KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) — Kalamazoo city commissioners have voted unanimously to put a roundabout at the intersection of Gull Road, Harrison Street and East Ransom Street, rejecting arguments from the cycling community that every street should be built to accommodate bicycles.
The $1.9 million project has been in the works for years and had already undergone a number of revisions because of concerns about pedestrian safety.
Public Works Director James Baker said, with 17,000 vehicles a day whizzing through the intersection, national and state standards dictated that it was just too busy for a dedicated bike lane.
Instead, alternative bike paths have been built into the plan.
Baker said the configuration should be 90 percent safer than traditional traffic lights if used as designed.
