Sidewalk Closures Raise Access, Mobility Questions

Several thousand attendees are expected in downtown Traverse City Saturday for the annual Halloween Walk, where they’ll find smiling merchants handing out candy and creative costumes galore. They’ll also likely run into areas where city sidewalks are closed due to construction, which reroutes pedestrians abruptly – and for those with mobility and visual impairment issues, sometimes dangerously – away from clear pathways. The Ticker looks at how those sidewalk closures happen, how long they’ll last, and how enforcement could soon increase to better protect pedestrians.

Sidewalk closures are currently in place throughout downtown and the City of TC, ranging from the entrance at Northwestern Michigan College to intersections near Munson Medical Center to redevelopment projects at the former J&S Hamburg and Trains & Things Hobbies sites on Front Street. Another development on State Street next to the Park Place Hotel, which has been in limbo due to ongoing city litigation, has resulted in long-running periodic sidewalk closures.

According to City Engineer Anne Pagano, any project that obstructs sidewalks or takes place in public right-of-way must obtain a permit from city engineering. As part of that process, contractors are required to submit a traffic control plan for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. They must use detour signs that comply with state guidelines and ensure that “marked pedestrian detours are clear and unobstructed,” the city’s ordinance states.

“Before any closure is approved, we look for alternatives to avoid the closure,” Pagano explains. “If it is possible, we will require a sidewalk shed or enclosure in order to keep the sidewalk open.  We also look for opportunities to place temporary sidewalks when the construction is not physically taking place on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, this is not usually an option based on the type of work being done to the storefronts downtown. We will always prioritize safety while trying to balance the convenience of the public.”

The city’s ordinance highlights the inherent tension in sidewalk closures. Property owners – especially when sites change hands – need reasonable access to maintain or redevelop their buildings. That work includes accessing utilities, improving facades, or excavating to repair foundations. Pedestrians need to be protected from any work that could harm them, like falling masonry or unexpected holes in a walkway, so sidewalk closures are the best way to ensure a safe work zone.

However, the ordinance also notes that millions in taxpayer funds have been invested “to build and maintain public infrastructure within the right-of-way.” When private uses block that space, they are occupying “property held for the public good.”

“The city strives to keep its right-of-way in a state of good repair and free from obstructions or encumbrances,” the ordinance states. “Although the taxpayers bear the financial burden for the upkeep of the right-of-way, one of the causes for the early and excessive deterioration of its right-of-way is frequent excavation or other intrusions into its area.”

Developers are responsible for restoring any sidewalk they damage during construction. However, two issues typically come up that impact pedestrians. One is the length of closures. Right-of-way permits are good for up to a year and can be renewed beyond that point. Permits typically remain active even if construction halts or there’s an extended break in work. While some contractors will reopen sidewalks during a prolonged shutdown, others will leave detours in place, depending on the work site.

Another issue is deviating from plans submitted to the city or putting detour signs in the wrong spot. For the current closure near Trains & Things Hobbies, a sidewalk detour sign was initially installed this week in front of Sorellina – more than 300 feet away from the work site. That sign prompted pedestrians to cross Front Street over to Horizon Books, rerouting foot traffic away from multiple businesses between the sign and the construction zone (pictured, right). Pagano says the sign was placed in the wrong spot and later moved up by U&I Lounge.

Closures affect both businesses and pedestrians. “We certainly are aware that when sidewalks are closed, it impedes foot traffic,” says TC Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Executive Director Harry Burkholder. “Anytime we can collectively create clear and well-signed pedestrian detours, we’re working toward that. The DDA has put up signs at times to assist with that. We support keeping sidewalks open as much as possible in a way that accommodates both project and public safety.”

Notably, the city typically does not allow any sidewalk closures during the National Cherry Festival. However, other events experience impacts. While DDA staff initially believed sidewalks would be clear this weekend for the Downtown Halloween Walk, Pagano later clarified that it’s possible the “210 East Front sidewalk will be closed over the weekend during the Halloween events. We are working with the contractor, but if the area is not safe for pedestrians, unfortunately it will need to remain closed.”

That sidewalk and the sidewalk near J&S Hamburg are expected to reopen before winter, Pagano says. Meanwhile, after a heavy crane was recently removed from the State Street construction site – which posed a damage risk to sidewalk whenever it departed – the city now plans to improve the sidewalk starting next week and reopen the walkway. New fencing could also be installed to screen the construction site.

Susan Odgers, who has been a manual wheelchair user for 50 years and served for 17 years as a board member for Disability Rights Michigan, says sidewalk closures pose numerous challenges for individuals with mobility or visual impairment issues. “Sidewalks are already blocked too much” with tables, chairs, planters, sandwich boards, and more, she says. ADA parking spots “are often bagged and unavailable” near construction sites, and an odd construction nail can puncture a wheelchair or bicycle tire.

“I was downtown just this week,” she says. “There's not enough of a warning ahead of time that a sidewalk is closed. Being in the street is dangerous. The cars are not expecting to see me. I'm the height of the cars.” Blind individuals who have “their regular routes disrupted” also face a “very dangerous situation,” she says, advocating for the use of temporary mid-block stoplights that can be operated with a call button.

Pagano says the city has a code enforcement officer on staff who can issue citations for right-of-way permit violations. However, that rarely happens since contractors will typically correct any issues if contacted by the city, she says. The city intends to ramp up enforcement efforts going forward to ensure work plans are followed and pedestrian detours are safe and in the right spot. “We recognize that there's a need for us to keep a better eye on things,” Pagano says. “We'll be dialing up our monitoring to make sure that what we've approved is in place.”