How often do you travel through the Lower Town area?
Daily
Do your trips typically start or end in the Lower Town Area (in pre-pandemic times)?
Entire trip typically begins and ends in the Lower Town study area
How do you typically travel through the Lower Town area?
Other - Bike if weather allows, otherwise walk, only drive if have to.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by car, what issues have you experienced?
Easy to pick up speed when going down Division towards the bridge. Speed limit is too high, cars already go way higher than the limit!
It's very hard to see pedestrians trying to cross Division at High Street, whether the driver is going down Division, or coming up Carey.
Yesterday I almost ran over three boys who dashed across Barton Drive at Longshore. As I was coming around the curve I was going the speed limit but I didn't see them and had to slam on the brakes. A crosswalk there is badly needed, along with a "20 is plenty" speed limit. In fact, 20 mph through the whole area would work for me! If drivers find going slow annoying, so be it--maybe they'll think more about alternate modes of transportation!
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area as a pedestrian, what issues have you experienced?
I have nearly been run over many times.
It takes forever to get the walk signal at the lights which is very annoying.
It's a noisy, dangerous, unattractive and unpleasant place to be a pedestrian.
The numerous metal "spacer" strips on the bridge are very slippery when there is snow, and every winter I have a hard time avoiding a fall.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by wheelchair, what issues have you experienced?
I don't use a wheelchair, but find it hard to even walk on many of our sidewalks where people let their hedges encroach upon the sidewalk so much. Same goes for people who don't shovel, especially at the corner intersections. There needs to be more public pressure to clear ALL the sidewalks. The postcard the city sent out about this recently was great, but the diagram and print was so tiny, I'm not sure it made the impression it could have if it was larger.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area as a bicyclist, what issues have you experienced?
Same comments as being a pedestrian.
Also, the bike path on Pontiac Trail is too narrow considering how fast cars go through there. If there is debris or some other reason to suddenly need to swerve, you're in trouble. I feel very uncomfortable riding a bike on Pontiac Trail.
Cars definitely rule the Lower Town area, and there is much that needs to be done so thank you for this study. In the meantime, improvements such as the "This is your speed" signs and the new crosswalks help, and I do appreciate them.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by public transit, what issues have you experienced?
My husband rides the bus to work since it takes him right there, but I find it doesn't run as frequently as I'd like, nor do the routes get me all the way I need to go. Plus I don't want to transfer at the transit station. Twice when I've been there, there have been scary people doing scary things, so I don't feel safe, especially if I am traveling after dark. I feel much safer in Ann Arbor riding my bike after dark. Perhaps with more security at the Transfer Station it would be different, I don't know.
Which spots do you consider to have good conditions and which spots are problematic for you when traveling in the Lower Town area?
G - Good Conditions
P - Problematic areas
What ideas do you have to improve mobility in the Lower Town area?
Lower Town could become the city's most pedestrian, bike, and transit-friendly area. In fact, it has to, because it cannot handle more cars.
But in the meantime, cars have to slow down. Not only via lower speed limits, but with infrastructure changes. For instance:
1. Because the retail buildings that used to line Broadway have been torn down, and the area has essentially become a remote parking area for UM hospital, the space feels wide open, there is nothing to look at, and thus cars speed through. We need to build human-scale streetscapes that are safe and welcoming for pedestrians and bicyclists, and that in turn encourage drivers to slow down because it's a busy and attractive pedestrian area. The land on both sides of Broadway between the bridge and Maiden Lane should be developed with retail below, housing above, similar in look to Main Street.
2. The entire Lower Town area should be served by a system of continuously running shuttles that connect to remote parking lots outside of the area. The DTE property that is being developed along the river should be car-free except for the shuttles.
3. There should be roundabouts at both Maiden Lane and Plymouth, and Maiden Lane and Fuller, that have pedestrian crossings with splitter islands.
4. We should move forward as quickly as possible to get high speed rail and a new train station. A shuttle system from the station to remote parking will help bring down the footprint and cost.
5. The city should incentivize a grocery store in Lower Town, so residents don't need to get in the car for food. Ideally, we need a hardware store and pharmacy too.
