MDOT Public Input (open forum style)

[bwindi25]

There's a lot of stuff being discussed here. Let your voice be heard.

"Michigan Department of Transportation Public Hearing Notice Environmental Assessment and Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation for Proposed Improvements to I-196, I-96 and M-37/M-44 in the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, Kent County, Michigan The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is conducting a public hearing on the Environmental Assessment (EA) and Programmatic 4(f) Evaluation for I-196 from US-131 to the I-196/I-96) junction; I-96 from Leonard Street to Cascade Road; and M-37/M-44 (East Beltline) from M-21 (Fulton Street) to Knapp Street in the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, Kent County, Michigan.

The public hearing will be held at the Grand Rapids Township Hall, 1836 East Beltline, N.E., Grand Rapids, a handicapped accessible facility. To facilitate participation for those in the project area, the public hearing will take place continuously from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29, 2005.

MDOT is proposing the following actions:

[GRDadof3]

Excellent update bwindi! Holy smokes, that's tomorrow night!

[GR8scott]

cool I wish I could make it I am very interested in local highways, I use those areas all the time except north division and I think GR is very underserved as far as highway width and access but I would support alll those projects if they can get them done in good time like the s-curve and unlike 28th street bridge

[hombre_de_ciudad]

Here are some aerials / schematics of the proposals:

http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-...01916--,00.html

[bwindi25]

I went to this:

All this for only 345,000,000 dollars to expand about 4 miles of freeway. The original estimate on M-6 was 450,000,000 and that was for 20 miles of new freeway (it looks like it will be close to 1 billion with land acquisitions, etc.) I wonder what 345 million is in 2030 dollars when it is set to completed.

[GR8scott]

I went to this:

All this for only 345,000,000 dollars to expand about 4 miles of freeway. The original estimate on M-6 was 450,000,000 and that was for 20 miles of new freeway (it looks like it will be close to 1 billion with land acquisitions, etc.) I wonder what 345 million is in 2030 dollars when it is set to completed.

wtf 2030? for real?

[Rizzo]

Wow, a quite a bit of light-rail can be built and used for a price tag like that. Is more freeway the best way my state is using my money?

[OneSweetWorld]

hey guys, my adobe reader isnt working at all, so i have some questions. are these being proposed, or being considered to be proposed, or passed, or what?

[GRDadof3]

It was an open house "forum" to view and discuss different proposals that MDOT is looking at for the area. Nothing has been approved yet. I don't really see why I-196 needs to be eight lanes from Plymouth to Ionia (if I'm reading the drawings right). The worst parts are where I-96/I-196 and the Beltline cross, and where on-ramp traffic from Fuller going West tries to merge (choke point). Some of the other stuff (a ramp to go Northbound on Division from Westbound I-196) seems silly.

The $345 million must be for the whole shpeel? I wasn't able to make it.

[hombre_de_ciudad]

I don't know whether the I-196/I-96 corridor traffic capacity MDOT is planning for is necessary now, but I assume they are taking a long-term, 50 year view of things. The current configuration is both antiquated and dangerous, not to mention that as the gateway into downtown and the Life Sciences district, I-196 is in serious need of a facelift. If I'm coming into town looking for top-notch medical care, my first impression of the area shouldn't be expressway potholes and rusty bridges.

It is my understanding that this project is going to be piece-mealed into place as money becomes available, starting with some bridge work in the next couple of years.

[bwindi25]

Minor Correction:

In my original post I said it was 345,000,000. The estimate was actually 375,000,000 in 2005 dollars. They are going to piecemeal it over the next 30 years. It's going to look awfully archaic when I view it from the air in my hover car in 2035.

[bwindi25]

I would encourage people to get your public comment in on this one. It really is a GR identity question. Do we want to be "LA on the Lake"? The research has been done by West Michigan Strategic Alliance, Metro Councel and the City's Master Plan that says "no".

I was encouraged to send my comments/concerns to the following person at MDOT. I was also encouraged to give these same comments to the City Planning, Engineering and Economic Dev't Departments so they know citizen concerns as they move forward.

Susan Schulz: City of GR Economic Development

Susan Shannon: City of GR Planning Department

[email protected] MDOT Comment Contact