KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The City of Kalamazoo plans to put Portage Street on a road diet, shrinking the four-lane street down to three lanes while adding both a dedicated turn lane and a bike lane.
The changes will affect the roughly one-mile stretch of Portage Road between Cork and Stockbridge.
The city says road diets dramatically reduce the number of crashes.
Kalamazoo neighbor Jordan Lee said the change could make the road more efficient for drivers.
"I feel like it's gonna be more useful. It's going to make it easier for people to pass by," Lee said.
"Instead of having to wait for people to turn, you can just go straight," he continued.
Neighbor Davari Jackson-West drives Portage Road every day and said the road diet makes particular sense for this stretch because two schools are located nearby.
"When people turning and stuff, so they won't be blocking people from where they have to go. Especially during school," Jackson-West said.
At Pedal Bike Shop, employee Tommy Nagle said bike lanes on busy roads help expand Kalamazoo's overall bicycling network.
"It is nice to have a dedicated lane on the road. Even if it's just painted, not necessarily stopping cars from going through," Nagle said.
Still, Lee said he is not convinced bike lanes are necessary where sidewalks already exist.
"Me personally, I feel like we shouldn't have bike lanes if we have sidewalks."
The city told me bike lanes are a byproduct of the road diet.