A2 Open City Hall is not a certified voting system or ballot box. As with any public comment process, participation in A2 Open City Hall is voluntary. The responses in this record are not necessarily representative of the whole population, nor do they reflect the opinions of any government agency or elected officials.
Translate
How often do you travel through the Lower Town area?
Do your trips typically start or end in the Lower Town Area (in pre-pandemic times)?
How do you typically travel through the Lower Town area?
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by car, what issues have you experienced?
Easy to pick up speed when going down Division towards the bridge. Speed limit is too high, cars already go way higher than the limit!
It's very hard to see pedestrians trying to cross Division at High Street, whether the driver is going down Division, or coming up Carey.
Yesterday I almost ran over three boys who dashed across Barton Drive at Longshore. As I was coming around the curve I was going the speed limit but I didn't see them and had to slam on the brakes. A crosswalk there is badly needed, along with a "20 is plenty" speed limit. In fact, 20 mph through the whole area would work for me! If drivers find going slow annoying, so be it--maybe they'll think more about alternate modes of transportation!
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area as a pedestrian, what issues have you experienced?
I have nearly been run over many times.
It takes forever to get the walk signal at the lights which is very annoying.
It's a noisy, dangerous, unattractive and unpleasant place to be a pedestrian.
The numerous metal "spacer" strips on the bridge are very slippery when there is snow, and every winter I have a hard time avoiding a fall.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by wheelchair, what issues have you experienced?
I don't use a wheelchair, but find it hard to even walk on many of our sidewalks where people let their hedges encroach upon the sidewalk so much. Same goes for people who don't shovel, especially at the corner intersections. There needs to be more public pressure to clear ALL the sidewalks. The postcard the city sent out about this recently was great, but the diagram and print was so tiny, I'm not sure it made the impression it could have if it was larger.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area as a bicyclist, what issues have you experienced?
Same comments as being a pedestrian.
Also, the bike path on Pontiac Trail is too narrow considering how fast cars go through there. If there is debris or some other reason to suddenly need to swerve, you're in trouble. I feel very uncomfortable riding a bike on Pontiac Trail.
Cars definitely rule the Lower Town area, and there is much that needs to be done so thank you for this study. In the meantime, improvements such as the "This is your speed" signs and the new crosswalks help, and I do appreciate them.
If you have traveled through the Lower Town study area by public transit, what issues have you experienced?
My husband rides the bus to work since it takes him right there, but I find it doesn't run as frequently as I'd like, nor do the routes get me all the way I need to go. Plus I don't want to transfer at the transit station. Twice when I've been there, there have been scary people doing scary things, so I don't feel safe, especially if I am traveling after dark. I feel much safer in Ann Arbor riding my bike after dark. Perhaps with more security at the Transfer Station it would be different, I don't know.
Which spots do you consider to have good conditions and which spots are problematic for you when traveling in the Lower Town area?
What ideas do you have to improve mobility in the Lower Town area?
Lower Town could become the city's most pedestrian, bike, and transit-friendly area. In fact, it has to, because it cannot handle more cars.
But in the meantime, cars have to slow down. Not only via lower speed limits, but with infrastructure changes. For instance:
1. Because the retail buildings that used to line Broadway have been torn down, and the area has essentially become a remote parking area for UM hospital, the space feels wide open, there is nothing to look at, and thus cars speed through. We need to build human-scale streetscapes that are safe and welcoming for pedestrians and bicyclists, and that in turn encourage drivers to slow down because it's a busy and attractive pedestrian area. The land on both sides of Broadway between the bridge and Maiden Lane should be developed with retail below, housing above, similar in look to Main Street.
2. The entire Lower Town area should be served by a system of continuously running shuttles that connect to remote parking lots outside of the area. The DTE property that is being developed along the river should be car-free except for the shuttles.
3. There should be roundabouts at both Maiden Lane and Plymouth, and Maiden Lane and Fuller, that have pedestrian crossings with splitter islands.
4. We should move forward as quickly as possible to get high speed rail and a new train station. A shuttle system from the station to remote parking will help bring down the footprint and cost.
5. The city should incentivize a grocery store in Lower Town, so residents don't need to get in the car for food. Ideally, we need a hardware store and pharmacy too.