PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — If you've driven through our Northview neighborhood recently, you already know there's quite a bit of construction along Plainfield Avenue.
It's all part of a major improvement project that aims to enhance safety, walk-ability and the aesthetics of the corridor.
On Thursday afternoon, dozens of people attended a public meeting to get a status update and share a few concerns.
Watch our story for more from Thursday's meeting:
Plainfield Charter Township’s Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA) started the meeting off by listing some of the priorities for the future of Plainfield Avenue. Some of the priorities discussed included constructing and maintaining sidewalks, potentially building a park or gathering space in the corridor, supporting housing development, grant programs to support new and existing businesses, and installing unique signs and banners.
The CIA hopes to submit a plan to the Township Board in November.
Some neighbors, however, are not happy with the current construction along Plainfield Avenue. They believe the project is negatively affecting businesses and creating serious traffic issues.
"All the other streets have gotten busier and people are avoiding Plainfield and they're avoiding businesses. They're just skipping," said Brent Fields, who's helped run the Lawn Ranger along Plainfield Avenue for the last 30 years.
"This is probably the worst received project so far. I know you guys are already trying to move on to the next latest, greatest thing, but maybe you guys got back up," said Jason Barris of North American Gas & Oil. "Take a look at, you know, readjusting it. I know it's new, but you guys have caused a serious safety concern of people going through our parking lots."
"Cars can't move over. People are left-hand turning into Subway tearing up my driveway continuously trying to do a U-turn," said Dan Diemer, the owner of Diemer's Coins, Jewelry & Collectibles. "I tell a customer I haven't seeing you a long time. He says, I don't come down Plainfield anymore. I said, oh, please don't say that. Please come down Plainfield. It's very frustrating."
Plainfield Charter Township Superintendent Cameron Van Wyngarden attended Thursday's meeting. He told FOX 17 that he understands people are upset about the current state of Plainfield Avenue, but he believes all these improvements will be worth it.
"Since the crowd today may not have been overly impressed with what they've seen, we're also still in the construction period and so once construction has ended, we do believe that things will start to normalize," said Van Wyngarden. "Construction is very frustrating, and it's good for them to give us their feedback. We do appreciate hearing from them and understanding their concerns, and there are things that we can take away from this and figure out how can we improve their lives here."
The Reimagine Plainfield initiative is a $7 million project that stretches from I-96 to Airway Street. Work includes repaving the road, upgrading traffic signals, installing four landscape medians, adding more green infrastructure, widening sidewalks and adding crosswalks.
These measures all aim to reduce the occurrence of serious crashes along Plainfield Avenue. An analysis of crash data revealed a higher rate of serious accidents compared to similar roads, with over 700 incidents recorded between 2018 and 2022. The Meijer/Woodworth and Jupiter intersections have been identified as particularly problematic areas.
In addition to safety improvements, the project also aims to enhance the aesthetic appeal of this corridor.
Construction along Plainfield Avenue began in late-May and is expected to wrap up sometime in November. The CIA also hopes to submit a plan for what's next to the Township Board that month.
There are more expected closures this Saturday:
EXPECTED CLOSURES
- 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11: Intermittent closure of Plainfield Avenue on-ramp to eastbound I-96 for shoulder gravel.
- 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11: Intermittent closure of the eastbound I-96 exit ramp onto Plainfield Avenue for shoulder gravel.
- 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11: Intermittent closure of westbound I-96 exit ramp onto Plainfield Avenue for shoulder gravel.
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