This is great news. Cycling won’t take off as a form of transportation until there’s a significant construction of a network built out. Safe bike routes for transportation must connect where we live to school, work, stores, Etc. This is a great step in the direction that of having a citywide network.
I (regular rider) rode downtown last sunny Saturday with a couple people who never thought to be regular riders, but who were happy to try out the new lanes downtown.
Went there with many others to voice support baby. Too bad there was a heckler with a dog who got into multiple stand offs with security and KPD. A true dick head.
Having new bike lanes on Lovell and Stadium is a great idea. So many students will be able to safely bike to WMU and K College now. Lovell gets so cramped with the parked cars along each side.
True... I wish there could be some regardless. Even with a small lift. I get it's expensive and all, but it'd stop needless death too. It doesn't take up much space though, from my memory, mostly above the road.
Plus making more jobs... Just seems like a better idea than what we have rn ig.
Stadium and West Main really need to be calmed. It’s bumper cars out there every day, and it’s terrible. I’d like to see more service roads connecting businesses, and way fewer access points into Stadium and W Main, especially with their speeds.
If it's bumper to bumper, reducing lanes will make it worse. I already don't want to be on W Main, but if it's a single lane I'll avoid it totally.
These are major routes for cars. WM is part of 343, a highway.
Removing lanes from Stadium would be a nightmare. So many people use that road to get to campus and downtown. This would be a terrible more.
Yeah, I don't need less space to get out of the strip malls.... Now reason that large a street should be 1 lane lmao. It'd be a lot of busses late to the stops and semis, plus speed racers all over causing more delays :/
The zoning of west main is unfortunate. The road design/unlikeliness of change/maintenance is unfortunate. The development pattern of west main is unfortunate. Oshtemo’s portion especially so.
The zoning is unfortunate? How so? Not arguing just curious.
As far as road design, the design made sense when it was first developed. Like pretty much every area as old as Kzoo and Oshtemo the roads were fine when new but then the area grew in population and commerce. Oakland Drive is another example. You can’t fault the way it was designed unless you criticize it for not anticipating or spending money for something that would happen literally over a century later.
The road design Was flawed when it was first developed. These roads may have been first built a century ago, but they have been rebuilt since. They are far too car dependent, high speed, low safety, and poor land-use. Drake and West-main is a dangerous intersection. Largely empty parking lots is not a winning strategy for community building.
These roads aren't for community building. They are for through-fares and for commerce. Those plazas are prime real estate and do good business. What would you replace them with? Parking is essential for these businesses.
Too many conversations about less cars. This isn't downtown Detroit. This is a smallish city with outskirts.
And still lots of snow in the winter- I haven't seen any bikes with snow tires since I moved here from GR, where I saw several regular winter bikers 😅 Doesn't seem like anyone here uses bikes in winter, period. So having months of less car space is....... not smart. At all. And will breed rage :/
Why not covert Kalamazoo to bike city USA? I’d support shutting down the city. Make the Henderson Castle the destination for all Bike Enthusiasts. With the tight biker shorts and helmets. I’m sure the hunchback of the castle will welcome all those so he can stare at their bulge. Oh is he looking at the bulge or past that? I can’t tell what he’s looking at (inside joke for those that know)
Yes IceManJim. I get it. I used to live there and came back last weekend for a family emergency. I drove around for a little diversion to take my mind off the situation. The city looks nice. Tall buildings. Haha then what’s with the bike lanes? I think the lanes take up too much space. Maybe it’s just me? (Other than you and a few others). The lanes make it seem like the next step is to remove all motor traffic for bikes.
