffic calming projects please visit kalamazoocity.org/SS4A