Overview
The State Road Improvement Project was an Early Preliminary Engineering (EPE) study and Environmental Assessment (EA) conducted for the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) for a 3-mile segment of State Road (from Ellsworth Road to Michigan Avenue) through Pittsfield Township. DLZ was contracted to develop road improvement alternatives that accommodated existing and projected traffic volumes, increased safety along the corridor, and at the same time fit within the local setting.
Process
DLZ worked closely with the WCRC and local stakeholders to develop alternatives that would not only improve traffic operations and reduce crashes, but would also incorporate context-sensitive solutions and provide a complete street concept. A comprehensive public involvement program was implemented throughout the entire project process. Our team met with numerous local stakeholders, business owners, and advocacy groups to collect community input as to which features they deemed valuable and should be included along the corridor. As a part of this process, DLZ sponsored several stakeholder and public meetings to solicit input.
Complete street elements and context-sensitive solutions included identifying potential bus routes and stops, on-street bike lanes, non-motorized pathways, boulevards, bio-swales, lighting, wetland impact minimizations, and access management.
The preferred alternative for the project was a four-lane boulevard cross section with bicycle lanes, a multi-use path, and roundabout intersections. The results of the analysis were documented in an Environmental Assessment. DLZ was responsible for technical studies such as wetland determinations, air quality/noise analysis, and biological studies.