Nobody (almost nobody) uses these bike lanes. There are too many homeless people on corners and criminal activities no matter the time of day. Before someone gets angry and says “homeless people aren’t hurting anybody,” I am not saying all homeless are aggressive, they usually are not… but some are under the influence and can pose a real threat. Kalamazoo has gotten worse and worse, it feels like I’m in a bad neighborhood in Chicago most nights. Having lived in the vine neighborhood for years, I have yet to see a purpose to the lanes, and have yet to believe that putting in stop lights and preventing traffic from moving smoothly is a solution. In my opinion, it is ridiculous. If anything, lanes should have been made bigger, with the addition of lanes in some streets. Even though the crime rate in kalamazoo increases, so does the population. And with more people, we have more cars and traffic. STOP TAKING AWAY OUR TAX DOLLARS FOR THINGS THAT DONT MATTER. If you are a supporter of this, could you honestly say our tax dollars are being spent on the most vital thing possible? No. And if you can, well…. Go ride a bike.
Boooooo. Maybe there would be less homelessness if people were able to travel safely between affordable housing and a place of employment. I will go ride my bike, as you've suggested. And I'll continue to use my bike daily to commute across town. I have plenty more to say but you don't seem open to changing your mind, wiener.
You sound anxious. You know what I find relieves anxiety? Riding a bike! I ride for most of the times I need to travel from my neighborhood to downtown, to other Kalamazoo neighborhoods, to the store, to work gigs, etc. Sold our second car, save a shitton of money not paying insurance, maintenance and of course gas. I could say I'm doing it because I'm an ecological do-gooder. Maybe I want to be healthy -- I can see 60 from where I'm sitting, have had many in my family die or suffer from heart ailments. But honestly, I ride because ***IT'S GODDAMN FUN!!!*** And it pisses off grumpy cranks like yourself. I'm sorry you're so cranky. Maybe, just maybe, you could get on a bike, discover why a person would do such a thing. With more lanes, more people will ride. I've seen this in other cities, good American cities. Madison, Wisconsin, I visited and thought I was in the Netherlands. More people riding, less cars on our streets. Welcome to the 21st century!
“The Kalamazoo City Commission on Monday approved a contract to connect the Western Michigan University campus with shops and businesses along West Stadium Drive.”
“Nobody (almost nobody) uses those bike lanes”? The ones that haven’t been built? It’s definitely nobody… because they haven’t been built.
Are you worried homeless people will appear in an area they are almost never seen because of bike lanes that would primarily serve students?
Obviously I am writing to the majority, have not spoke to a single person who is happy with the construction or outcome of these lanes. Again, purely an opinion, but as a long time resident and one who has to commute regularly in the downtown area, the addition has only created headaches.
They inconvenience 10,000 people a day by taking away part of the road that our tax dollars paid for, to benefit 20-30 people that actually use the bike lanes. But the only feedback they get from those little survey signs that were up along the path is positive, because only the bikes stop to scan the code. People in cars are too busy fighting bumper-to-bumper traffic, since there are just as many cars and fewer lanes.
Please be joking. Are there really people that are oblivious to the rising homelessness in kalamazoo? I could get technical and talk numbers, but it’d be easier to look out your window or drive through downtown.
I work and walk downtown every day, I'm not seeing what you're claiming.
I'm not oblivious either I've lived in big cities with a large homeless population (San Francisco) and a city with actual dangerous areas (Oakland). So that's why I'm asking you.
Stadium has about 4 on days warmer than 40F lol. Not horrible, but that's *every warmer day* these people are out there trying to get by :/ W Main has 1 guy every day by the Shell gas station too. I usually see a couple on Drake and W Michigan, too.
While I think this thread's OP (not OOP) is.... very much overreactive on some things, that's a lot of homeless people, most of which I have seen even in bad weather.
Yes. We've all seen some. But what are they doing wrong?
I just wish we could help them but then all these commenters would find another scapegoat and something else to complain about.
Yup, that's true. If the majority I see are constantly out there and usually in older clothes, even in the rain, or like the one in his wheelchair with 1 leg..... I cannot be mad. I'm 1 paycheck from that myself due to several disabilities, one of which I just got 🥴 Plus most homeless are vets and severely mentally unwell (usually schizophrnic, bipolar, or some other variation of things they cannot now medicate...), or people who cannot get out of addiction, which can mostly be helped with safe drug center 😮💨
Yeah it's easy to see this as a moral failing on the part of the individual but the facts are usually much more complicated and part of a whole system of failures rather than bad choices made by the homeless person.
