Transform Lovell Street With a Two-Way Protected Cycle Track
The benefits of bike lanes are well-known. Kalamazoo’s existing bike lanes have been shown to reduce speeding, crashes, and injuries for all users of the road. By encouraging more people to ride bike, bike lanes can reduce car trips and improve air quality and public safety.
Protected bike lanes encourage those who may not otherwise feel comfortable cycling in the city. The ability to safely move around the city is a basic right that all people deserve. Send a message of support to local leaders to continue building out a network of protected bike lanes throughout Kalamazoo.
Lovell Street is scheduled for reconstruction in 2029-30 and we believe the final configuration of this critical east-west corridor should have dedicated bicycle facilities that’s safe for all road users.
In 2022, we partnered with Vine Neighborhood Association, League of Michigan Bicyclists, and AARP to bring the Bike Wave system to Kalamazoo for a two-month pilot project.
ModeShift volunteers designed a two-way cycle track from the Kalamazoo Mall to Pearl Street, obtained city approval, then delivered, installed, maintained, and monitored the Bike Wave system.
The city also put out a public survey to evaluate the user experience. Over 60% of pedestrians, bicyclists, AND drivers reported their level of comfort level was the same or increased during the pilot project.
The City of Kalamazoo is building on the success of that pilot project and has secured FY 2022 SS4A grant funding for a multi-year pilot project on Lovell Street, all the way from Pitcher Street to Oakland Drive.
The contract is currently out for bid and implementation is anticipated in Spring 2024!
