Woodward Corridor Plan: How to share feedback on future of road
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Potential plans for Woodward Avenue will be laid out at two open houses as the Michigan Department of Transportation maps out the road's future.
MDOT has been collecting data on traffic, pedestrian safety, and more along the road from Detroit to Pontiac, with the goal of improving Woodward to meet the needs of all users, including drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and those who use public transit.
As part of that, both an in-person open house and a virtual meeting are scheduled to share the planning process and seek input from the public.
Woodward Corridor Plan open houses
In-person open house
Tuesday, Feb. 18 from noon to 2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center at 4 Ridge Rd.
Virtual open house
Thursday, Feb. 20 from 4-6 p.m.
Join by phone: 248-509-0316, phone conference ID: 903 550 023#
The future of Woodward
During the planning phase, no changes to Woodward have been decided on yet. Currently, public input is being sought to help create the plan that will outline the future of the busy corridor.
According to MDOT, the goal is to create a plan that:
- Considers environmental, community, historic preservation, and economic goals throughout the transportation planning process.
- Evaluates the infrastructure, geometric, safety, and operational needs of all modes of transportation.
- Coordinates with and integrates applicable recommendations of public transit studies conducted by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) and/or Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), which may include bus rapid transit (BRT), fixed-route, and other related transit services.
- Integrates sustainability and climate resilience best practices.
- Establishes high-level construction cost estimates for the preferred options, prioritization of project segments, and estimated timelines based on current funding amounts.
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What you can do:
In addition to hosting open houses, public input is being sought online.
A survey is being conducted as officials craft the plan. This survey seeks to understand how people are using Woodward Avenue, and what they would like to see improved, such as better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Questions include people's comfort levels when walking and biking along and across the road, if they use public transportation, and which improvements along the Woodward Corridor are most important to them. Examples include upgrading transit amenities, improving safety for people on foot or bike, and adding bike lanes.
Other ways to share feedback
Public feedback is also being sought for preliminary concepts by segment. These concepts feature several potential designs, including the current configuration, ones that add a designated public transportation lane, and one that adds a bike lane.
Take the segment surveys here.
Additionally, a map has been created that lets users report safety, transit, and parking issues along Woodward.
View the map and add your input here.
What's next:
The Woodward Corridor Plan is expected to be completed by the fall.
The Source: This information is from the Michigan Department of Transportation and M-1 Corridor hub.