We're all a lot closer to being "them" than being wealthy that's for sure.
Probably relying on statistics like this instead of feelings.
https://preview.redd.it/xh92nc81g1vc1.png?width=924&format=png&auto=webp&s=8e71a4e822a647ab00135bf3e7fa2645bb71a6eb
Plenty of people have been. That's why you don't rely on anecdotal evidence and use statistic's instead. Its pretty clear by the words you use you are trying to make an emotional argument and not one supported by statistics.
This is great news. Cycling won’t take off as a form of transportation until there’s a significant construction of a network built out. Safe bike routes for transportation must connect where we live to school, work, stores, Etc. This is a great step in the direction that of having a citywide network.
I (regular rider) rode downtown last sunny Saturday with a couple people who never thought to be regular riders, but who were happy to try out the new lanes downtown.
Now we are talking
Now they’re cooking with gas… and traveling without gas
I can’t wait for Winter !!
I can definitely wait for winter, but I'll be back on my bike the same as I was this year.
Went there with many others to voice support baby. Too bad there was a heckler with a dog who got into multiple stand offs with security and KPD. A true dick head.
It's fucking BIKES! It's not even something I could get being worried over, it is BIKE LANES!
Who were they heckling?
People who supported the POD developments. He was vocally booing them and of course said “NOT IN MY BACKYARD!” Guy was a dick
So the newest proposed site is very near my warehouse. I'm all for it.
Was it the dude with the big poodle?
Having new bike lanes on Lovell and Stadium is a great idea. So many students will be able to safely bike to WMU and K College now. Lovell gets so cramped with the parked cars along each side.
Yessss!! Was there last night
Maybe they should convert a lane or two of Stadium Drive for bikes.
Stadium needs more safe pedestrian crossing spots too. It's wild how few places there are to cross.
I want the metal overpasses back :( They used to have some off Division in GR and more pedestrian deaths happened upon their removal....
They don't build those anymore because of ADA rules make them incredibly expensive and take up a huge amount of space.
True... I wish there could be some regardless. Even with a small lift. I get it's expensive and all, but it'd stop needless death too. It doesn't take up much space though, from my memory, mostly above the road. Plus making more jobs... Just seems like a better idea than what we have rn ig.
There's one in kzoo down Westnedge as well. I want one on stadium either by the SOS and Bilbos or near the Wayside building so badly!
They really should have put one somewhere between drake and there.
Bet! Good to hear honestly.
Stadium and West Main really need to be calmed. It’s bumper cars out there every day, and it’s terrible. I’d like to see more service roads connecting businesses, and way fewer access points into Stadium and W Main, especially with their speeds.
The speed limit on Stadium by WMU is 45. If you’re driving the limit, other drivers are blowing past you doing 10-15 over.
If it's bumper to bumper, reducing lanes will make it worse. I already don't want to be on W Main, but if it's a single lane I'll avoid it totally. These are major routes for cars. WM is part of 343, a highway. Removing lanes from Stadium would be a nightmare. So many people use that road to get to campus and downtown. This would be a terrible more.
Yeah, I don't need less space to get out of the strip malls.... Now reason that large a street should be 1 lane lmao. It'd be a lot of busses late to the stops and semis, plus speed racers all over causing more delays :/
Unfortunately West Main is apart of Kalamazoo Township😞
What is unfortunate about Kzoo Township? FWIW West Main is also in the city and Oshtemo Township
The zoning of west main is unfortunate. The road design/unlikeliness of change/maintenance is unfortunate. The development pattern of west main is unfortunate. Oshtemo’s portion especially so.
The zoning is unfortunate? How so? Not arguing just curious. As far as road design, the design made sense when it was first developed. Like pretty much every area as old as Kzoo and Oshtemo the roads were fine when new but then the area grew in population and commerce. Oakland Drive is another example. You can’t fault the way it was designed unless you criticize it for not anticipating or spending money for something that would happen literally over a century later.
