There are plenty of people walking and biking along Marquette's Third Street, but it's increasingly clear that the street wasn't built for the use it's getting. One of the city's main thoroughfares sadly resembles many of the United States' car-oriented developments in downtown districts.
The word "downtown" itself evokes an image of liveliness, with people out enjoying the heart of town. Third Street is currently out of that mix, but an ongoing Third Street Corridor Sustainable Development Plan supported by the city and the Downtown Development Authority aims to change that by turning it into a mixed-use corridor.
"Vibrant"
Dave Magnum of the
Gibbs Planning Group, which is behind the redevelopment project, says the plan will create "a vibrant, resilient, mixed-use corridor that links downtown Marquette with Northern Michigan University and surrounding neighborhoods." The plan, he says, was created with the help of public participation from community members and business owners.
Two significant components of the improvements include sidewalk and bicycle lane enhancements.
"Many residents, students and business employees and owners live within a walkable or bike-able distance to Third Street, but we found that an unorganized public right-of-way was not only discouraging walking and biking, but was hazardous," Magnum says. "This leads to more folks choosing to drive to Third Street, which in turn drives demand for parking. The cycle continues as more parking lots and spaces become necessary, and you start to see the pedestrian nature of Third Street deteriorate."
What Magnum describes is a plague that inflicts downtowns across the country. But cities are quickly realizing that businesses are frequently choosing to locate themselves in mixed-use areas, as studies have shown that young professionals entering the employment market prefer walkable environments. Marquette is trying to capitalize on that trend with this Third Street project.
The Plan
Magnum lays out the plan for Third Street, describing a bike lane that heads uphill south and a shared-use lane that will be marked with arrows north. Having more cyclists on the street will in turn make pedestrians feel safer to window shop and stroll at their own pace. It's a symbiotic relationship that has proven successful in other cities that have made a concentrated effort to turn toward walkability.
Mona Lang, executive director of the
Downtown Development Authority, credits a $75,000 grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and in-kind matches from the city, DDA and Northern Michigan University for making the project possible.
"Good walkability and multi-modal transportation provides a place where people want to be," Lang explains. "Improving the walkability and sense of place on Third Street provides opportunities for private investment and helps to provide a strong and sustainable economy for local businesses."
These improvements are particularly necessary for Marquette's student population, many of whom use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation. Dennis Stachewicz, director of planning and community development for
Marquette, explains.
"No on-street bicycle facilities are currently in place due to design constraints. Sidewalk cycling is very common along Third Street […] and car-bike collisions have become more frequent over time."
Stachewicz and the city aren't just concerned with student populations, however.
"To promote independent living, aging in place, and in order to achieve the vision of a premier, walkable winter city, the Third Street corridor could serve as a laboratory for the implementation of cutting-edge, barrier-free pedestrian facility enhancements, universal design principles, and innovative winter cities pedestrian treatments," he says.
Though stakeholders are naturally excited about the project itself, Stachewicz wants to applaud how the project came to be.
"One of the most important things to note about this project is the process that was utilized," he says. "Above and beyond door-to-door visits with businesses and stakeholders, there was an intensive five-day planning and design charrette process."
This process allowed for transparency as major planning components were decided upon in real-time with the community present, rather than typical backroom meetings without much community feedback. Stachewicz also says their approach gave the community the opportunity to see what prospective outcomes could look like.
"This is a much better way of helping people understand the implications of planning," he says.
Timeline
Dave Magnum says the plan was submitted to the city at the end of June.
"We anticipate that there may be some revisions to make to the plan, and then we will support the DDA and community development staff in getting the plan approved," he says.
For the city's part, Stachewicz notes the project team is currently reviewing the draft plan and code, which will be available for public review and comment this month.
Eager to see the project come to fruition, Magnum reiterates the goals of creating a vibrant and sustainable Third Street corridor filled with affordable housing and equitable transportation options.
"At this point, it is up to the city to adopt the plan and begin to work towards the goals of the project," he says.
Short-term, Magnum hopes residents begin to see some crosswalk painting and improved signage in the area along with other experiments in "tactical urbanism," such as the recommended bicycle enhancements he believes will be a turning point in improving pedestrian and business life along the Third Street corridor.
Bicycle lanes, Magnum says, create a "beneficial relationship that allows pedestrians to feel more comfortable window shopping and strolling at their own place while cyclists can move more efficiently, both of which are good for businesses."
Joe Baur is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Cleveland. He's also the Sections Editor of hiVelocity. You can contact him at joebaur.com.