Michigan Avenue corridor revamp starts in October

Brace for orange barrels on Michigan Avenue as the city and state not only “fix the damn roads,” but transform the main artery through the city into a more pedestrian- and bike and scooter-friendly road.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the construction will “change around Michigan Avenue to really be a very exciting corridor.”

It will also be dramatically different for drivers.

Instead of two driving lanes in either direction, motorized vehicles will have just one lane heading east from downtown starting at Pennsylvaia Avenue. There will still be two lanes heading west, with left-turn lanes in both directions. Parking lanes will remain on both sides of the street for the most part.

On-street parking will remain, but the entire stretch from Pennsylvania Avenue to U.S. 127 will accommodate more bikes and other non-motorized transportation such as scooters.

The new lanes will be a bit narrower than currently, but they will still meet federal rules, Andy Kilpatrick, the city’s public service director, said. And there will be a few extra feet of sidewalk that businesses might be able to use for their services, but “the extra space honestly is in the area between the cycle track and the sidewalk in areas where there isn’t parking.”

Kilpatrick said road studies show that morning rush-hour traffic needs a “just a little bit more” than one westbound lane, but one lane can accommodate home-bound commuter traffic in the afternoon, when departure times are more spread out.

Initial utility work is expected to begin this October, Kilpatrick said, with the majority of the work to reform the corridor occurring in 2024, and potentially a bit of work in 2025.

The new configuration will also allow the city to add trees along the thoroughfare.

Some eastside residents, like Phil Damico, have advocated for the city to replace the ornamental trees along the avenue with fruit trees. He argues the fruit would be free and available to everyone, including the homeless, while also providing foliage and other positive impacts of having trees on the street. 

Kilpatrick said the city is “not opposed” to planting fruit trees, but he expressed concerns.

Streets are “harsh environments,” he noted, citing the salt used in winter and lack of watering for trees on the corridor. He also noted that mature fruit would fall off trees, causing additional trash and potentially landing on cars. Reaching some of the fruit may also rely on using ladders.

“Definitely an interesting idea which could be vetted,” he said, “but it may turn out that planting fruit trees would be better in parks, or at least along neighborhood streets, as opposed to a busy street like Michigan.”

The project is the culmination of over a decade of studies and work from city officials and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Hours of public input from the community were also solicited and integrated into the plan.

Schor said officials listened to many on how to “change around Michigan Avenue to really be a very, a more exciting corridor

“We heard from moms who wanted to be able to walk with their kids on the sidewalk,” Schor said, “and others who wanted to walk, and bike and scooter, but not worry about getting hit by cars.”

The project is expected to cost $11.62 million, but a clear cost assessment won’t be available until the Michigan Department of Transportation receives bids. The costs will be covered by $6.46 million in federal funds, $1.61 million in state gas tax dollars and $3.55 million from the Lansing Board of Water and Lights, said Kilpatrick.

BWL will be replacing some water service lines, and the city will be using the time to do sanitary sewer separation work as well. Some areas of the city were originally designed to allow overflow from rain to run into the sewer system containing human waste. That combined wastewater was being discharged into local rivers, causing contamination. The separation project assures that sewer water goes to the wastewater treatment facility and doesn’t contaminate overflow for surface water during rain storms and snow melts.

“It is gonna be a pretty big change in how we view that from the street,” said City Council member Peter Spadafore, who also services on the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

People have viewed Michigan Avenue as a way to get into and out of downtown Lansing, but it is much more than that, said Spadafore. It has a host of small businesses, including Strange Matters Coffee, The Avenue bar, the iconic Green Door, EveryBody Reads and City Pulse.

Kilpatrick said the project will create a more inviting entry into the city from East Lansing. For decades, business owners in Lansing have spoken about the invisible wall between the two cities, represented physically by the U.S. 127 overpass just west of Frandor. Recent developments, including the Red Cedar project on the southern side of Michigan Avenue and apartments on the northern side of the street, have worked to begin to entice Michigan State University students to the eastside businesses.  Schor said the city has witnessed seniors and grad students moving to the east side.

“They want to live in the city and they want to go to Strange Matter and do their work,” Schor said. “And we think that this is going to boost that.”

He said the redesign of the corridor is a “win-win” for pedestrians, non-motorized transportation and continued vehicle traffic. 

But getting there could be a headache for current businesses that rely primarily on customers who drive to them, Kilpatrick and Schor said. With so much construction, access may be hampered.

“We’re going to be trying to have a robust outreach for businesses,” Kilpatrick said. “We realize that while construction is going on, there will be times when access to these businesses will be difficult. So that will be challenging for some of them if they rely on traffic.”

Schor said the city will do its best to “minimize any disruption” for businesses.

“When you say we’re fixing the roads, well, the first thing you have to have are the orange barrels before you can fix the roads,” Schor said. “But afterward, it’s going to be incredible.”

— TODD HEYWOOD