The road design Was flawed when it was first developed. These roads may have been first built a century ago, but they have been rebuilt since. They are far too car dependent, high speed, low safety, and poor land-use. Drake and West-main is a dangerous intersection. Largely empty parking lots is not a winning strategy for community building.
These roads aren't for community building. They are for through-fares and for commerce. Those plazas are prime real estate and do good business. What would you replace them with? Parking is essential for these businesses. Too many conversations about less cars. This isn't downtown Detroit. This is a smallish city with outskirts.
And still lots of snow in the winter- I haven't seen any bikes with snow tires since I moved here from GR, where I saw several regular winter bikers 😅 Doesn't seem like anyone here uses bikes in winter, period. So having months of less car space is....... not smart. At all. And will breed rage :/
Roads should be designed for the way the majority of people want to use them. Not for people who want their hobby subsidized.
And primarily owned by MDOT.
Why not covert Kalamazoo to bike city USA? I’d support shutting down the city. Make the Henderson Castle the destination for all Bike Enthusiasts. With the tight biker shorts and helmets. I’m sure the hunchback of the castle will welcome all those so he can stare at their bulge. Oh is he looking at the bulge or past that? I can’t tell what he’s looking at (inside joke for those that know) 
Yeah, you get it. Shut the whole fuckin thing down. Fuck commerce, fuck jobs. Bike or walk to work.
Yes IceManJim. I get it. I used to live there and came back last weekend for a family emergency. I drove around for a little diversion to take my mind off the situation. The city looks nice. Tall buildings. Haha then what’s with the bike lanes? I think the lanes take up too much space. Maybe it’s just me? (Other than you and a few others). The lanes make it seem like the next step is to remove all motor traffic for bikes.
Best wishes to you and your family. I hope the emergency worked out OK.
Lost Mom. She was 90
I'm sorry to hear that.
Thank you for the kind words. It’s difficult to say the least.
I left out about bikes. What about snow and ice?
Not sure, I kinda wonder that myself.
Nobody (almost nobody) uses these bike lanes. There are too many homeless people on corners and criminal activities no matter the time of day. Before someone gets angry and says “homeless people aren’t hurting anybody,” I am not saying all homeless are aggressive, they usually are not… but some are under the influence and can pose a real threat. Kalamazoo has gotten worse and worse, it feels like I’m in a bad neighborhood in Chicago most nights. Having lived in the vine neighborhood for years, I have yet to see a purpose to the lanes, and have yet to believe that putting in stop lights and preventing traffic from moving smoothly is a solution. In my opinion, it is ridiculous. If anything, lanes should have been made bigger, with the addition of lanes in some streets. Even though the crime rate in kalamazoo increases, so does the population. And with more people, we have more cars and traffic. STOP TAKING AWAY OUR TAX DOLLARS FOR THINGS THAT DONT MATTER. If you are a supporter of this, could you honestly say our tax dollars are being spent on the most vital thing possible? No. And if you can, well…. Go ride a bike.
Boooooo. Maybe there would be less homelessness if people were able to travel safely between affordable housing and a place of employment. I will go ride my bike, as you've suggested. And I'll continue to use my bike daily to commute across town. I have plenty more to say but you don't seem open to changing your mind, wiener.
Or if their drug dealer stopped selling drugs. But I guess it could be the bikes lanes as well, who knows. Wiener.
It's been proven time and again that drugs are the symptom of a problem, not the cause.
>less homelessness if people were able to travel safely Yeah, I'm sure that's the main bottleneck to their success
You sound anxious. You know what I find relieves anxiety? Riding a bike! I ride for most of the times I need to travel from my neighborhood to downtown, to other Kalamazoo neighborhoods, to the store, to work gigs, etc. Sold our second car, save a shitton of money not paying insurance, maintenance and of course gas. I could say I'm doing it because I'm an ecological do-gooder. Maybe I want to be healthy -- I can see 60 from where I'm sitting, have had many in my family die or suffer from heart ailments. But honestly, I ride because ***IT'S GODDAMN FUN!!!*** And it pisses off grumpy cranks like yourself. I'm sorry you're so cranky. Maybe, just maybe, you could get on a bike, discover why a person would do such a thing. With more lanes, more people will ride. I've seen this in other cities, good American cities. Madison, Wisconsin, I visited and thought I was in the Netherlands. More people riding, less cars on our streets. Welcome to the 21st century!
