City Projects on Deck: Railroad Avenue and Lot G Construction, Compost Program Launch

Despite summer's end, project work in Traverse City is not slowing down – with the reconstruction of Railroad Avenue and Lot G on State Street starting today (Monday) and a new citywide composting program launching next week. The Ticker has the details, plus the latest on Grandview Parkway and FishPass construction.

Construction Projects
Team Elmer’s will begin work today (Monday) on two projects: the reconstruction of Railroad Avenue and Lot G, the State Street parking lot next to Modes Bum Steer. The two are the final projects in the city’s 2023-2024 Pavement Preservation Project, which also included work on Maple Street, Twelfth Street, Eastern Avenue, Cass/Eighth, Union/Eighth, and parking Lot C next to Traverse Connect.

Crews will be working on Railroad Avenue from the Railroad/Boyd intersection (next to the TART Trail crossing at Woodmere) north to the curve into Station Street. Contractors will be removing the existing asphalt, concrete, and gravel roadway, then installing storm drainage structures and piping. Team Elmer’s will rebuild Railroad Avenue with concrete curb and gutter and pave the roadway with asphalt. Work is expected to be substantially complete by September 27.

During construction, Railroad Avenue south of Station Street will be closed to traffic. Business owners and residents will need to utilize Franklin Street and/or Station Street to access their properties. 

Team Elmer’s will also begin work today on reconstructing the city-owned parking Lot G. Crews will be permanently closing off the two driveways on State Street, as well as removing part of the lot’s median divider. The closed-off drives will be replaced with new curb and gutter, brick infill behind the curb, and new sidewalk along the lot. During construction, vehicles will access Lot G through the alley, though portions of the lot’s south side will be closed near State Street, as will the sidewalk in that area. 

Work is expected to be substantially complete by September 20. When finished, drivers will use the alley permanently to access Lot G; the drive behind the former Cousin Jenny’s down to Union Street Station will also remain open. Taking out part of the median will create a horseshoe shape in the parking lot to allow for better vehicle movement. Eight spaces will be eliminated in Lot G, but they will be partly made up by five new parallel parking spaces along State Street where the driveways used to be.

City Transportation Mobility Director Nicole VanNess says eliminating curb cuts where possible is called for in the downtown Transportation Demand Management Study, which outlines recommended parking and mobility changes. Taking out curb cuts reduces conflict points between cars and pedestrians/cyclists, she says. VanNess points to the main blocks of Front Street, which don’t have any curb cuts. Lot G has also been identified as a potential infill site for mixed-use development in the future, a use that could be better accommodated by the new design.

In other construction news, progress continues on both Grandview Parkway and FishPass. Last week, Team Elmer’s worked on storm and water main, subbase CIP (compacted in place), aggregate base placement between Front and Cass streets, and miscellaneous electrical work along Grandview Parkway, according to the city's Bay Brief. Workers this week will continue storm and water main removal/installation and grading and electrical work. Mid-week, crews will also begin tackling concrete flatwork at Cass Street, along with curb and gutter between Front and Cass.

Construction on the new FishPass system at the Union Street Dam site is also progressing, including the recent assembly of the upstream barge. “Template installation began in preparation for the sheet pile cofferdam installation beginning September 6,” according to the Bay Brief. “Additionally, a test of onsite safety alarms will occur on or after September 6.” Steel sheet piles will continue to be delivered and installed this week, with traffic control flagging in place to accommodate semi-trailer deliveries on Union Street.

Citywide Composting
The city will host a public ribbon-cutting ceremony September 19 at 3:30pm at the Department of Public Services (DPS) facility at 625 Woodmere Avenue to celebrate the official launch of the city’s Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project. Thanks to a $255,396 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the city has purchased and installed a 20-yard in-vessel composting unit at the DPS facility. The fully enclosed system, which resembles a shipping container (pictured), is designed for urban environments with odor-controlled decomposition and can process nearly 150 tons of food waste annually.

The city is partnering with SEEDS to manage the project and with Carter’s Compost to provide hauling services. City residents and businesses can sign up through Carter’s Compost to have their food waste material collected and taken to the composting unit. The city will provide wood chips as brown matter for the composter, Director of Public Services Frank Dituri tells The Ticker, with the finished compost to be used in city parks, lands, and green spaces. Any surplus could be provided to local community gardens.

The project expands on the city’s existing composting efforts – including curbside seasonal leaf pickup and annual brush pickup – with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving closer to the city’s carbon-neutral energy goals. “It is anticipated that, at full capacity, this small pilot system will prevent the emissions equivalent to removing twelve internal combustion engine cars from the road annually,” according to a city release. The Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is also working on a pilot program with SEEDS to sign up 10-20 restaurants by next year for compost hauling services. SEEDS EcoCorps Program Director Jennifer Flynn says three businesses – Amical, Espresso Bay, and Workshop Brewing – are already participating.

“Through the DDA program in a few short months, we have diverted over 1,500 gallons of food waste, which is estimated to be approximately 1.75 tons of organic waste that would otherwise go to the landfill,” she says. Interested downtown businesses can contact the DDA or SEEDS for more details.

Photo credit: City of Traverse City