Title
Resolution to Restore Community Connections with Continuous, Comfortable Walking and Biking Facilities Across US-23
Memorandum
Whereas, The US-23 freeway was built along the east side of the City of Ann Arbor in 1962;
Whereas, The eight crossing opportunities along the east side of Ann Arbor were designed for high-speed motor vehicle movement and without accommodation for people walking and biking;
Whereas, The land adjacent to US-23 has developed across decades with a dense mix of residential, commercial, professional, medical, educational, and recreational purposes;
Whereas, Human demand to cross US-23 outside of a motor vehicle has existed since the freeway’s opening, growing as more people live, work, and play in its immediate vicinity;
Whereas, The walking and cycling environments across US-23 are, in general, incomplete and hostile to people traveling outside of a motor vehicle;
Whereas, Transit is a key mobility strategy to achieve our mobility and carbon neutrality goals and the City is actively pursuing transit supportive land use with the expansion of TC-1 zoning districts including roads that intersect with US-23;
Whereas, The A2ZERO carbon neutrality plan calls for reducing vehicle miles traveled by 50% by 2030, which will require significant mode shift to walking, biking, and transit use;
Whereas, The Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan calls for addressing dangerous driving behavior and improving the safety and comfort of people walking and biking;
Whereas, The Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan calls for creating an All Ages and Abilities Bike network citywide;
Whereas, Safe, comfortable places to walk and bike promote community health, equity, social connection, and economic vitality;
Whereas, Expanding capacity for motor vehicles is expected to induce vehicular traffic demand;
Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration defines induced demand as the volume of traffic that is drawn to a new or expanded road by providing additional capacity;
Whereas, The Michigan Department of Transportation is undertaking an Environmental Assessment study to develop and evaluate alternatives to improve operations and safety;
Whereas, The Michigan Department of Transportation is preparing to make a generational $250 million investment in rebuilding this section of US-23; and
Whereas, The Michigan Department of Transportation has decided that bridges and overpasses along US-23 that do not require replacement should be preserved as-is and were excluded from the project’s scope and budget;
RESOLVED, City Council calls on MDOT to implement a design for the project area that does not include adding lanes or other actions that will increase private vehicle traffic volume in the project area;
RESOLVED, City Council calls on the Michigan Department of Transportation to include safe, comfortable walking and biking facilities on all eight US-23 crossings as a specific Purpose and Need in the Environmental Assessment;
RESOLVED, City Council calls on the Michigan Department of Transportation to define the project scope and budget so as to be sufficient to address al mobility needs, including walking, biking, and transit connections across US-23; and
RESOLVED, City Council directs the City Administrator to coordinate with Ann Arbor Township, Pittsfield Township, the Washtenaw County Road Commission, the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Michigan Department of Transportation to build continuous, comfortable, safe places for people to walk and bike across the entire US-23 Environmental Assessment study area.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Akmon, Briggs and Watson