Community Invited to Help Create Action Plan For Infrastructure Improvements
Along the Corridor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2022
LANSING, Mich. — The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (Tri-County) is pleased to announce the ongoing development of a study for the Michigan Avenue Corridor: The Vision for Michigan’s Avenue. The project will ultimately create a single, unified vision for the community’s current and future mobility needs – including walkability and ease of driving, riding the bus, and bicycling – and development desires – such as access to businesses and emergency services, placemaking, and other designs that inspire vibrant public spaces for people and businesses along Michigan Avenue.
“Michigan Avenue is at the heart of our region and state, connecting global talent from Michigan State University to the State Capitol, where decisions are made every day for the people of Michigan,” said Jim Snell, executive director of Tri-County. “This corridor is more than another Michigan Avenue – this is Michigan’s Avenue. It’s time we have one shared vision that reflects our evolving priorities for community spaces and mobility.”
The Vision for Michigan’s Avenue will serve as a concept plan that all asset owners along the corridor – including the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA), and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) – and community members and stakeholders can agree on and work together to implement.
Findings and public input collected through studies from previous years will be utilized to envision long-term development goals for Michigan’s Avenue. In the short term, recommendations of the study will help inform design work for road construction projects planned in 2023 and 2024 totaling nearly $5 million. These projects are funded through Tri-County’s Transportation Improvement Program and implemented by the City of Lansing.
“We know there will be compromises – significant ones,” said Nicole Baumer, deputy director of Tri-County. “There is only so much space for transportation and placemaking options and it’s crucial we create a plan that is technically feasible. This is our opportunity as a community to build on the momentum we are already seeing along the corridor while balancing these realities.”
This work is supported by a technical advisory committee comprised of City of Lansing, City of East Lansing, CATA, and MDOT leaders. Additionally, a variety of other community entities are involved in helping inform priorities for the corridor, including the Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement Authority, Sparrow Hospital, development organizations, local businesses and nonprofits, and more. The public is also invited to provide input via several virtual and in-person opportunities over the coming months.
This project is part of Tri-County’s ongoing work to implement priorities identified within the region’s long-range transportation plan, Moving Mid-Michigan. As a critical roadway corridor linking regionally significant employment generators, population centers, essential services, and community developments and amenities, Michigan’s Avenue spans across multiple jurisdictions and highlights the need for regional, cross-boundary coordination.
Tri-County has partnered with Progressive AE and Güd Marketing to assist in the development of this study and promote engagement opportunities with local stakeholders and the public. Technical work and traffic analyses have been ongoing since April of this year; the study is anticipated to be completed in early 2023.
Learn more about The Vision for Michigan’s Avenue and past studies, take a brief survey, and find information on upcoming community events at MichigansAvenue.com.
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CONTACTS:
Nicole Baumer, Deputy Director
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
517-898-0436
Chris Zull, Transportation Practice Leader
Progressive AE
616-988-4867
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is a public planning agency established in 1956, serving Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties in Mid-Michigan. Tri-County makes our region a more prosperous community by planning for a strong economy, reliable transportation, and sustainable infrastructure and natural resources. We connect local organizations and governments to funding, technical assistance, data resources, and opportunities to discuss trends and challenges affecting the Greater Lansing area. Learn more at www.mitcrpc.org.