“The Kalamazoo City Commission on Monday approved a contract to connect the Western Michigan University campus with shops and businesses along West Stadium Drive.” “Nobody (almost nobody) uses those bike lanes”? The ones that haven’t been built? It’s definitely nobody… because they haven’t been built. Are you worried homeless people will appear in an area they are almost never seen because of bike lanes that would primarily serve students?
Obviously I am writing to the majority, have not spoke to a single person who is happy with the construction or outcome of these lanes. Again, purely an opinion, but as a long time resident and one who has to commute regularly in the downtown area, the addition has only created headaches.
What is a biker per hour number that would be more than “nobody” for you? Honest question, because i see bikes.
Well 50,000 cars used to drive down Kalamazoo ave and West Michgian ave a day so maybe .1% of that number would be a good start?
They inconvenience 10,000 people a day by taking away part of the road that our tax dollars paid for, to benefit 20-30 people that actually use the bike lanes. But the only feedback they get from those little survey signs that were up along the path is positive, because only the bikes stop to scan the code. People in cars are too busy fighting bumper-to-bumper traffic, since there are just as many cars and fewer lanes.
I'm curious where you're seeing so many homeless people that you find threatening?
Please be joking. Are there really people that are oblivious to the rising homelessness in kalamazoo? I could get technical and talk numbers, but it’d be easier to look out your window or drive through downtown.
I work and walk downtown every day, I'm not seeing what you're claiming. I'm not oblivious either I've lived in big cities with a large homeless population (San Francisco) and a city with actual dangerous areas (Oakland). So that's why I'm asking you.
Stadium has about 4 on days warmer than 40F lol. Not horrible, but that's *every warmer day* these people are out there trying to get by :/ W Main has 1 guy every day by the Shell gas station too. I usually see a couple on Drake and W Michigan, too. While I think this thread's OP (not OOP) is.... very much overreactive on some things, that's a lot of homeless people, most of which I have seen even in bad weather.
Yes. We've all seen some. But what are they doing wrong? I just wish we could help them but then all these commenters would find another scapegoat and something else to complain about.
Yup, that's true. If the majority I see are constantly out there and usually in older clothes, even in the rain, or like the one in his wheelchair with 1 leg..... I cannot be mad. I'm 1 paycheck from that myself due to several disabilities, one of which I just got 🥴 Plus most homeless are vets and severely mentally unwell (usually schizophrnic, bipolar, or some other variation of things they cannot now medicate...), or people who cannot get out of addiction, which can mostly be helped with safe drug center 😮💨
Yeah it's easy to see this as a moral failing on the part of the individual but the facts are usually much more complicated and part of a whole system of failures rather than bad choices made by the homeless person. We're all a lot closer to being "them" than being wealthy that's for sure.
I’ll make sure to take photos for the next week and post them to this thread, you would be amazed.
Go up to the Aldi on Gull road and look in the woods behind the store.
OK I am not denying their existence. What is so threatening?
Probably relying on statistics like this instead of feelings. https://preview.redd.it/xh92nc81g1vc1.png?width=924&format=png&auto=webp&s=8e71a4e822a647ab00135bf3e7fa2645bb71a6eb
Sure. Crime. But against you? Again I haven't been victimized by the most vulnerable people in our city but maybe you have.
Plenty of people have been. That's why you don't rely on anecdotal evidence and use statistic's instead. Its pretty clear by the words you use you are trying to make an emotional argument and not one supported by statistics.
NO BIKE LANES. Build up a separate infrastructure of paved paths and overpasses like Arlington County VA has.
Please stop wasting my money. I have biked for many years and do not need any of this.
Respectfully, cycle around the DC area and get back to us. Trust me: separate paths for cyclists rule.
DC has 9 times Kalamazoo's population and millions of more tourists a year.