New Studies Aim To Address Downtown, East-West Traffic

New planning efforts aim to tackle two of Traverse City’s thorniest traffic issues: downtown parking and transit, and east-west transportation routes.

Downtown Development Authority board members will consider approving a $94,000 contract today (Friday) with national consulting firm Nelson Nygaard to conduct a transportation demand management (TDM) study of downtown Traverse City. The in-depth study is proposed to last through October 2017 – allowing the firm to analyze both year-round and seasonal parking – and include detailed recommendations for improving downtown’s existing parking systems, addressing future parking needs, and increasing pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit options.

“We aim to be realistic about the fact that people currently use motorized vehicles to meet the vast majority of their transportation needs, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future,” says Parking Administrator Nicole VanNess. “But (we) must simultaneously acknowledge the growing demand for other safe, convenient, and comfortable travel choices.” According to VanNess, “reducing traffic and increasing walking, cycling and transit use – making it easy and inviting – is a primary objective of (the TDM study).”

DDA Executive Director Rob Bacigalupi says as parking demand has peaked downtown, the organization has considered a range of possible solutions: everything from building new parking decks and introducing bike-share programs to providing free bus passes and creating shuttle routes between downtown, Munson Medical Center and Northwestern Michigan College.

“But all of those ideas cost a lot of money,” says Bacigalupi. “The one thing I didn’t want to do is spend a lot of money on something and have it fail. This is something we need professional help on, (a firm) that can analyze our town and its issues. My anticipation is we’ll end up with a good list of specific recommendations...we can prioritize and implement.”

Among the issues Nelson Nygaard will be charged with evaluating: downtown parking demand across times of day and seasons, downtown user trends (visitors, event traffic, employees, etc.), effectiveness of parking rates and permits, lots that are under or over-utilized, reliability of alternate transit options, projected parking demand over the next decade, and ideal amount and locations of new parking spaces.

Nelson Nygaard was one of three firms who bid on the TDM project. The other two firms – Rich & Associates and Walker Parking Consultants – submitted bids ranging from $47,000 to $90,000. Nelson Nygaard’s $84,000 bid (plus a DDA-recommended $10,000 contingency for additional public input workshops) was selected because the firm “was the most cohesive and had the most experience with TDM studies,” according to Bacigalupi. Nelson Nygaard’s portfolio includes TDM and parking studies in Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta and Ann Arbor.

Traverse Transportation Coordinating Initiative
Outside of downtown, one of Traverse City's most challenging traffic issues continues to be east-west movement across town. Managing Director Michael Woods of the Traverse Transportation Coordinating Initiative (formerly TC-TALUS) told county commissioners last week the organization plans to study the issue and is also continuing analysis of a long-discussed Hartman-Hammond bypass.

“As everyone experiences, (east-west) mobility can be challenging, especially in the summer and especially during the holidays,” Woods said. He noted TTCI was in the process of surveying a “random, scientifically significant sample” of residents to get their perceptions on “mobility when traveling east-west through the Traverse City area.” The survey results will help TTCI board members “better identify and focus their energies in terms of identifying real and potential transportation-related projects,” Woods said.

Woods also said TTCI is coordinating with local and state officials as well as private consultants to provide an update “on overall scope, costs, expectations and what is required to have (the Hartman-Hammond) project move forward.” The controversial proposed bridge between Hartman and Hammond roads has long been discussed by area officials as a potential solution to east-west traffic, but has repeatedly run into barriers of cost, feasibility and environmental impacts. Woods said an executive summary of TTCI’s latest findings on the project would be available on the organization’s website "very shortly."