DDA, City to Decide Whether to Continue Two-Way Street Project

A two-year pilot project converting State Street, Boardman Avenue, and Pine Street to two-way traffic is set to expire next month. Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board members will discuss Friday whether they want to make the conversion permanent, end the pilot and convert the streets back to one-way traffic, or extend the pilot for another year with possible modifications – such as adding left-turn arrows at the State/Cass and State/Union intersections.

The pilot project was approved in late 2022 by DDA board members and city commissioners with the goal of slowing vehicle speeds, improving pedestrian crossings, encouraging investment in underdeveloped commercial areas, and offering better grid connectivity and detour routes during construction. The DDA saw the potential – specifically on State Street – to “reinforce a ‘to’ mobility strategy for downtown versus a ‘though’ strategy and help realize a long-held vision to create more walkable and active streets throughout all of downtown, similar to the pedestrian-friendly character and commercial vitality of Front Street,” according to a memo from DDA Executive Director Harry Burkholder.

Throughout the pilot project, city and DDA staff made small modifications based on observing traffic and receiving feedback. Those included painting bumpouts to narrow and bring visual attention to certain intersections (like Boardman and Front), bagging a handful of parking spots at key locations to reduce traffic conflicts, and adding new directional arrows, lane markers, and signage at the State and Cass intersection. “In general, over the course of the pilot the comments had been fairly positive, with complaints accompanied with suggestions for minor tweaks,” Burkholder wrote.

However, a sharp uptick in frustration occurred among drivers this summer during the Grandview Parkway reconstruction project – particularly when phase two started after the National Cherry Festival. “We have received numerous calls and emails concerned about the traffic flow along State Street,” Burkholder wrote, “including specific frustrations about the lack of left-hand turning opportunities at the Union and Cass intersections as well as traffic flow around the Front Street and Pine Street intersection.”

Burkholder noted that a middle option exists between simply ending the pilot and going back to one-way traffic or making the conversion permanent. That option – to extend the pilot by another year to continue gauging its impact – could include more tweaks next spring to address some of the frustrations that arose this summer. Those could include adding left-hand turn arrows for westbound traffic at the State/Cass and State/Union intersections, which Burkholder said should address “some of the more immediate concerns and complaints related to traffic flow at these intersections.” Burkholder told The Ticker that the cost estimate for improving the two intersections combined is under $20,000.

Extending the pilot could “also provide an opportunity to study the possible expansion of two-way circulation to Front Street,” Burkholder wrote. “This opportunity would include another, more formal, round of public engagement – the results of which may or may not demonstrate support for such a conversion.”

Representatives from project consultant Progressive AE will be in attendance Friday to present updated data on the pilot project. Turning movement and speed data were collected in March, May, July, and October of 2023 and 2024 to provide year-to-year comparisons (the final data set will be collected October 24-26). According to presentation materials, the number of vehicle crashes has decreased, parking use along State Street has increased, and pedestrian and traffic volumes have increased during the pilot – with July the busiest month for pedestrian traffic. Cycling activities also increased from 2023 to 2024 in the summer, with more cycling occurring in evening hours than morning hours. Average vehicle speeds are slightly down – averaging 20-21 miles per hour, depending on the time of year – and more traffic goes eastbound than westbound on the pilot streets, likely due in part to the availability of additional westbound lanes on Front Street.

Burkholder noted that in decades past, communities often prioritized vehicle traffic with one-way streets. One-way streets tend to correlate with higher speeds, while two-way streets tend to slow traffic down and encourage more multi-modal use, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials. In more recent years, with a renewed focus on accommodating a wider array of user groups, dozens of major U.S. cities across the U.S. have begun converting their one-way streets back to two-way traffic. “In Michigan, cities like Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Detroit are currently working to convert long-dedicated one-way streets back to two-way operation,” Burkholder wrote.

Burkholder aims to have “discussion and feedback about the pilot project and the three options moving forward” with the DDA board Friday, with the board possibly choosing to weigh in on its preferred recommendation at the meeting if members are ready. A city design team of internal department heads is also expected to weigh in soon with that group’s recommendation, with the final decision on which option to pursue ultimately resting with the city commission.