TRAVERSE CITY -- Biking enthusiasts and neighborhood residents flooded Traverse City commissioners with hundreds of e-mails this week, most of those critical of a proposed Eighth Street reconstruction that doesn't include bike lanes or dovetail with the city's master plan.
The city planned to break ground on an $850,000 redesign of Eighth between Garfield Avenue and Barlow Street in April, but Mayor Chris Bzdok wants the commission to consider hiring a firm to issue another opinion about whether bike paths and improved pedestrian crossings can be included in the project.
The commission will discuss the issue when it meets Monday at 7 p.m. in the Governmental Center.
Some concerns have arisen that any delay could jeopardize $230,000 in stimulus funds for the project through the Michigan Department of Transportation.
"Residents are telling me (forget) the stimulus funding, it's more important to get the street right," said city Commissioner Jim Carruthers.
Rise Rasch, manager for MDOT's Traverse City Service Center, said she's never encountered an attempt to change plans so close to construction.
Rasch said MDOT is working on ramifications of possible changes and won't be able to provide answers for the city until Monday.
New options include the addition of bike lanes between Rose and Barlow streets by eliminating street parking, bricked crosswalks and share-the-road signage.
Bzdok recently criticized City Engineer Tim Lodge for allegedly piloting a street design inconsistent with the city's master plan "under the city commission's radar" over the last two years.
"I think Chris just blew his stack, and it's time," Carruthers said. "This isn't about what I want, this is about what the citizens want. I think we're going to have 200 people at Monday night's meeting."
City Commissioner Michael Gillman said he's concerned the city pushed through plans that aren't consistent with its master plan.
"As for placing blame, I'm going to wait and see what happens Monday night," Gillman said.
Bzdok said "fault" lies with Lodge for not bringing the omission of bike lanes to the commission's attention.
"Nobody knew about it, it was never presented to us," Bzdok said.
Lodge declined to discuss Bzdok's allegations.
"I'm trying not to focus on anything but the task at hand," Lodge said. "My job is to fix problems."
In a memo released Friday, Lodge detailed a two-year-plus process that included four published requests for comment, five votes by the city commission, and five project narratives delivered to the commission.
"This was a long, thought-out process and certainly provided opportunity for comment," Lodge said.
Carruthers said commissioners engaged in some discussion about the design a few months ago, and the commission erred by not demanding changes at that time.
"Staff tells us what's done is done and we can't make changes, and maybe we shouldn't always accept that," Carruthers said. "But I give Chris credit for standing up and saying no."
Bzdok said Monday's discussion will focus on fixing Eighth Street, not fixing the process.
"Just to say we will let this one slide if we can do better in the future, that's not good enough, that's not what we're hearing from residents, who are really angry about this," Bzdok said.
Related Stories:
- Mayor questions Eighth St. redesign plans
- Bzdok: Engineer interfered with 2nd opinion
